The Great Love of God, by Meriqua Whyte

Many teenagers are searching for true love in all the wrong places when true love is only a prayer away. True love is not your parents giving in to all your wants. True love is not that boy or girl telling you he or she loves you. True love is not using others to fulfill your own selfish desires. God showed us true love, which is only a prayer away. Here is how God showed us the greatest love in the world:

1. God showed His great love for us when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. The Bible tells us in Romans 5:8: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." That was Jesus' only purpose for coming to this earth--to die for all of our sins.

2. God showed His great love for us through His eternal forgiveness of our sins. In Mark 2:7 we are asked this question: "Who can forgive sins but God only?" We read these encouraging words in Colossians 1:14: "In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of our sins." God's forgiveness of our sins has redeemed us or set us free from the bondage of sin.

3. God showed His great love for us through His promise of eternal life. John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jesus Christ will return to this earth one day, to take those  who are Christians back with Him to Heaven to live with Him forever. Isn't that encouraging?

Just in case you are wondering, how can I obtain this eternal life? How can I experience God's true and great love and stop searching for love in all the wrong places? Here is how:

To experience God's true love for you as a teenager, all you have to do, is believe that His Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for your sins. Jesus' dying for you and for me is God's gift to us, and all God wants us to do is to accept this gift. When you are given a gift at Christmas time or on your birthday, you can either accept it or reject it. God wants you to accept His gift of salvation.

Romans 10: 9 and 13 shows you how to accept His free gift:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Teenager, if you believe all that you just read, and you are ready to accept God's true and great love for you, through His Son, Jesus Christ, please pray the following prayer:

Dear God, thank You for showing Your true and great love for me by sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins. I am truly sorry for my sins. Holy Father God, please forgive me of my sins, come and live within my heart, and save my soul from hell. Thank You for giving me eternal life and for giving me a home in Heaven. In Jesus Christ's name I pray. Amen.

Congratulations! Now you can truly experience true love and have a life of peace as you strive to live for the glory of God.