Follower of the Way

Thought for Today - How great the love of God for us

Ephesians 2:4-8

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith.

How Great the love of God for us.  May we be willing to show grace to others.  How can we even begin to imagine the "immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus".  May we live with grace on our heart showing the love of God to others.

Thought for Today - Faith, Hope and Love

I Corinthians 13:13

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Romans 5:1-5 

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we^[ have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

I John 2:5-6

but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

I John 2:15-16

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

I John 3:1

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

I John 3:18

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth

I John 3:23

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

I Corinthians 13:4-8a

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends.

Matthew 25:34-40

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Thought for the day - How great the Father's love for us

1 John 3:1-3 (NKJV)
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.   Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Ephesians 1:3-6 (NKJV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.

Romans 8:37-39 (NKJV)
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Thought for Today - Let each esteem others better than himself

Paul frequently wrote that we should serve one another and give preference to others:

Galatians 5:13 (ESV) For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Philippians 2:3 (NKJV) Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Christ is our example for how we should live in this life.

Matthew 20:27-28 (NKJV)  And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV)
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

If our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ could leave Heaven and come to earth to provide us an example and to die for our sins; what is it for us to give our lives in service to others during our time on this Earth.

Reading for Today - Ephesians 3:14-21 - to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge

Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

 

How great is God’s love for us.  When we recognize the breadth, length, height, and depth of God’s love for us we cannot but be compelled to seek to serve Him and to seek to show the love He has shown us to others.  God can do mighty things through us if we will allow Him to use us.  May we all seek to do what we can, where we are to be a light to the world showing the love of God to all we come in contact with.

Below is a poem attributed to Teresa of Avila

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Reading for Today - Galatians 5:1-15 - through love serve one another

Galatians 5:1-15 (ESV) For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.  Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.  I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.  You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.  For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.  You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?  This persuasion is not from him who calls you.  A little leaven leavens the whole lump.  I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.  But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed.  I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!  For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

 

We should be about serving one another.  Paul urged the Galatian brethren to no use their freedom to serve the flesh, but instead to use it to serve one another through love.  Paul reminds us - "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more

Philippians 1:3-11 (ESV) I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul in his epistles lists many things he prayed for the congregations he wrote. For the Philippians Paul prayed for many things. Paul prayed that their love may abound, that their love may abound with knowledge, that their love may abound with discernment. Paul prayed for these things with the goal that they would be able to approve what was excellent, that they would be pure and blameless, and that they would be filled with the fruit of righteousness. We should want the same things in our life.

In all things we need our love to abound. The attitude of love should prevail in how we approach everyone. We want what is best for everyone. We are willing to sacrifice our needs for the needs of others. Our concern is for others ahead ourselves.

We need to show love based on knowledge and discernment. Sometimes love requires a gentle response while at other times it may require a harsher response. Sometimes love will cause us to do something for someone that they can do themselves and other times it causes us to allow them to do it. To be able to show love with knowledge and discernment we have to tune ourselves into the needs of the other person. To be able to show love with knowledge and discernment we need to be filled with the wisdom that is from above that comes from the Word of God.

We need to seek to live lives that are pure and blameless. Let us always check our motives and intentions. Let us always look at how what we do will be perceived. Let us always live our lives with God's Word as our standard.

Our lives should be filled with fruit. Our lives should be a blessing to others. Our lives should bring praise to God. Our lives should show the fruit of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22-24 (ESV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.   And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Philippians 2:4 (ESV) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

By this we know love - I John chapter 3

1 John 3:11-18 (ESV)

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

John wrote much about love - God's love for us, Christ's example for us, and how we should love others. We may not like everything that people do. Sometimes our friends will disappoint us. Sometimes people close to us will hurt us by their actions. Love doesn't mean that we accept or approve of those actions. Love is how we react to all situations. Love is a choice. It is important for the Christian to make the choice to show love. John emphasizes that our love shouldn't just be words, but should manifest itself in action and be true. Christian love starts with the realization first that God loves us.  We should also realize that all men are created in the image of God. God loves everyone, and I should love everyone as well. My love for God and my fellow man causes me to be concerned for the wellbeing all men. This love will manifest itself in many different ways.

When I am wronged. I will forgive.

When I see a need. I will help to the extent I able.

When I see someone doing something that will endanger their soul. I will correct.

When I see someone in sorrow. I will comfort.

When someone receives a blessing. I will rejoice.

When I know something I could do would cause another to stumble. I will refrain.

Like Christ I will put others needs ahead of my own. My goal is Heaven and my desire is that all men can share the joy of Heaven with our Heavenly Father.

Philippians 2:4 (ESV)   Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

1 Corinthians 10:31-33 (ESV)   So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.   Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Galatians 5:13-14 (ESV)   For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.   For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

John 13:35 (ESV) By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

See what kind of love the Father has given to us

1 John 3:1-3 (ESV)   See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.   And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Every time I read verse one of I John chapter 3 I just stand in awe and amazement. To think that God has called us to be his children. How blessed we are that we can be called his children. We have many great promises in the Bible, but I cannot think of anything more special than being called a child of God. This should cause us to want to live a life that is pleasing to our heavenly father. This should cause us to live a life that brings honor to his name.

Whatever circumstance we may find ourselves in, may we never forget his great love, may we never forget his great promises for us, and may we always look for things for which to be grateful.

When we face tough times we must remember that God loves us and cares for us.

He has promised that in every temptation there is a way of escape. (I Cor. 10:13)

He has promised that all things work together for our good. (Rom 10:28)

He has promised us an imperishable, pure, and unfading inheritance. (I Peter 1:3)

When we enjoy goodness in this life, may we give all praise to God and thank him for those great blessings.

Paul mentioned in the book of Timothy that godliness with contentment is great gain.(I Tim 6:6) When we realize the magnitude of the blessings we have in Christ. When we think on how great God's love is for us. We cannot help but be grateful and thankful.

Philippians 4:11-13 (ESV)   Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.   I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

As we think on the abundant love that our God has for us may this strengthen our faith for each, every, and all situations that we face in our daily walk seeking God.

The Love of a Christian - I John Chapter 2 and 3

1 John 2:7-11 (ESV)

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.  At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 3:15-18 (ESV)

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

In John 15:12 We reach that Jesus told his disciples to love another,  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”  John in I John wrote that we should have love and not hate.    The Greek word for hate translated in I John 2 would mean any degree of hate.  We need to follow after the example of Christ in showing love to all men.  Christ gave himself for us when we were unworthy and lost in sin.  We were separated from God and yet Christ was willing to die for us to reconcile us back to God.  When we consider the grace and love that God has shown us we should be compelled to show grace and love to those around us.

My favorite passage when thinking about the attributes of the love of a Christian is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love is patient. Our love should endure all things and time does not change our love. Our love should allow us to show kindness to others. Our love should cause us to want the best for others and even want them to have the best. When we love someone we want to do everything we can for them, we want them to have our best. When we love someone we rejoice in their success. The success of the ones we love does not make us feel of ourselves or less for them, but rather joy and appreciation for them. Love doesn’t get irritated or resentful. Love doesn’t rejoice in wrong, but rejoices in truth. Love allows us to bear all challenges. Love allows us to look for the best in those we love. Love for another allows us to give everything we have, expecting nothing in return, seeking the best for those whom we love. Developing this kind of love, the love Paul wrote about in I Corinthians 13 should be the goal for each of us in our life for everyone. When we show this type of love in our marriage, in our families, in the church, and to all those around us there will be “no cause for stumbling” in us as John wrote about. Christ was the ultimate example of a life of love in action. If we seek to have our love to imitate the love God and Christ have shown us we will be well pleasing to our Heavenly Father. When we are having difficulty showing love to others we should remember our Savior’s example. We should also turn to prayer when we feel our love challenged. At those times we should pray for strength and pray for those whom we are having difficulty showing the love of Christ too.

John 13:35 (ESV)  

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Growing in Christ - II Peter Chapter 1

II Peter 1:5-11 (ESV) For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Because of the great promises that God has given us we should be working at growing. As Christians we should be constantly striving to grow in faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, and brotherly affection with love. Peter tells us that if we possess these qualities and are growing in them we will be effective and fruitful in the Kingdom of God.

When we look at vs. 5 we see Peter's exhortation to make every effort. Yet, while we are making every effort to grow in these traits, what we do only comes along side what God has already done for us. We should always be humbled by the great love God has for us. Jesus paid the debt of our sin. Yet we must live after the example of Christ to be pleasing to God. There are many references in the New Testament teaching us to give our all in pursuit of the Christian life.

Faith is a key element in being pleasing to God.

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)   And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

It is our active and living faith that shows we believe God and are following after him. The Hebrew writer noted that to be pleasing to God we must both believe in Him and believe that He rewards those that seek Him. We must be those who are seeking God according to His will.

Faith is the foundation for all of the other characteristics we should have in our life.

Virtue is the determination to do what is right.

Knowledge, as referenced in these verses, is the discrimination to know right and wrong. We need to be sure we are training our conscience to ensure that we hate evil and love good. Is important to note that while we hate evil and love good, we love the souls of all men. We may not like that actions that people take; however, we are all made in the image of God and we desire that all men would come to know God's word and will and seek to follow it. Because of our love for our fellow man we will teach them about God's word and we will bring sin to their attention. We do this because we love their souls. We will speak out against evil and sin because we care for the spiritual wellbeing of others.

Self-Control is keeping our actions and speech under control. We have the power to choose how we react to people, conditions, and events. When we use this power of choice we are exercising self-control.

Steadfastness is resistance to evil and bearing under evil, persecution and challenging circumstance. Steadfastness will build patience.

Godliness is humble reverence and deep piety toward God.

Micah 6:8 (ESV)   He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Brotherly affection is love for the brethren. One of my favorite scriptures describing the qualities of the love of a Christian is I Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (ESV)   Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

The qualities that Peter mentions in II Peter chapter 1 should be ever increasing in our lives. We need to be asking ourselves frequently -

Am I a stronger Christian today than I was a month ago, a year ago, five years ago, and when I first obeyed God's call?

Am I bearing fruit (Fruit of the Spirit)?

Galatians 5:22-24 (ESV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.   And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we are growing and living in these Christian graces we will be living in a way that brings honor to God and is pleasing to him.

I Peter is full of Practical Guidance and Thoughts for Living a Life Pleasing to God.

In I Peter chapter two verse one Peter encourages his readers to put away malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all slander.  Near the end of the first chapter of I Peter, Peter mentioned that we should love with a pure heart.  When you think about the list of feelings and actions that our listed in the beginning of chapter two we can see why Peter would encourage his readers to put away these things.  Malice, deceit, hypocrisy and envy are all things that would be contrary to brotherly love and loving from a pure heart.

As we think about how we can put this in practice it is helpful to define these feelings that we must guard are hearts and minds from:

Malice - Desire to injure another

Deceit - Craftiness

Hypocrisies - Deceptive and deceitful actions/attitude

Envies - Feelings of unhappiness because of what someone else has

Slander - Defamatory statements and Backbiting

These types of feelings and actions will destroy our relationships and will not allow us to maintain love.

How do we overcome these?  By feeding on the "pure spiritual milk" (I Peter 2:2).  We are called to be different.  Our life in Christ should be a process of constant growth.  Paul himself realized that we are constantly seeking to grow more in the image of Christ.

Philippians 3:12-16 (ESV) “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”

Paul pressed on because he was Christ's. Paul didn’t dwell on the past. He pushed forward. Picture in your mind the runner seeing the finish line ahead and pushing his body forward with all that he has to stretch across the line. Paul ran his Christian life giving all and fully focused on the prize. This should be true for us. If we are to grow in Christ. If we are to improve our desires -- we must desire the word. We must as Peter mentions desire pure spiritual milk as a newborn infant desires their mother's milk. Feeding on God's Word and putting our trust in Christ is required to be able to grow in Christ. When we are focused on "the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" we are better prepared to live the kind of life that is pleasing to our Father in Heaven.

The feelings and actions that Peter begins chapter two can occur when desires are not on heavenly things and we do not realize the great sacrifice that Christ made for us. One of the parables Christ taught is the parable of the unmerciful servant found in Matthew chapter 18:21-35. In that parable Christ tells of a servant that owed his master the equivalent of millions of dollars in our terms of money. The master could have delivered him for torture and sold his family to repay the debt. The servant begged his master for patience and his master forgave him. Later the slave found a fellow slave that owed him a debt that compared to the debt the master had forgiven him was insignificant. Instead of forgiving the debt as his master had done for him, the slave had his fellow slave thrown in prison. Jesus used this lesson to teach that we should be those who forgive others. This story should remind us of the great debt we owed to God and how he has forgiven us much.

God has done so much for us that we did not deserve. We were worthy of death and He gave His Son to die for us. When we realize how much God has done for us and we are feeding on His Word we can more easily react to situations in a way that follows after the example of Christ. When we lose our focus we are more inclined to react as the world with malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Those are traits that the Christian should strive to avoid.

We must desire and feed on the "spiritual milk" and we must "press toward the goal for the price of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". Staying in the Word will help us to put our minds on things above helping us to display the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-24 (ESV) "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

"For God so loved the world"

John 3:16-21 (ESV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

 

We frequently quote John 3:16 recognizing God's love for man.  We need to also be sure to focus on how God's love should work in us and how it should cause us to respond to him.  We need to have a working faith -- belief and we need to love and come to the light.

Do you love like Christ?

In the sermon on the mount Jesus said,

    You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy."  But I say, love your enemies and pray for the ones who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, who makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and makes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.  If you love the ones who love you, what reward do you have?  The tax collectors do as much.  If you only greet your brothers, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even Gentiles do the same?  You therefore be mature, as your heavenly Father is mature.  Mathew 5:43-48

When those of the world misuse you or others take advantage of you -- how do you react?  In considering your reaction it is good to consider Psalms 37.

The Psalmist wrote(Vs 1, 7-8):

    Do not be upset because of evil-doers.  Do not be envious of wicked workers. . . . Be still before Yahweh.  Wait patiently for him.  Do not be upset because of someone's success, nor because an evil-doer prospers.  Refrain from anger and leave off wrath.  No good comes from being upset.

What can help us in taking this course of action is following the Psalmists advice (vs3-5):

    Trust in Yahweh, and do good.  Dwell in the land, and seek truth.  Delight yourself in Yahweh, and he will give you the desire of your heart.  Commit your way to Yahweh.  Put your trust in him, and he will take care of you.

However, this doesn't always mean the path is easy.  It only means the Lord will take care of us.  The Psalmist further writes (vs 23-24):

    The steps of a righteous man are established by Yahweh, and he delights in his way.  Though he falls, he will not be cast off, for Yahweh supports him with his hand.

As we live our lives in this world we need to remember we are in the world, but we are not of the world.  We should be different.  Our lives should be different and they should shine as a light to the world.  As we face challenges we remember that "For those who Love God All things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."(Romans 8:28)

We are different -- as children of God we should shine in this world and the world should see we are not of this world.  They should see the light shining in all we do.  Our actions will cause those in the world to question themselves.  For some they will be like Pharoh and harden their heart and to others this will cause them to question why we are different and seek a new path for their life.

All we can do is sow the seed of God's word.  It will fall upon the hearts of man and God will give the increase.

Each of us should prayerfully seek to live the life that demonstrates we are God's children.

    Behold what manner of love the Father has showered upon us that we should be called the sons of God -- and we are!  I John 3:1.

 

Faith, Hope and Love

Faith, Hope, and Love are three words we find numerous times in the New Testament.  We know that without faith it is impossible to please God.  We know that love is a critical element in everything we do and we know that the promises of God should provide us with great hope if we will seize them.

I Corinthians 13 is ofter referred to as the passage on love.  In this passage Paul mentions Faith, Hope, and Love and how that Love is the greatest.

When I think of passages where we find Faith, Hope, and Love mentioned at the same time I am drawn to I Thessalonians 1.  Here Paul commends his fellow brethren for their Faith, Hope, and Love and mentions how he has them constantly in remembrance in his prayers.  As Paul commends these three attributes of his fellow brothers he describes the actions that are being invoked.  Paul mentions their "Work of Faith", "Labor of Love", and "Endurance of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ".  I only hope when others think of Faith, Hope, and Love they see those same attributes in me.  We should be diligently serving our Father and others through Faith with all of our actions a Labor of Love.  At the same time our Faith should provide us an Enduring Hope.

I challenge you to think about your Faith, Hope, and Love.  Is your Faith at work so that you are seeking to serve God with you whole being?  Is Love manifested in your actions?  And does the Hope of Christ provide you the ability to endure and persevere in challenging circumstances? 

These are challenging thoughts we should consider daily.  We have a great Hope.  Christ is our righteousness.  Christ died for us to pay the price for sin so that we could be reconciled to God.  Moreover, God has made us his children.  How awesome.  Because of this great sacrifice and great hope we should be manifesting works of faith and labors of love seeking to be pleasing to our Father.

We can praise God in all of our actions.  At work we can be diligent and faithful workers who give a good days work with loyalty and honesty.  At home we can be the example for our families that is needed.  In the world we can be the light and the salt that shows the love of God to all those around us.  May each of have a life full of works of faith and labors of love that are sustained by our endurance of Hope due to the love God has shown for us and the great promises He has provided to us.