God
Spells Love S-A-C-R-I-F-I-C-E
“Greater love has no one than this, that one
lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. This is the kind of love
Jesus demonstrated when He came to earth to die for your sins. He gave up
everything for a time on your behalf, forgoing the honor and glory that are His
due to becoming a human being-God in the flesh, fully God and fully man. (John
1:1)
Why did He go through all of this for you? He did it to get rid of the
one thing that separates you from the love of God-sin. Anything in your life
that is displeasing to God and contrary to His law, God calls sin, and all of
us are born with sin already in our hearts. (Romans 3:23)
Sin is the big love-blocker, and only someone without sin can remove it
from you. That Someone is Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God. He literally
took your place by taking your punishment. When you believe that He did this
for you, placing your faith in Him as your Savior, He wipes away every ounce of
guilt and wrongdoing. (John 3:16; 13:1; Romans 8:1; 1 John 4:9-10) You are
covered by His love and continue to live in His love forever.
Understanding the absolute, unconditional security of His love is vital
to having a free and stable relationship with Him…
…Jesus’ sacrifice is part of God’s agape love; you cannot
fall out of God’s favor or lose His love as a result of anything you say or do
or think. Ephesians 2:8-9 gives you this assurance: “For by grace you have been
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as
a result of works, that no one may boast.”
You did not have to
perform certain actions to earn His love. God loves you because He want to, and
He never changes His mind-no matter what. (Romans 5:8)
“Telling
God “I Love You Too”
As you feel His love surrounding
you, enveloping your whole being with divine affection and unending attention,
your natural response is to show Him love in return. Gratitude, adoration,
closeness, respect, affection, a holy awe, tenderness-all these feelings and
more can well up inside you, causing you to want to celebrate your fellowship
with Him.
…What you do with God’s Word, how much you jpay attention to His
directions and commands, reveals a great deal about your love for God…Obedience
is not an evaluation measure of performance but an indicator of priority.
…As Jesus moves you to maturity and instills His principles into your
life, you have the growing desire to do what pleases Him…
…Obedience is not a mechanical, dull exercise of drudgery; it is the key
to a true, godly liberty that knows no boundaries.
The Spiritual Foundations Series, The Love of God
by Dr. Charles Stanley
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