Jesus showed up and made all things new for the world. He didn’t die for some; He died for everybody (2 Cor. 5:15). He had you and me on His mind when he entered to the place of suffering, dying, and death. He had you and me on His mind when He rose up from the grave. When He poured out His love, He had you and me on His mind.

So new and powerful is the life of Jesus in those who have come to live in His life that the Bible says they are now “a new creature,” so much so that “the old things passed away, behold, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). The love of Christ has taken over in their lives and His merciful, holy, wondrous, transforming, and majestic love now controls who they are (2 Cor. 5:14).

Here is a wonderful thing to consider. What God does in a human heart doesn’t isolate people but moves His people to be engaged in the world, sharing the love of God with others. The love of God brings to us “the word of reconciliation” that we in turn share with others (2 Cor. 5:19). We get to tell others about how much Jesus loves them. We get to share with others the transforming work of God’s amazing grace. We get to share with others that they can be reconciled to God, and live above the downward pull of separation from God.

When the love of God controls us the world begins to look differently. It is still the real world with all its issues, but now we see it is a world embraced by grace, and filled with the life of God.
We live because HE lives; it can’t get any better than this.