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You’re visiting your cousin, Tom, for a couple of weeks during the summer. On Sunday morning, you attend a worship service at his church. As you listen to the sermon, you hear the pastor talk about what good things Christians should be doing, but you never hear the mention of the forgiveness of sins through the cross of Christ. By the end of the sermon, you are feeling down. The pastor’s words made you realize that you were failing God in many areas of your life. You feel the weight of your sin pressing down hard on your conscience.

Then a Bible verse comes to your mind. It’s as if God sent an angel to tap you on the shoulders and turn your thoughts to another subject. You remember a verse you memorized in confirmation. Like sun breaking through a dark sky these words come to mind from Ephesians 2:4-5: “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions–it is by grace that you have been saved.”

Suddenly the weight is gone and you feel alive in Christ. After the service, Tom looks sad. You ask him what’s wrong. He tells you that once again the sermon reminded him of his failures as a Christian. “Sometimes I wonder if God can possibly love me!” Tom exclaims.

In five sentences or more what would you say to your cousin Tom on the basis of Ephesians 2:4-5