"Until Then"

We don’t get what we deserve,

‘Cause God still gives out grace,

And all the pure in heart will find,

That they can see God’s face.

A place of access opens up,

That there’s no way to earn,

But granted by the One who died,

The best news we can learn.

We’re showered with this special love,

It’s God’s generosity,

The humble heart receives it all,

With great velocity.

As soon as e’er we turn in faith,

And call upon His name,

Salvation pours into the soul,

And all for Jesus’ fame.

To honor and to praise the Lord,

And find our lives in Him,

Relieved of burdens heavy weight,

And healed of vision dim.

It’s Jesus Christ who bled and died,

And rose from death’s dark tomb,

To give to all who will receive,

And let us know there’s room,

In that bright place to which we go,

When life comes to an end,

We’ll live with joy in that first love,

From now on until then.

“He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:8, NLT)

People often have the mistaken idea that by doing the right things we can get God to love us more, and conversely, He withholds His love from those who do wrong. Neither is true. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more than He already does, and no sin that can diminish His love in any way. Grace is unmerited favor, which means it is measured only by God’s goodness, not our performance. That said, we position ourselves to experience His love when we wholeheartedly surrender to Him. We love Him because He first loved us.

Lord, help us to receive and share Your love, in Jesus’ name.

Art by JaNeil Anderson, used by permission. Thanks, JaNeil, and God bless you.