Nothing can separate me from the love of God.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)

There are many things in life that can make us question whether we are loved.

Sometimes it is rejection.

Sometimes it is loneliness.

Sometimes it is something someone said to us years ago that we have never quite forgotten.

Sometimes it is our own reflection in the mirror or the memories we carry inside us.

We can begin to believe that we are not enough.

Not good enough.

Not successful enough.

Not beautiful enough.

Not worthy enough.

Not worthy of forgiveness.

And sometimes, without even realizing it, we begin to measure our worth by how other people treat us.

But the Bible tells us something completely different.

Our worth does not begin with what other people think about us.

Our worth begins with God’s love for us.

And the greatest demonstration of that love is found in Jesus Christ.

What Does It Mean to Be Loved?

The world often teaches us that love must be earned.

We receive approval when we perform well.

We feel accepted when we fit in.

We feel valuable when someone chooses us.

We may even spend years trying to become the person we think we need to be in order to deserve love.

But God’s love is different.

The Gospel begins with the truth that God loved us before we could do anything to earn His love.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (KJV)

Read that again.

While we were yet sinners.

Jesus did not wait for humanity to become perfect before He came.

He did not wait for us to get our lives together.

He did not wait until we deserved Him.

He came because we needed Him.

That is grace.

Love Went to the Cross

The Cross is perhaps the greatest picture of love the world has ever seen.

Jesus willingly gave Himself for us.

He knew the suffering that awaited Him.

He knew the rejection.

He knew the pain.

He knew the Cross.

And still, He went.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 (KJV)

Jesus did not merely tell us that He loves us.

He demonstrated it.

His hands were pierced.

His feet were pierced.

His blood was shed.

And through His sacrifice, He opened the way for forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.  Ephesians 1:7 (KJV)

This is why the message of In Him® is ultimately not about us trying harder to become worthy.

It is about discovering what Jesus has already done.

You Are Not Your Past

Perhaps one of the greatest lies we can believe is that our past determines our worth.

Maybe you have made mistakes.

Maybe you have hurt people.

Maybe people have hurt you.

Maybe there are things you wish you could go back and change.

Maybe there are seasons of your life you would rather forget.

But Jesus does not ask you to pretend your past never happened.

He offers you something greater:

Redemption.

The Bible says:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

Notice those words:

“In Christ.”

There is that beautiful phrase again – In Him.

When our identity is found in Christ, our past no longer has the final word.

Jesus does.

Nothing Can Separate You From His Love

Romans 8:38-39 is extraordinary because Paul deliberately goes through the extremes.

Death.

Life.

Angels.

Principalities.

Things present.

Things to come.

Height.

Depth.

And then he essentially says:

Nothing.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.

That does not mean life will never hurt.

It does not mean Christians will never experience grief, rejection, disappointment, loneliness, or suffering.

Jesus Himself said:

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.  John 16:33 (KJV)

Being loved by God does not mean we will never walk through difficult places.

It means we never have to walk through them alone.

When You Don’t Feel Loved

There may be days when you know the truth in your mind but cannot feel it in your heart.

Those days happen.

Feelings change.

Circumstances change.

People change.

But God’s character does not.

His love does not become stronger because you had a good day.

And it does not become weaker because you had a bad one.

His love is not measured by your performance.

It is demonstrated through Christ.

When you feel forgotten, remember that God has not forgotten you.

When you feel rejected, remember that Christ welcomes those who come to Him.

When you feel unworthy, remember that Jesus gave Himself for sinners.

When you feel alone, remember His promise:

I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)

When you feel like you have failed too many times, remember grace.

When you don’t know what tomorrow holds, remember that God is already there.

Loved Before You Were Perfect

There is something incredibly freeing about understanding that God’s love is not a reward for becoming perfect.

You do not have to become perfect before you come to Jesus.

You come to Jesus because you need Him.

That is the heart of the Gospel.

God knows everything about you.

The things you are proud of.

The things you are ashamed of.

The things you tell people.

And the things you keep hidden.

And yet He still calls you.

We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (KJV)

He loved first.

Before your achievements.

Before your failures.

Before your plans.

Before you understood who He was.

He loved first.

Your Identity Changes When You Understand His Love

When we truly begin to understand God’s love, something changes.

We no longer have to desperately search for our worth in everything around us.

We can stop allowing our value to be determined by likes, followers, possessions, relationships, achievements, titles, appearance, or approval.

Those things can all change.

But what God says about us in Christ does not.

In Him, I can say:

I am loved.

Not because I am perfect.

Not because I have earned it.

Not because everyone approves of me.

But because He loved me first.

In Him® I Am Loved

This is why the words “In Him® I Am Loved” are more than a positive statement.

They are a reminder.

A reminder that our identity is not something we have to manufacture.

A reminder that our value is not something we have to earn.

A reminder that Jesus gave Himself for us.

A reminder that God’s love is greater than our past.

A reminder that grace is greater than our failures.

A reminder that our circumstances do not determine God’s faithfulness.

A reminder that we belong to Him.

And perhaps most importantly – A reminder that we are not alone.

If You Have Never Known God’s Love

Maybe you are reading this and you would not describe yourself as a Christian.

That’s okay.

You don’t need to know all the answers.

You don’t need to understand every verse in the Bible.

You don’t need to have everything figured out.

You can simply begin by asking:

“Jesus, if You are real, help me to know You.”

The Bible tells us:

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” James 4:8 (KJV)

The Christian faith is ultimately not about following a set of rules in order to earn God’s love.

It is about responding to the love God has already demonstrated through Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10 (KJV)

That includes people who feel lost.

People who feel broken.

People who feel forgotten.

People who feel unworthy.

People who have questions.

People who have walked away.

And people who simply want to know whether there really is a God who loves them.

There is an invitation.

A Moment to Reflect

Take a moment and ask yourself:

Where have I been looking for my worth?

In other people’s approval?

In relationships?

In success?

In appearance?

In possessions?

In achievement?

In the past?

Or have I begun to understand that my deepest identity can be found In Him?

And if you are already a follower of Jesus, perhaps today is simply an opportunity to stop for a moment and remember:

You are loved.

Not conditionally.

Not temporarily.

Not because you performed perfectly today.

You are loved because God chose to demonstrate His love through Christ.

A Prayer of Response

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for loving me before I ever understood what Your love meant.

Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to die for my sins and for demonstrating Your love through His sacrifice on the Cross.

Forgive me for the times I have searched for my worth in the approval of others, in achievements, in relationships, or in things that cannot truly satisfy my heart.

Help me to understand that my identity and my worth can be found in You.

When I feel rejected, remind me that I am loved.

When I feel alone, remind me that You are near.

When I feel unworthy, remind me of Your grace.

When I am afraid, remind me that You are with me.

Teach me to know You, trust You, and walk with You.

Help me to live each day remembering that I am not defined by my past, my failures, or the opinions of others.

I am loved because You first loved me.

Thank You for Jesus.

Thank You for the Cross.

Thank You for Your grace.

Thank You that nothing can separate me from Your love which is in Christ Jesus.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Carry This Truth With You

The next time you look in the mirror and hear the voice telling you that you are not enough, remember something greater.

The next time rejection makes you question your worth, remember something deeper.

The next time your past tries to define you, remember something stronger.

And the next time you wonder whether God could possibly love someone like you, look to the Cross.

Jesus already answered that question.

He gave His life for you.

So today, and tomorrow, and every day that follows:

In Him® I Am Loved.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life… nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)

A Final Thought

The little words “In Him” carry a much bigger meaning than they may appear to at first.

They point us back to Jesus.

Our hope is In Him.

Our salvation is In Him.

Our redemption is In Him.

Our new identity is In Him.

And our assurance that we are deeply, completely, and eternally loved is In Him.

Not because of who we are without Him – but because of who we become when our lives are found in Christ.

About These Reflections

The In Him® Reflections are personal reflections through Scripture and faith, shared from my own journey of discovering the truth of God’s Word and what it means to live In Him.

I am not a pastor, theologian, or ordained minister. These reflections are not intended to replace biblical teaching, pastoral counsel, or the fellowship of a local church.

They are simply what I have learned, experienced, and discovered through reading God’s Word, and what I feel led to share with others.

My prayer is not that you would simply believe my words.

My prayer is that they would encourage you to open the Word for yourself, seek Jesus for yourself, and discover the truth of who you are in Him.

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” Acts 17:28 (KJV)

In Him®.