This Is Love

 

It's not our love for God but it's God's love for us that sent Jesus to die the death we deserve to give us what we don't deserve (forgiveness, salvation, eternal life with Him in Heaven). Sin separated us from God. God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. Because God is holy, righteous, and just, sin has to be dealt with. Out of love, God gave His one and only Son to be the atoning sacrifice (propitiation/the mercy seat) for our sin (to pay the penalty for our sin once and for all/to satisfy God's justice and wrath towards our sin), in order to restore our relationship with Him.

God is the Source of true love (agape). Agape love is unconditional, sacrificial, and selfless. It seeks the highest good for another no matter what the cost may be, as shown by Christ's sacrificial death on our behalf. God offered His Son to rescue us regardless of our decision to accept or reject Jesus, His gracious Gift. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) Christ died for our sins even when we're still enemies of God. God loves us first before we turn to Him...before we seek Him...before we love Him. He did not wait for us to love Him first before showing His love to us. God's love for us does not depend on who we are or what we do. God loves the guilty, the rebellious, the wicked, the unworthy, the ungrateful, and the unloving. God's amazing love for us never changes. God loved us to death (literally) before we did anything deserving of love. Christ's death on the cross was the ultimate expression of God's love for mankind. The most glorious display of His lovingkindness! We must follow God's example. Take the initiative in loving others, loving everyone, including the unlovable. Love like Jesus!

"When you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does for you." (Max Lucado)

"We cannot choose whom we will love if we claim to be Christians." (Unknown)

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me before I even knew You! Thank You for Christ's sacrifice for my sins! My heart is overwhelmed with Your unfailing & unconditional love for me. Please love through me...help me love others with Your agape love. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Confident and Unashamed

 

"And now, dear children, continue (abide) in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of Him." (1 John 2:28-29)

The key for God's children to be confident and unashamed when Christ returns is to abide in Christ (live in fellowship with Him). “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) We are to be living in the light of His imminent return. If He came back right at this moment, would we be confident (keeping a clear conscience) and unashamed (having nothing to hide) or would we feel unsure/afraid and ashamed/embarrassed? Let us examine how we live our lives. No one knows when Jesus will return. We must be ready at all times. Let us have a Maranatha mindset! 

Knowing God Who is righteous and practicing righteousness should go hand in hand. True/Right doctrine leads to true/right living (according to God's Word). Our words, our action, our character, our lives reveal who we are and Whom we belong to. God's children who have been born of God should take after God. Can people see the family resemblance? Righteous living (holiness/godliness/Christlikeness) is the proof of the new birth/being born again (which is the working of the Holy Spirit). I remember a convicting quote by Gandhi: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." To me, it's one of the saddest statements ever. We are Christ's ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Do we represent Him accurately? How we live our lives either draws people closer to Christ or away from Christ, whether we're aware of it or not. Do we love and serve like Christ? Do we conduct ourselves like the world or like Christ? In short, "to abide in Christ" is the call for us to live in constant fellowship with Christ and live in obedience to His Word, relying upon the indwelling Spirit for empowerment.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for rescuing me from the dominion of darkness and bringing me into Your kingdom and adopting me into Your family! Please forgive me for the ways in which I misrepresent You. Please enable to be constantly abiding in Christ, being ready for His return. Please mold me to be like Christ. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being so that I may live a life worthy of You, please You in every way, and bear fruit in every good work. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.