“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
Jer 31:3
The Lord of life and glory took on human nature to show us that, through Christ, God is reaching out to bring us into a close relationship with Himself. Without this connection, true happiness is impossible. Humanity, fallen and broken, must come to understand that our Heavenly Father is not content until His love embraces the repentant sinner, changed through the sacrifice of the sinless Lamb of God.
All of heaven is working toward this purpose. Under divine authority, heavenly beings labor to restore those who have separated themselves from their Father through sin. A plan has been set in motion to reveal the amazing grace and love of Christ to the world. The immeasurable price paid by the Son of God to redeem humanity shows the depth of God’s love. This plan of redemption is sufficient to save everyone. Through the forgiveness of sins and the righteousness given by Christ, fallen people can be made whole in Him.
In everything Jesus did, He revealed the tender, caring nature of God as a loving Father. He wants us to understand the Father’s love and draws us to Him by showing that love in action. Jesus lived among people so they could clearly see God’s mercy, compassion, and kindness. It was through His life of goodness that the character and grace of God were made visible.
Christ came to reveal God’s love to the world and to draw every heart to Himself. The first step toward salvation is responding to that loving invitation. As people open their hearts to His grace, He leads them step by step into a deeper knowledge of Him, bringing the joy of forgiveness and the peace of God. This growing relationship with Christ is the essence of eternal life.
Jesus also spoke of this drawing power when He said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:44). This shows that the love described in Jeremiah is still at work through Christ. God gently draws people to Himself, not by force, but through love, truth, and grace. Those who respond to this call discover that His love has been reaching for them all along, guiding them into a restored and lasting relationship with Him. In Jesus’ own words:
“…when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)
“The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift.” (SC 21)
“The sinner is drawn to Christ by the manifestation of His love. ‘I, if I be lifted up from the earth,’ He says, ‘will draw all men unto Me.’ Christ must be revealed to the sinner as the Savior dying for the sins of the world; and as we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance.” (SC 26)
“Christ is the bread of life. Those who eat His flesh and drink His blood live by Him, even as He lives by the Father.” (DA 389)
“To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ is to receive Him as a personal Savior, believing that He forgives our sins, and that we are complete in Him. By beholding His love, by dwelling upon it, by drinking it in, we are to become partakers of His nature.” (DA 389)
Being partakers of His divine nature is one of the most important experiences to be had in the Christian life. One text in particular speaks to us even today about how to partake of the divine nature.
“…he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Pet 1:4)
2 Pet 1:3 tells us that God gives us everything we need to live a life of Godliness, through His promises. No. This does not mean that we become “little Gods” or that we become God, or any such thing.
God gives us power. (John 1:12). That power comes through knowing Him. (John 17:3) We may come to know Him through His promises because God’s promises are not just benefits—they are the way God makes Himself personally known to us. can know facts about God without really knowing Him. God’s promises move knowledge from our head and into our personal lived daily realities.
“I will never leave you” → we discover His faithfulness in loneliness
“I will forgive” → we experience His mercy in failure
“My grace is sufficient” → we learn His strength in weakness
How can we truly know a promise until such times as we have to rely on one? Is it possible that this is why the Bible tells us that we cannot rely on ourselves, our own resources or skills, but on Christ alone? “so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Cor 2:5). What is really amazing here is that God sees us exactly as we are. The Bible says “Jesus knew what was in man” (John 2:25), and that no matter what Jesus sees when He looks at us; He loves us. (Mark 10:21) The Bible is clear: “while we were yet sinners, Jesus died for us. What amazing love! What amazing grace!
God Behind All His Promises
“Promises are estimated by the truth of the one who makes them. Many [people] make promises only to break them, to mock the heart that trusted in them. Those who lean upon such [people] lean upon broken reeds. But God is behind the promises He makes. He is ever mindful of His covenant, and His truth endures to all generations.” {7BC 942.12}
“We must learn of Christ. We must know what He is to those He has ransomed. We must realize that through belief in Him it is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, and so escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Then we are cleansed from all sin, all defects of character. We need not retain one sinful propensity.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.(Eph 2:1-7)” {7BC 943.1}
“As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character, and we are made a living power for good. Ever learning of the divine Teacher, daily partaking of His nature, we cooperate with God in overcoming Satan’s temptations. God works, and man works, that man may be one with Christ as Christ is one with God. Then we sit together with Christ in heavenly places. The mind rests with peace and assurance in Jesus.” {7BC 943.2}
“Jesus presented the Father as one to whom we could give our confidence and present our wants. When we are in terror of God, and overwhelmed with the thought of His glory and majesty, the Father points us to Christ as His representative. What you see revealed in Jesus, of tenderness, compassion, and love, is the reflection of the attributes of the Father. The cross of Calvary reveals to man the love of God. Christ represents the Sovereign of the universe as a God of love. By the mouth of the prophet He said, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3). {HP 18.3}
“We have access to God through the merits of the name of Christ, and God invites us to bring to Him our trials and temptations; for He understands them all. He would not have us pour out our woes to human ears. Through the blood of Christ we may come to the throne of grace and find grace to help in time of need. We may come with assurance, saying, “My acceptance is in the Beloved.” “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him” (Ephesians 2:18; 3:12). {HP 18.4}
“Christ is to dwell in the heart by faith: “That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” If this is your experience, you will certainly represent to the world the fact that “ye are complete in Him.” “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.” “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” {BEcho, December 3, 1894 par. 2}
“In unmistakable language our position is presented before us. Apart from Christ we have no merit, no righteousness. Our sinfulness, our weakness, our human imperfections make it impossible that we should appear before God, unless we are clothed in Christ’s spotless righteousness. We are to be found in him, not having our own righteousness, but the righteousness which is through Christ.” {RH, December 20, 1892 par. 3}
“But there is hope for every one; 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.” If the love of God is not appreciated, and does not become an abiding principle in the hard heart to soften and subdue the soul, we are utterly lost. The Lord has no reserve power with which to influence man. He can give no greater manifestation of his love than that which he has given. Heaven’s richest gift has been freely offered for your acceptance. If the exhibition of the love of Jesus does not melt and subdue your heart, by what means can you be reached? Has the love of Christ failed to bring forth an earnest response of love and gratitude? Then let it not remain in this condition of hardness another day. Open your heart, and receive Christ, the best gift of heaven. Let not cruel unbelief lead you to refuse the heaven-sent gift. Let not Christ say of you, “Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life.” {RH, December 20, 1892 par. 4}
“Jesus has prepared many mansions, he has made a place for his children in the city of God. He has not forgotten those who are upon earth. His great heart of love is open to our griefs, our sorrows, our trials; for he has loved us with an everlasting love, and with loving-kindness he has compassed us about. He invites all the weary and heavy laden to come unto him and find rest. Then come to him all ye that are heavy hearted, who are care-worn, and bowed down beneath heavy burdens. Carry your burdens to him, and when you rise to go to your daily task again, do not gather them up, but leave them all with him. When you are tempted to gather your cares and griefs again to your heart, say, “No, I’ll not do it. I have taken them to the Burden-bearer, and I will leave them with him.” Keep the heart stayed upon him, and meditate upon his loving-kindness all the day long.” {ST, January 26, 1891 par. 8}
“In the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, have faith in God. He is working out His will, doing all things well in behalf of His people. The strength of those who love and serve Him will be renewed day by day.” {HDL 22.1} “He is able and willing to bestow upon His servants all the help they need. He will give them the wisdom which their varied necessities demand.” {HDL 22.2}
“Said the tried apostle Paul: “He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9,10. {HDL 22.3}
“This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ (Jer 33:2-3, NIV)
