William Tyndale, who printed the first New Testament in the English language, said once, “I used to think that salvation was not for me, since I did not love God, but those precious words, ‘We love Him, because He first loved us’ (1 John 4:1919We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)), showed me that God does not love us because we first loved Him. No, no! ‘We love Him, because He first loved us.’ This makes all the difference.”
These wonderful words, he said, “were the pearly gate by which I entered into the kingdom of God.”
How many today, we wonder, are making the same mistake as Tyndale? How many believe they must work up some love for God before they can be assured of His forgiveness and love? This is not God’s way of salvation!
Salvation is by grace through faith, and not by works of law or deeds of love. Grace, free grace, and the boundless love of God are the source of all blessing for poor, perishing sinners.
God’s love was shown toward us when we had not so much as one thought or movement toward Him, for the Bible again says, “God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)...that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7,4-57That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7)
4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:4‑5)).