I want to apologise for taking so long to publish this next post in this series. I've been distracted, and the Lord already slapped my fingers. I promise to be faithful in publishing at least once a week from now on, but I will attempt to do more.
We are busy looking at love from 1 John 4. I recommend reading the other posts first.
1 John 4:16: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
The words "and so we know..." mean
that, since we acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and therefore submit
to Him as Lord, we will understand the love God has for us and rely on it. He
loves us, so why should we fear or worry? If he loves us, He only has good in
mind for us, and therefore we can trust Him.
.jpg)
and God in them.” Do you remember the passage in Acts 17:28: ‘For in him we live and move and have our being’ and the vision I had of us being in the cloud (see here)? I want you to see the cloud as love. God is love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is therefore a definition of who God is: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” So, if we love like this, we are one with God, and He is in us.
In the preceding three verses of 1 Corinthians 13,
Paul describes the religious churchgoer who goes through all the motions of
religion, but does not love like God is: 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: "If I speak
in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a
resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can
fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move
mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the
poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love,
I gain nothing." Does it sound familiar? Have you caught yourself out as
being like this? Have you come across people who are like it?
1 John 4:17 is profound and to be carefully understood: "This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus." What is the purpose of understanding love and being obedient in doing it? It is so we don't have to fear the day when we will stand before the judgment seat. We can be confident that we complied with all of the Lord’s expectations for us. Think of a time you had to face an interview panel for a job position. Have you prepared well for the interview? Have you ensured you have complied with all their expectations? Did setting yourself up for the job and the interview by doing everything they expected of you give you confidence to pass the interview?
What is the expectation for us to be confident during God's interview to enter heaven?
Love should be complete among believers.
How is love made complete among believers?
In this world, we are like Jesus.
How is Jesus?
Go and read the gospels and do what Jesus did, to the letter. Stop being churchy and religious.
No comments:
Post a Comment