Five Points Blog
Because He Loves Me
- Kathy Nelson
- Dec 16, 2011
Elyse Fitzpatrick, along with her husband Phil, are members of Valley Center Community Church in San Diego. Because of her writing, she is also a retreat and conference speaker around the country who holds a Master’s in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary, has nearly twenty years of biblical counseling experience and has written close to a dozen books.
Because He Loves Me is one of many books I have received from Brent as he has attended theological conferences that supply wonderful books. Brent always returns with great theology books for himself, but always brings books home for me. When I first saw it I loved the cover! So pretty! But, don’t let the cover fool you - this book is not just for women.
Seriously, I had heard wonderful things about other books written by Elyse, so I was looking forward to digging into the book. Also, this book would be great to read through with a friend because each chapter ends with questions covering the key points.
Elyse writes this book to help us grasp the reality that God’s love will provide every answer to every question we have about Him and ourselves. It will tell us who we are, why we’re here, and how He would have us do His will in every area of our lives. When we are delighting in God’s love it will transform everything about us. His love renews us from the inside out.
She shows how it is essential for us to think about God’s love. First, because it is only His love that grants us the joy that will strengthen our weak hearts. And only His love supplies the courage to help us fight against sin. And only His love gives the assurance that frees us to be open and honest about our lives to Him. Certain of His love, we can come vulnerably to Him and He will deal powerfully and mercifully with our unbelief and idolatry.
Elyse’s message is that God’s love comes to us in the Gospel of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This good news is the answer to every problem, including our greatest need: our dead souls. Elyse writes how we as believers often believe in Jesus, give assent to the Gospel, and are even thankful for our salvation, but too often forget about such realities in our daily living. How does the Gospel affect us in our everyday lives – in the grocery line, in traffic, in relationships, hearing good or bad news? She reminds us that when we believe in Jesus and His Gospel – in the incarnation, the cross and the resurrection – we can’t stop there. If we do, we are in danger of falling into a self-focus on our performance and spiritual achievement – not on His all-sufficient grace.
Elyse wants us to ask the question of ourselves, “How is Jesus relevant?” She continues, “In your pursuit of godliness, have you left Jesus behind?” We are His because of His love. And this love isn’t based on our worthiness or performance – but on Christ’s perfect worth and obedience, which doesn’t fluctuate day to day. God’s love for you and me was settled before the foundation of the world. “For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believed in Him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Reading this hit me so powerfully. I don’t know about you, but I struggle with this often. I struggle often with “How am I doing?” or “Have I failed again?” And even at times, I have doubted my faith because I have struggled with repeating the same sin over and over. If I neglect to remember or keep my focus on God’s love for me in Christ, I will always be disappointed because I am worried about my performance. I must remind myself of the Gospel! God loved me so much He crushed His Son so that I would be His. This belief is transforming. It’s all of God and not of myself.
Elyse writes that the Gospel is the answer for every need in all circumstances. I try to remind myself of this often and, with God’s leading, seek to share this with others in difficulties they may go through. Because of the Gospel’s work in my life, I am enabled to have grace for others. I have been so fully forgiven, that I must forgive others just as fully.
I certainly don’t have this perfected in my own life. It’s a constant struggle. But God is winning the battle in me. He has filled me with a desire for more of Him and from that, a desire to serve others – all because He loves me.