Mark My Words – True Love

As we approach Valentine’s day, it is universally recognized that the major theme of the holiday is love. The shape that symbolizes the holiday is the heart.  Boxes of candy and even the shape of the individual pieces of candy take the form of a heart. The color that symbolizes the holiday is red. We send cards that include red hearts, asking others if they will be our Valentine.

Chris Tomlin is a well known Christian musician who has a song entitled “At the Cross”. The subtitle of the song is “Love Ran Red”. Did you catch that? Love did run red when Jesus died for us on the cross, didn’t it? The heart and color red of Valentine’s day then have great significance for the Christian. The heart reminds us of God’s great love for us. The color red reminds us of the precious blood of our Lord and Savior as he hung there on the cross. If you haven’t listened to this song, I would encourage you to go to You Tube to hear it. For now, would you let the words of this song, especially the bold type, sink deeply  into your souls:

There’s a place where mercy reigns and never dies

There’s a place where streams of grace flow deep and wide

Where all the love I’ve ever found comes like a flood comes flowing down

There’s a place where sin and shame are powerless

Where my heart has peace with God and forgiveness

Where all the love I’ve ever found comes like a flood comes flowing down

At the Cross, at the Cross, I surrender my life

I’m in awe of you, I’m in awe of you

Where your love ran red and my sin washed white

I owe all to you, I owe all to you. Jesus.

Here my hope is found, here on holy ground

Here I bow down, here I bow down.

Here arms open wide, here you save my life

Here I bow down, here I bow down.

We live in a world where the concept of love has been cheapened. An evidence of this is that in many cases relationships do not last because they are viewed as disposable if the relationship does not gratify the selfish desires of the participants.  When we look to the cross of Jesus though, we find a deep, true, and selfless love that ran bright red so that our sins could be washed brilliant white. When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we experience firsthand his wonderful heart of love and understand more fully the love that he has for those who do not yet know him. We also experience the sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit and Word of God in our lives which daily washes us white.

You have received this wonderful love. Share it! You have heard this glorious Gospel message. Speak it to others! At the cross the love of Jesus ran red so that the sins of the world could be washed white. Would you take up your cross today and follow Jesus so that the whole world may know about our wonderful Lord and Savior? Jesus is asking the world today, “will you be my Valentine”? I pray that many will say yes.

Happy Valentines Day!

Mark