The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association has published statistics for the spending on Valentines Day 2016. The average worldwide spend amounted to $13.29 million with around 180 million cards and 198 million roses sent by people to declare their love for someone.

The Bible has a lot to say about love and perhaps the most well known verse is John chapter 3, verse 16: “For God so loved the world,  that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.

Just as millions of people around the world expressed their love on 14th February by what they gave, God has shown how much He loves the world through giving His Son. Many people in the world do not believe that this verse can be true. They would argue, how can God love the world if He does not intervene to prevent all the tragedies that happen, or to fix all the problems?

The verse declares that God has proven His love for the world by giving His Son. This refers to His death on the cross at Calvary. The Bible further explains that “God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” Romans 5: 8. Calvary can only be understood if we begin to realise and accept that in the sight of a holy God we are sinners, without hope and facing the judgement of God. That same God has provided His Son as our Saviour. We might say that His holiness has been answered by His love. But the verse is quite emphatic – we must believe in Him, and no other, if we are to have eternal life. No church can save us – it is Christ alone.