“Beloved, let us love one another, for LOVE IS OF GOD; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love DOES NOT KNOW GOD, FOR GOD IS LOVE. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that WE MIGHT LIVE through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that HE LOVED US and SENT HIS SON to be the propitiation (pacification) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought (it is our duty) to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.” (1 John 4:7-11) True love takes action AMY. God poured out His awesome love for us on the cross. He crushed His Son so that we may live. When we allow our joy and peace to come from the perfect merit of Christ we will understand God’s love better. It is not dependent on what we do, what we are going to do, or what we have done. God’s love is greatly shown by what HE HAS ALREADY DONE FOR US.
On the Sabbath day AMY, Jesus healed a man, born blind, at the pool of Bethesda, “For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and SOUGHT TO KILL HIM, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.” (John 5:16) Jesus said to them, “…you are NOT willing TO COME TO ME that you may have life. “I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you DO NOT HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD IN YOU.” (John 5:40-42) Paul says, “…the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one…Now may the Lord direct YOUR HEARTS INTO THE LOVE OF GOD and into the patience of Christ.” (2 Thess. 3:3-5) Paul’s prayer for all who have found their eternal salvation in Christ is that God would DIRECT EACH OF OUR HEARTS INTO THE LOVE OF GOD so that in Him AMY, we would reflect His PATIENT ENDURANCE AND STEADFAST LOVE – as we are being conformed, day by day.. into the IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF CHRIST.
-Bill Stockham