Christians love Christ because He first loved them, providing eternal and unchanging love.
Christians love Christ fundamentally because He first loved us, as articulated in 1 John 4:19. This divine love is not contingent upon our actions or worth, but is rooted in God's grace and the redemptive work of Christ. Believers come to understand that this love is eternal, unchanging, and not based on anything they could offer back to Him. Additionally, the loveliness of Christ—His character, compassion, and sacrificial nature—further captivates the hearts of believers. Experiences of grace and the acknowledgment of their need for salvation also deepen this love, as it becomes clear that only Christ can heal and redeem them. Thus, the union between the believer and Christ is profoundly built on His everlasting love and His actions toward us.
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