It’s one of the first songs children learn as they cut their spiritual teeth in the church nursery and toddler bible class. By the time a child enters elementary bible class in the church they have sung the song hundreds of times. It’s sung all the time – Sunday morning, Wednesday night bible class, Vacation Bible School – all the time. The song: Jesus Loves Me.

A pure, simple biblical truth put to music, but for some reason many grow up and struggle with God’s love for them. We read in the bible countless passages that speak of God’s love for us. We read in the gospels of Jesus’ love for sinners like you and me. Then, we see the love of God in the cross of Christ in all four gospels that are then expounded upon in the rest of the New Testament. Yet, we still strain to grasp how much Jesus loves us.

The most well-known passage in the bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. In John 15:13

Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, than a person lays down his life for His friends”. Paul writes to the church in Rome, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Paul writes to the unsure/insecure Christians, “…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God”. (Ephesians 3:17-19). 

So what’s our problem? Little kids know Jesus loves them but big kids like us struggle. Maybe we need a more child-like faith. Maybe we need to lean on the Lord and less on our own works. How about reading Titus 2:11-3:7 and then listening to a really good rendition of Jesus Loves Me that is simply entitled Jesus Loves You by Stellar Kart.

Titus 2:11-3:7

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds.

These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. No one is to disregard you.

Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to slander no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing every consideration for all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.