i was listening to a jj heller song this evening, and for some reason, though i liked the music immensely, something was bothering me about it.  it took me a bit to realize it was the chorus, which talked about God loving “me for me, not for what i have done or what i will become.”  the last bit of it is fine…that’s exactly what God does, loves us unconditionally, not because we have earned it.  but the beginning.  “love me for me”?  see, that’s just it.  God doesn’t love me for me, because in His eyes, apart from His grace i am a sinner, and the Bible says that the Holy One cannot even look on sin.  how then do i expect Him to love me for what i am?  i am nothing and less than nothing.  in this is the beauty of the gospel: that He does not love me for me, but He loves me for Himself.  not for what i have done or what i will become, but for what He has done and for what He has made me, because when He looks at me He does not see me but sees His Son.  He loves me in His own name.

that is the power of the gospel to save. 

“…and now that you’ll listen, I’ll tell you that I, I will love you for Me, not for what you have done or what you will become.  I will love you for Me.  I will give you the love that you never knew…” ~jj heller (modified)