God Is Love

I’m not entirely sure that we, as believers, can truly comprehend the love of God. He loved us even in our rebellion and rejection. He loved us even when we were metaphorically spitting on him and cursing him. He loves us so much that he sent his son to not only die for us, but to show us how to live. Even now he loves us with a jealous love. The Bible even describes God as love. But what does that mean? How can we wrap our minds around God’s love for us and his mandate for us to love one another? First John, chapter 4, verses 7 through 12 may help. It says: 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 

So, God is love, love comes from God and if we love we know God. If you have been a believer for a while, you might be able to attest that the more we follow God by becoming less like ourselves and more like Jesus, the more we inevitably love our fellow man. Even still, godly love doesn’t come easy for some. At times, I’ll admit that it doesn’t come easy for me. But we can rest easy. We do not have to try to generate love. We don’t have to fake it or go through the motions. All we have to do is press into God. If we love him our love for others will follow. First John tells us that love comes from God. So if we try to manufacture it in our flesh, we are pulling from the wrong source.

—-

John reminds is that “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” That is what Jesus did for us. And in First John, we’re reminded that God is love, and our ability to love one another with godly love, comes from him. The kind of love that John is talking about is reflected in Paul’s words from First Corinthians, chapter 13, which says in part: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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 preserves.” This is the kind of love we are to show; the kind of godly love that reflects our creator. If any of the scripture that I shared today is new to you, I would encourage you to explore it in more detail and in its complete context. It is so important for us to understand love, because after all, God is love.

Links:
Free “Lord of My Life” Books: https://www.ktfproductions.com/books
Merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/lord-of-my-life
Web Page: https://www.ktfproductions.com/loml-home
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktfproductions/
Subscribe to the KTF Newsletter: https://bit.ly/2n9Lprk

Contact Us:
Email: writecmv@hotmail.com

Our Advocate

Have you ever been in trouble for something you know you did wrong, and a friend, or advocate, sticks up for you speaking in your defense? Kind of like being in a courthouse where you’re facing a sentence for a crime you admit committing, but your lawyer argues for you and gets the judge to forgive your grievance? Well one of the roles of Jesus is to act as an advocate for us when we sin. First John 2 verses 1 and 2 says:

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

Grace is receiving the good that we don’t deserve. At some point, all of us will sin and find ourselves guilty before God. But First John says that Jesus is our advocate. He speaks to the Father in our defense. His atoning sacrifice for our sins brings forgiveness. John says that he was writing this so that the reader does not sin, but if we do sin, we have Jesus, our advocate who speaks to the Father in our defense. I don’t know about you, but I am so happy for this truth.

---

“…if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One”. I am so thankful that I’ve never seen a day in court for a crime that I have or haven’t committed. But if that day ever comes, my earthly advocate would be no where near as effective as my spiritual one. Jesus has done - and continues to do so much for us. One of his roles is to be our advocate – to speak on our behalf when we sin. The goal is not to sin, but isn’t it awesome that when we do, we have Jesus in our corner speaking to the Father in our defense?

No Darkness

At times I think that we, as believers, forget just how holy God is. His holiness is so paramount that old testament Israelites knew that just to look upon the face of God would mean death. Even Moses was only permitted to look at God’s backside from the cleft in the mountain. He is so holy, that only the blood of his son can allow us to survive in his presence. We serve a holy God, a God in which there is no darkness at all. First John chapter 1, verse 5 – 7 says:

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

It is every believer’s desire to have fellowship with God. But John tells us that if we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. So, the key is not to walk in darkness. Yes, we are exposed to darkness. And sometimes we can even get tainted by it. But we can’t walk in it. If we do, we shouldn’t claim to have fellowship with God. I know we’re only human, but God is spirit. And in him there is no darkness at all. So, I encourage you to do everything you can to walk in the light. If you do, you’ll not only be in right relationship with God, but John tells us that we’ll also have fellowship with one another as well.

---

“God is light. And in him there is no darkness at all”. So, if we want to have fellowship with him we cannot walk in darkness. If Satan has found a stronghold in your life, I encourage you to do everything you can to get free from whatever sin you’re in. Because to have true fellowship with God, means we can’t walk in darkness.