I find, when I’m talking to people about the Bible, that sometimes they have the opinion that the Bible is a book of rules. That God wants us to do XYZ and is looking to see if we follow. Those who follow closely are “good.” Those who don’t aren’t. Or maybe even those who don’t follow are damned. Or, some such thought…as if God is on high waiting and watching to catch us, like a traffic cop hiding behind an overpass.

That sentiment couldn’t be further from the truth. Just read the Old Testament. Read how, over and over, the Israelites abandoned God. Compromised their faith. Outright forgot the LORD (2 Kings 22)! They forgot that the LORD was their God and God welcomed them back. We see in the book of Judges how whenever things were going well the Israelites would forget about God, and when they couldn’t live anymore, they would cry out to Him and, without fail, the LORD would send a Judge.

To these people, who are barely faithful and easily confused, God sent His son so that we would never be confused again. So that we would know how much we are loved. He died. He died for you.

Are you perfect? Can you even say you’re good? I don’t know if I can say either of those things. But I can say I am loved. I have a mountain of love letters bound in leather to prove it.

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