The Relentless Pursuit of God’s Love
On September 14, 2025, Father Stuart Bates preached a sermon titled “Cleaned.” At its heart was a bold and deeply comforting message: God’s love is relentless. It seeks us out, not when we are polished and perfect, but especially when we are lost, hurting, or convinced we are beyond redemption.
The Scandal of Divine Seeking
Father Bates drew on the phrase “the scandal of divine seeking,” first coined by John Robinson. It captures the startling truth that God’s love doesn’t play by human rules. Instead of rewarding the respectable or the righteous, God actively pursues the very people others have written off.
Through the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son in Luke 15, Bates painted a picture of God’s seeking heart:
“The heart that seeks the lost—that seeks them and seeks them until they’re found. The relentless pursuit of the love of God for every single person.”
This message isn’t abstract. It challenges us. Who, Father Bates asked, have we quietly decided isn’t worth the search?
Grace That Comes First
At the center of this pursuit is what theologians call prevenient grace—the grace that comes before. Bates explained it this way:
“It’s the grace that goes ahead and seeks us out and helps us even prepare to be found by God. It’s before we respond and do anything.”
God makes the first move. Always.
No One Is Disqualified
Too many people believe their sins, failures, or weaknesses have permanently disqualified them from God’s love. Bates pushed back hard against this idea. He reminded the congregation that God’s love is truly comprehensive—“for everyone, for everyone.”
The Pharisees could not imagine such a God. They believed divine love only extended to certain kinds of people. But Jesus shattered that boundary, spending time with tax collectors and sinners, and showing that no one is beyond the reach of grace.
Two Lost Sheep: Zacchaeus and Paul
To bring this truth home, Bates turned to two well-known stories of transformation.
Zacchaeus, the tax collector: Reviled by his community, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Instead, Jesus called him by name and invited himself to his home. That encounter led Zacchaeus to repent, restore what he had stolen, and begin a new life. Tradition even holds that he became the first bishop of Caesarea Maritima.
Paul, the persecutor: Once a proud Pharisee and a man of violence, Paul hunted early Christians in the name of God. But on the road to Damascus, he encountered the risen Christ. That meeting turned his life upside down, transforming him into the greatest missionary of the early church.
Both men embody the scandal of divine seeking: God pursues the very people others have rejected.
Repentance as a Way of Life
Repentance, Father Bates stressed, isn’t a one-time event. It’s a lifelong path.
“Repentance is the same thing that some people call the Christian life because we continually need to repent, need to change our mind, need to change our hearts, need to move in the direction of God’s will and his way over and over and over again.”
This ongoing work is sustained by the Holy Spirit, who helps us change, grow, and turn back toward God again and again. True repentance, like Zacchaeus showed, is not only a change of heart—it’s action.
What It Means to Be Lost
Finally, Father Bates redefined “lostness.” It’s not about social class, education, or background.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are in an expensive home or a middle-class home or a shanty. You can be lost as all get out if you don’t know the love of God.”
Yet even in lostness, every person retains the image of God. Repentance is the road by which we regain the likeness of God and learn to love with divine love.
An Invitation to Trust
The sermon closed with an invitation:
“How close are you to allowing yourselves to be found by the Lord? How close am I allowing the Lord to find whatever part of me I’m still hiding from or in the shadow? The good news is the Lord loves you and he’s not going to stop searching. So maybe you can trust him.”
The relentless pursuit of God’s love is not just a doctrine. It is a living reality. No matter who you are, no matter where you’ve been, God is still seeking you.
