Studies on the Love of God

Using Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son as a template, this book shows that the Scriptures portray God as loving, gracious, and forgiving, waiting patiently for all men to come to Him. This portrayal removes all barriers to the message of Jesus and befriends the world by offering each man an extraordinary life of fellowship with God. This is part one of five that must be read in order.

Saul's encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road is usually discussed from a theological grid that is unsupported by the historical record preserved in the Scriptures. Saul never called himself a convert; he was righteous before he trusted in Jesus; his faith didn't change from what it had been before, nor did his zeal for God. He was already acceptable to God before he trusted Jesus.

Jesus said, "I came that they might have life and might have it abundantly" (John 10:10b). This life is called eternal life and is given upon the condition of faith alone in Him as God's Messiah. This gift is also described as the spiritual salvation that Jesus offers. But eternal life is not about eternity just as salvation is not about heaven or hell. Neither guarantees a heavenly destiny.

There are benefits flowing from the cross that God the Father has applied to men around the world through every age from the beginning of man's history on earth even though most of them knew nothing of Jesus Christ and could not have had any significant level of belief in Him. The benefits of the cross are not conditioned on faith in Jesus. That is the most revolutionary truth of the 21h century.

Though Jesus rescued all men from the consequences of their sin, and modeled for them a life which perfectly fulfilled God’s two great commandments: love God and love your neighbor as yourself, there is an even greater gift which God offers freely to all who believe in Jesus as Messiah, Son of God. That gift is a supernatural, spiritual life. Living by this life enables us to overcome all trials.