By Robyn Spradlin
A day or two after Super Bowl LVII, a friend messaged me and asked if I had seen the “He Gets Us” commercials that aired during the game. I am not a football fan. I have nothing against those who love the game but have little interest in anything it offers. So, I told my friend I had not seen it. My friend was kind enough to send a link to the website and Facebook page affiliated with the commercials and asked me to share my opinion.
After watching the videos and reading several articles from the website, I wanted to share with the SheBelieves community what this she believes.
A commercial on the website presents a picture of unconditional love and acceptance, regardless of color, creed, sex, age, or social standing. It points out that Jesus doesn’t want us to act like adults but like children. The concept communicated is loving without reservation. The idea is “shown” rather than explained, as small children hug one another and play together without indicating hatred, bigotry, skepticism, cynicism, jealousy, or any other emotion devoid of love.
Am I saying the notion is wrong or evil? No. It is a worthy concept. There is a desperate need for love in our disillusioned, hopeless, and frustrated society. However, there is something that stood out to me. Neither the video nor the articles I read instruct on producing this kind of love.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
The commercials from the Super Bowl lead one to believe anyone can love an enemy like Jesus did and should do so, but that is not a valid assumption. As humans in our flesh, we have the capacity and ability to love, but human love is NOT sufficient to fulfill what the “He Gets Us” commercial suggests. Loving one’s enemies with the unconditional, full-throated love of a child only comes from having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Without that relationship, the foundation and source of our love cannot be anchored in Love, Himself.
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Scripture teaches us that God is Love in 1 John 4:8 (above) and 4:16 (below). We must dwell in God/Love to love. For those who dwell in Love, God dwells in them; therefore, they can love. However, contrary to popular belief, God does not dwell in everyone. If God doesn’t dwell in someone, they do not possess the ability to produce the fruit of that relationship. Scripture teaches that trees bear fruit after their kind (Genesis 1:11, KJV). You don’t plant lemon trees and reap sweet juicy apples. Thus, it is with having a natural, sinful, hate-filled, unregenerate nature – a lemon tree, and expecting to reap the sweet juicy fruit of love. It will not happen without the regeneration process of being born-again.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
A specified plan, the plan of salvation, details how an individual invites the Lord Jesus into his or her heart and life, giving Him the place of Lordship to lead, guide, and direct one’s life. Acts 16:30-31 show us the jailer in Philippi asking how he can be born again and the Apostle Paul’s answer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Act 16:30-31 KJV
However, Paul included confessing Christ Jesus as Lord with our mouths in Romans 10:9 -10 as the route of access to the plan of salvation. It is within the confines of accepting Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord that loving as Jesus loves becomes a reality.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9-10 KJV
Some passages of Scripture teach about humbling yourself and becoming like a child. It doesn’t mean acting childish or lacking discipline. No, becoming as little children and gaining access to the Kingdom of God, as referenced in Matthew 18:3, hinges on humbling oneself – getting rid of pride, arrogance, inflated perceptions of self, etc. Little children do not exhibit these characteristics until they grow and witness the adults’ examples surrounding them.
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
How does one rid themselves of the natural, human nature of pride and self-absorption? 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (NIV). As the humbling occurs, 2 Corinthians 5:17 takes place, and one becomes a new creation in Christ. In humbling ourselves, we come to Christ, recognizing we are sinners; we surrender our hearts and wills to His will, plan, and way and receive a transformation from the inside out. We become a creation that has never existed before. Our ability to love like Jesus becomes possible within this transformation.
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I’ve researched the organization behind the “He Gets Us” commercials. Their website specifies they are on a “mission to inspire and facilitate revolutionary biblical generosity,” whatever that means. The foundation is a global group helping “donors, advisors, and non-profits in their pursuit of generosity that expands the reach of the gospel.” They seem to have a heart for serving and helping others on a broad scope and are doing so around the globe. Stewardship in finance was the primary focus of the videos I watched. I agree stewardship is needed. I agree financing is necessary to take the Gospel out into the world. However, what would have happened if the Gospel: Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection, was shared during the $20 million commercial on loving like He does?
Some will say nobody would have paid attention, or the broadcasters wouldn’t have aired it because it promoted the Gospel. However, Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Perhaps, one good outcome of the commercials is the discussions about “He Gets Us” between those who walk in Christ and those who doubt Him; that’s a good place for us to start sharing the Gospel.
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