I don’t usually use the Living Bible but I like the way it rendered John 15:4 “Take care to LIVE IN ME, and let me LIVE IN YOU.” (John 15:4) Just think, God’s love can never leave us! We are exposing ourselves to God’s presence, to Him who is INFINITE Love and INFINITE Joy. His loves does not depend on our accomplishments. He loved us first. Before we did anything for Him, He loved us. “We love Him because HE FIRST LOVED US.” (1 John 4:19) We struggle to acquire virtues; at the same time, His love is FREELY GIVEN; His love is not a reward for our good behavior. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been FREELY GIVEN TO US by God.” (1 Corin. 2:12)
St Augustine went all around the civilized world, looking into philosophies, searching for God. Finally he found Him. He said: “For so long I was looking for You, and you were right here in the depths of my being.” It is a wonderful thing that the Son of God came into this world of sinners, and still more wonderful that He would DIE for us. The devil convinced man to hate Jesus, “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not ESTEEM (respect) HIM.” (Isa. 53:3) Jesus was horribly beaten then crucified… Then Jesus was raised from the dead and, “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All AUTHORITY has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. GO therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (Matt. 28:17-19)
-Bill Stockham