Great love is manifested in the cost of the gift and the sacrifice of the giver. True lovers hold nothing back but give the best they have - including all they possess and their very lives.

God our Creator and heavenly Father has loved each one of us with an immeasurable and everlasting love. That is why he sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to set us free from a debt we could not repay and to break the curse of death and slavery to sin.

John the Evangelist describes the cost and aim of God's love for the world:

"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Scripture tells us that God sent his Son into the world - not to condemn but to redeem - not to destroy but to heal and restore. The Lord Jesus willingly took our place and the punishment we deserved. That is why Jesus  suffered and died on the Cross to atone for our sins and the sin of the world.

We can find no greater proof of God's love for fallen sinful humanity than the cross of Jesus Christ. "To ransom a slave God gave away his Son" (from an early Christian hymn for the Easter vigil liturgy). The Lord Jesus has won great victory for us through his death and resurrection. His victory frees us to love as he loves and to lay down our lives as a sacrificial offering of love and service for one another (John 15:12-13).

In this issue

This issue focuses on the gift of God's love for us and what it cost him to restore us to fulness of life, peace, and joy in his kingdom.

Don't miss Tadgh Lynch's story, A Spring Day that changed everthing, and Peter Mayoros' story of The adventure in Detroit that changed my life. Bob Tedesco's article, Miles Ahead, challenges how we view the world today and what God is up to. And there are some insightful articles from wise and experienced teachers on the progression of family erosion and what we can do and wisdom for dealing with stress, shame, and the self-love trap. Check the Table of Contents for a full list of authors and articles.

As we ponder the great victory which the Lord Jesus has accomplished on the Cross, let us ask the Lord to renew in us the supernatural gift of his transforming love which conquers every fear, every weight of sin, and every obstacle that stands between us and him and his will for our lives. The Lord Jesus has won great freedom for us to walk in love and to follow him with joyful trust and obedience. Let us offer our lives anew to him as a willing sacrifice of praise and gratitude for the abundant life he gives us now and forever.