The third and final part of the second commandment basically breaks down humanity into one of two camps. Those who hate God and those who love God.

In our natural state, we hate God. We want nothing to do with him, this is sin at its most basic. Those who hate God are sinners by nature. This is not to say we are completely evil. We will do good to others, we will seek the good of others, but we will not do this to glorify God. Our whole ethos is on self-preservation, and the denial of God. This culminated in the ultimate sin when God became a man, and allowed himself to be crucified by his creation. The actions of a holy, just, God towards those who rebel against him is his wrath.

This was the not the way it was meant to be though. For we are created in the image of God with the purpose of knowing God, loving God and doing his will. It is by this that we can truly enjoy life. It was through the sin of Adam, that all mankind fell, and are born into a state of sin.

Amazingly, it is through the crucifixion that we can be restored to what we were meant to be. Jesus Christ lived a righteous life, that by his blood, he would take on our sin and the punish it deserves, and his righteousness becomes ours, that we might be in a right relationship before God.

Why did God do this?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn 3:16

God doesn’t love us because we loved him. He loves us first, and when we are restored to our original intended state, we will love him and will want to do what he commands.

If we are in Christ, what can separate us from his love? Nothing at all is what Paul says!

Why? Well, firstly, we are in Christ not because of anything we’ve done, but because his love is unconditional. For we are saved by the grace of God, through faith, not of ourselves. If God has saved us, though we are  sinners and undeserving, why would a holy and just God let us go?

Secondly, this is the love of God almighty, not the love of weak men. We may have all the desire in the world to do our best and to love others, but our limited abilities mean that sometimes, our love can fail. Is there anything which is beyond the control of almighty God?