“My dear people, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Anyone who fails to love can never have known God because God is love.”
“God’s love for us was revealed when God sent into the world His only Son so that we could have life through Him; this is the love I mean: not our love for God, but God’s love for us when He sent His Son to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.”
“My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another. No one has ever seen God, but as long as we love one another God will live in us because He lets us share His Spirit.”
“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God. We ourselves have known and put our faith in God’s love towards ourselves. God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him. Love will come to its perfection in us when we can face the day of judgment without fear because even in this world we have become as He is. In love, there can be no fear, but fear is driven out by perfect love, because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.”
We are to love, then because He loved us first. Anyone who says, “I love God”, and hates his brother, is a liar since a man who does not love the brother that he can see cannot love God, whom he has never seen. So this is the commandment that He has given us, that anyone who loves God MUST also love his brother.” (I John 4)
God is perfect. He is the fullness of perfection. All of His ways and thoughts are perfect. His Word is perfect. His LOVE is perfect. He demonstrated His love by sending His Son–Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sins. Jesus is perfect. Why is it such a big deal? Because God wants a relationship with each one of us. He really, really wants it. He wants it so much that He decided to come to earth as a man and pay the price for our sins Himself. He also can see into the future. He can see our future in the lake of fire if His love can’t reach us before we die. He really, really doesn’t want that for us!
But He’s God isn’t He? Why can’t He just let us all into heaven anyway? Why can’t we live the best we can and He lets us into heaven if He loves us so much? Isn’t He God? One reason: His Word. The worlds were formed by His WORD. He spoke and it was so. Have you ever seen those old western movies where they say “you give me your word, you’ll do this?” or “He’s a man of his word, I trust him.” If God’s Word is wishy-washy, it can’t be trusted. God’s eternal laws are set forth in His Word–the Bible. His eternal laws are the standard by which we all will be judged by Him one day.
He has stated in His Word what He says is acceptable behavior. To hate your brother is not acceptable. To get drunk is not acceptable, to fornicate is not acceptable, to lie and steal is not acceptable, to cheat on your spouse is not acceptable. When we do these things, we fall short of His standard and that is sin. We are helpless to meet His standards and that is why we need Jesus. Jesus Christ MET and exceeded those standards. Jesus took our sins upon Himself because there was no way we could ever be good enough for God’s standards. That is why we need a Saviour. A redeemer. He paid it. All we have to do is accept the receipt by asking Jesus to come into our heart and save us. This brings us into a covenant relationship with God. When we are covered by the blood of Jesus, all God sees is RIGHTEOUSNESS on us and we are accepted by Him. There is NOTHING in us that He sees. It is only the blood sacrifice of His Son that He sees and we are accepted as a son or daughter in His eyes. Isn’t that good news?
Does this mean that we are free to continue to hate our brothers, to get drunk and fornicate, to lie, steal and cheat on our spouse? No! God’s Word remains the same. We are forgiven and through Jesus Christ, we are EMPOWERED to live a righteous and holy life that is pleasing to God! We are required to repent and turn away from our old ways and to follow Jesus’ pure and holy and righteous ways.
Jesus Christ is the lifeline that God has thrown to a lost world. We are born headed for destruction in the lake of fire. That is the whole reason Satan stole man’s relationship with God in the garden so long ago. He wanted mankind to go to the same place he is…the lake of fire. That is what the war over the souls of men is all about. God wants us saved from that fate and Satan wants us tormented for eternity like he will be.
Many voices in the world today..in Christian churches are saying “its ok to continue in your sin..God’s grace covers it.” Grace empowers us to CHANGE. It covers us while we strive to be like Jesus. It is NOT a license to continue on in our sin. “Broad is the way to destruction, but narrow is the way that leads to life.” The choice is simple: choose eternal death or eternal life. It is not God’s choice to make–He has given us all the free will to choose. If we end up in the lake of fire it is OUR choice. God’s LOVE demanded He make a way for us to escape and He did…Jesus Christ IS our lifeline to eternal life. Grab it and get free today! You have no idea the wonderful plans He has for your life!
His Word says that today is the day of salvation–you are not promised tomorrow. If you don’t know Him, you can know Him today–right now. Click on the link below to meet Jesus and let Him wash away your sins so you too can know the Father.
Blessings everyone…
From the Heart of God... 