I was reminded of Jeff Harkins book

One chapter in particular spoke to my heart, and I have copied it for I believe it underscores much of what you have printed (thank you for that). So, without further adieu~

chapter 71

The Father Loves You As Much As He Loves Jesus

This whole grace thing seems too good to be true. I'm convinced that is why many Christians don't trust grace. They hear it, but they can't believe it. They automatically think, That couldn't be true. It's too good to be true. there must be a catch somehwere.   "The catch" was paid by Jesus! If you think that grace is too goodf to be true, here is the actual basis for it. In John 17, just before Jesus climbed Golgatha and died for you, he prayed or you.

I do not ask in behalf of these {the apostles} alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word [that's us!] . . . that the world may know that Thou didst send Me,

and didst love them, even as thou didst love Me (John 17:20,23).

See, it says here in black and white that the Father loves you as much as he loves Jesus: "Thou . . . didst love them, even as Thou didst love me." A great teacher named

Hobart Vann pointed this Scripture out to me. He said it was the most imporant sermon he had. Thanks, Hobart!

  Now, reread what Jesus prayed. Note

carefully: He didn't just pray that we would know that the Father loves us as much as he loves Jesus, but that the whole world would know that the Father loves us as

much as he loves Jesus.

  What if you begin to live your life as if the Father loves you as much as he loves Jesus? What if you begin to pray as if the Father

loves you as much as he loves Jesus?

  The primary way in which grace produces obedience is as a response to love. "We love, because He first loved

us" (I John :19). It makes sense that the Father loves you as much as he loves Jesus, since he exchanged Jesus, his beloved unique Son, for you. That'a a fact of

history.

  For many years I Corinthians 13, "The Love Chapter," was in fact, a threat to me. It describes love graphically:

Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take

into account a wrong suffered (I Corinthians 13:4-5).

I say that this Scripture was a threat to me. It was a threat because I couldn't do it acceptably. I got to where I couldn't even read I Corinthians 13 because I couldn't do it. My

love was hopelessly flawed.

  Then one day the lights came on: "God is love." (I John 4:8). Therefore, I Corinthians 13 is not, first of all what God expects

of me. Rather, I Corinthians 13 describes all that God is toward me.

  So God is patient with me and with you! God is kind. . . God is not arrogant . . . God

does not seek its own . . . God does not take into acccount a wrong suffered but . . . "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (verse 7). That's

how he is toward me and toward you.

  "Love never fails (I Cor 13:8). You could read this "Love never quits." This means God never quits on

us.

  Yes. God also intends that you and I never quit on him. But he knows that we are not the source of that kind of love. Therefore, Jesus prayed that we

could know the incredible, never-quit, too-good-to-be-true love. He is the source of this love.

  Knowing him is the only route to true love in you. You

will love as you come to know and accept his unconditional love. In this context you are enabled to heed the books and teaching currently available on love being a

decision, a choice, a commiment.

  But always remember that God's kind of love is the power of the Spirit working with applied grace. Mere self-help love is

like a Band-Aid on a hemorrhage. Self-help therapies alone cannot redeem mankind.

  

Source: Jeff Harkin, Grace Plus Nothing, Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Ill. pgs. 169-170.