THE LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2020.

SUBJECT: THE LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST!

Memory verse:  "Hold fast the pattern  of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus." (Second Timothy 1 vs 13.)

READ:  Ephesians 3 vs 17 - 19; Romans 8 vs 37 - 39:

Ephesians 3:17: That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
3:18: may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the width, and length, and depth, and height—
3:19: to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Romans 8:37: Yet, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
8:38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
8:39: nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

INTIMATION:

God’s love for us in Christ is total, immeasurable, and inexhaustible. It reaches every corner of our experience. It covers the breadth of our own experience, and it reaches out to the whole world. It continues the length of our lives. It rises to the heights of our celebration and elation. It reaches to the depths of discouragement, despair, and even death. When you feel shut out or isolated, remember that you can never be lost to God’s love. We may feel that our faith in God and our love for Christ and for others will always be inadequate. We will experience times of failure. But we can remain confident that Christ will help our faith and love grow as our relationship with Him deepens. 

The passages we read today reaffirms God’s profound love for His people. No matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, we can never be separated from His love. Suffering should not drive us away from God but help us to identify with Him and allow His love to heal us. These verses contain one of the most comfortable promises in all Scriptures. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms; persecution, illness, difficulties, imprisonment, attacks, and even death. These sometimes cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But the apostle Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of His unconquerable love. Nothing can separate us from Christ’s presence. 

The love of God in Jesus Christ for us ensures the fullness of God available to us. This “fullness” is expected only in Christ because all of God was in Christ’s human body. When we have Christ, we have everything we need for salvation and right living.  In union and through His empowering Spirit, we are complete. But we must appropriate that fullness through faith and through prayer as we daily live for Him. You can ask the Holy Spirit to fill every aspect of your life to the fullest.

God tells us how great His love is so that we will feel totally secure in Him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid. Jesus never worked independent of His Father. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will in no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6 vs 37 - 40.) 

Christ will not let His people be overcome by Satan and lose their salvation.  Jesus out of His great love, gave up His life for our sakes. He had not acted out of His own self-interest, selfishly holding on to the glory of heaven that He already possessed (Philippians 2 vs 6). Instead, Jesus had willingly “died for all” because of His love for us. Because Christ died for us, we also are dead to our old lives. When we have Christ, we have everything we need for salvation and right living. We should no longer live to please ourselves: we should spend our lives pleasing Christ. 

People can feel so guilt-ridden by their past that they think God could never forgive and accept them. But consider the apostle Paul’s past. He had scoffed at the teachings of Jesus and had hunted down and murdered God’s people before coming to faith in Christ (Acts 9 vs 1 - 9). God forgave Paul and used him mightily for His kingdom. No matter how shameful your past, God also can forgive and use you. “He who has begun a good work in You will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1 vs 6.)

Prayer: Abba Father, Your unparalleled love for my sinful self is inexplicable and undeniable. Give me the grace, O Lord, to give my best in obedience to You, and in gratitude for Your love for me, even when I don’t deserve it, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!