EMPOWERED BY GOD'S LOVE

EMPOWERED BY GOD’S LOVE

Thursday, August 22, 2019

  Romans 5:8-11 But God commends His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation.

  1John 4:1-21 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits to see if they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God; and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the antichrist you heard is coming, and even now is already in the world. You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world, therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us. The one who is not of God does not hear us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. 8 The one who does not love has not known God. For God is love. In this the love of God was revealed in us, because God 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 concerning our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has in us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. In this is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that as He is, so also we are in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment. He who fears has not been perfected in love. We love Him because He first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if he does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And we have this commandment from Him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.

  An egocentric presumptuous attitude toward life is insolent in thought and manner. Having suffered being such person, this I know. Having suffered such persons, this I experienced.

  Presupposing God’s care, His love for His creation, humankind, is not rash arrogance in belief and behavior.  Being such a person when surrendered in spirit to God’s Spirit, this I know. Being blessed with, enjoying fellowship with other such persons, this I experience. Even though departed, Ann continues as my most constant fellow in this.

  Let us persist in encouraging one another to be unwavering in the things that we have learned and have been assured of, knowing from that from our new birth in and through God’s only begotten Son we now know the Holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise to salvation living through faith in Christ Jesus. (Jn.3:16; 1Thes.5:11; 2Tim.3:14-17)

  Make no mistake fellow travelers, presupposing God’s love and care is not conceited presumption; it is trust and reliance releasing and empowering, of and from God, without which we are motivated by and act in fear. Presupposing His love and care, we live and act in harmony with true love; giving of self in the manner of mature godliness. (Jn.3:16; 1Jn.4:18)

  Fear does not exist where his love is. Living in God’s perfect love rids fear. If, when, we live in fear we are denying ourselves God’s love. (1Jn.4:18) 

EBB4