“…WE KNOW LOVE, because He laid down HIS LIFE FOR US. And we also ought to LAY DOWN OUR LIVES for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and SHUTS UP HIS HEART from him, HOW can the love of God BE IN HIM? My little children, let us not love in WORD or in TONGUE, but in DEED and in TRUTH.” (1 John 3:16-18) Does this mean that we should lay our lives down in death AMY? NO, we could only do that once. Rather it means to lay our lives down in service to others. For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life for us, to do the will of His Father.
As followers of Jesus, we must DELIBERATELY and CAREFULLY lay down our lives for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the demonstrating of salvation in our lives is difficult. God saves us AMY, fills us with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” Jesus said to us AMY, “You are MY FRIENDS IF you DO whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have CALLED YOU FRIENDS, for all things that I heard from My Father I have MADE KNOWN TO YOU.” (John 15:14-15)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham