Yes — we know God loves us because He sent His Son to die on the cross for our salvation.
God's love is demonstrated most clearly at the cross of Christ. Jesus willingly suffered and died, not because He had to, but because He loved us. The Father did not spare His own Son, and at the cross God poured out both His wrath and His mercy, so that pardon is already purchased and only needs to be received by faith.
Romans 8:32 — God's refusal to spare His own Son is the clearest scriptural proof that He loves us.
Genesis 22:10 — Abraham's willingness to slay his beloved son pictures the Father's love in giving His own Son.
Romans 13:10 — Paul connects love with the fulfilling of the law, which Les applies to Christ's death on the cross.
Romans 8:32 (KJV) declares, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" The logic of the verse is that God's giving of His Son is the measure of His love: if He did not spare His Son, He will freely give us all things. Paul writes in Romans 13:10 (KJV), "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." And in Romans 15:3 (KJV) he says of Christ, "For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproach thee fell on me." In the Old Testament, Genesis 22:9-10 (KJV) records that Abraham "built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son."
Les answers this question by pointing time and again to the cross. He teaches that Jesus was willing to suffer crucifixion "for only one reason, because He loved us" [Clip 1]. God did not have to redeem the human race — He could have let mankind go or removed them from the earth — but He did it because He loved us [Clip 1]. The holy, sinless Creator Himself "went and suffered and died on a Roman cross... Because He loved mankind, that's the only reason" [Clip 2]. Les also stresses that the Father did not spare His Son; everything God has done and is doing is based on the finished work of the cross, where He purchased mankind back to Himself [Clip 4]. He calls the cross "the epitome of love" and asks, "What put Christ on the cross? Love" — it was love that caused God to pour out mercy at the cross [Clip 5]. Just as Isaac obediently submitted to Abraham, Christ, who could have called down ten legions of angels, went to the cross in complete obedience [Clip 0]. Les further teaches that no one is so far down that God cannot love them; the most vile sinner already has his pardon purchased and simply needs to believe it to appropriate it [Clip 3]. Mankind deserves absolutely nothing, yet God provided a way back because of His mercy — at the cross He poured out both His wrath and His mercy [Clip 7].
Les explains that Christ could have called down ten legions of angels and avoided the cross entirely, but He did not rebel. Just as Isaac obediently let Abraham bind him and lay him on the altar, Christ went to the cross in complete obedience [Clip 0]. He was willing to suffer because He loved us, and He could have rejected the cross but chose it out of motivating love to purchase our salvation [Clip 1, Clip 6].
Les stresses that God was under no obligation to save anyone. He could have simply let the human race go or removed mankind from the earth's experience [Clip 1]. Yet because He loved us, He provided a way back — and because God never goes against His own holy and righteous principles, that way was the finished work of the cross, where He did not spare His Son [Clip 4, Clip 7].
Les says no one is so far down the tube that God cannot love them; we cannot always comprehend it, but God loves them [Clip 3]. The most vile sinner already has his pardon done — salvation has already been purchased — but he must believe it in order to appropriate it [Clip 3, Clip 7].
Christ's Obedience Like Isaac's
Just as Isaac obediently let Abraham bind him, Christ did not rebel or call down legions of angels but went to the cross in complete obedience.
Jesus Died Because He Loved Us
Jesus was willing to suffer crucifixion for only one reason — because He loved us — and God did not have to redeem us at all.
The Creator Died Out of Love
The holy, sinless Creator walked the streets of Palestine and died on a Roman cross — the only reason being that He loved mankind.
God Loves the Vile Sinner
No one is so far gone that God cannot love them; the most vile sinner already has his pardon purchased and only needs to believe it.
God Did Not Spare His Son
God did not spare His Son so that He could purchase mankind back to Himself, because God never goes against His own holy and righteous principles.
The Epitome of Love at the Cross
Les locates the epitome of love on the cross: it was love that put Christ on the cross and love that caused God to pour out mercy.
Christ Pleased Not Himself
Christ died because He loved mankind; He could have rejected the cross but chose it out of motivating love to purchase our salvation.
Mercy Poured Out at the Cross
Mankind deserves nothing, but God provided a way back because of His mercy; at the cross God poured out both wrath and mercy, and we appropriate it by faith.
Genesis 22:10: And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
Abraham's willingness to slay his only, beloved son is the Old Testament picture of the Father's love in giving His Son.
Romans 8:32: He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
This verse is the strongest direct statement that God's love is proven by the giving of His Son.
Romans 13:10: Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Les points to the cross as the place where love fulfilled the law.
Romans 15:3: For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproach thee fell on me.
Christ's unselfish love is the example of love that motivated Him to go to the cross.
The clearest proof is the cross. Jesus was willing to suffer and die for only one reason — because He loved us. The Father did not spare His Son, and at the cross God poured out His mercy so that pardon is already purchased; it only needs to be received by faith.
No. Les teaches that God did not have to redeem us; He could have let the human race go. But because He loved us, He provided a way back to Himself — a way consistent with His own holy and righteous principles.
Yes. Les says no one is so far down the tube that God cannot love them. The most vile sinner already has his pardon done and simply needs to believe it to appropriate it.
Love. Les teaches that it was Christ's love for lost mankind that set His eyes as flint to the cross, that it was love that nailed Him, and that it was love that caused God to pour out mercy at the cross.
Watch the Teaching: Abraham’s Test of Faith: Why God Asked for Isaac – Bible Study