A valuable description of love -- Full message

 

Did God love you during your worst moment?

 

It’s important and helpful to know that God loves us

 

Be very glad that the love and forgiveness of Jesus is deep and wide!

God's perfect love

Guess what? We're ALL a little bit odd!

No Fear! Recognize God's love

Don't let fear win. God still loves you!

Hatred, Violence, Racial Tension, Heart Change and God's Love

Like many of you, my heart is deeply grieved at the violence which is occurring in our country. In particular I am saddened by the racial tension which is a part of the most recent national stories.

This post is likely to bother and perhaps even anger some of the people with whom I am connected on various social media platforms and I am sorry for that because it is my sincere intention to bring words of love, encouragement and comfort. However, I feel compelled to express these thoughts, nevertheless.

I honestly do not believe there is a political solution to the issues of hatred, violence and racial discord. It is not that political action is of no value or that it is completely inconsequential. I am simply suggesting that political solutions are, ultimately, inadequate because these issues originate in the heart.

This truth regarding the heart is a concept which Jesus expressed very clearly. (See Matthew 15:19)

Where there is genuine hatred; where there is a desire to inflict pain and violence on others; where there is discord or feelings of mistrust and animosity toward people who are in some way different than us there are hearts that need to change. Again, laws and political action are not without value but these responses do not, for the most part, change human hearts.

Heart-change is God’s area.

So I realize that responding with talk of God and prayer seems weak, ineffective and bothersome to some but I genuinely pray for heart change. I pray for God’s love to prevail. I pray for God’s people to be models of His love, patience, mercy, reconciliation and grace.

I have not always been the agent of God’s truth and love that I should be. I haven’t always expressed the presence of Jesus in me to the disagreeable situations of my life. Therefore, I begin by praying for His authentic and tangible work in me.

And I pray for His love in us.

God’s love is extraordinary. God’s love is profound. God’s love is perfect, complete and comprehensive. God’s love will ultimately prevail.

I pray for His love to prevail in my heart today. I pray for His love to prevail in His people today. I pray for His love to prevail in our country today.

Loving Those Who Are Not Easy To Love

There are people with whom we do not naturally connect. In fact, there will be some people in the course of life who will just simply rub us the wrong way. We may not even be able to explain why we feel the way we do, we just recognize that certain people are irritating to us.

The love of God alive in us can help us to love these people.

You might be thinking, “Well, here we go. Dan is really losing it, again.” And I will grant this is not easy. This love of God for those who are not easy to love involves a level of maturity and wisdom that—I regret to admit—some Christians never attain on this side of eternity. (Wisdom does not come automatically with age and it is not inevitable. Unfortunately, it is possible for a person to grow old but never become wise.)

This kind of love which goes beyond our natural inclinations will also involve a work of the Holy Spirit in us. We don’t muster this up through our will power. In the book of 1 John 4:19, we find these words: “We love because he [God] first loved us.” God is the initiator of love, He is the source of real love.

When God’s love is alive in us, however, then the love of God can be experienced and expressed through us, even for those who would not be easy for us to love under natural circumstances.

Bold and Confident In God's Presence

The Lord Jesus does something incredible in terms of our relationship with the Father. He makes it possible for us to be totally confident of God’s love. In fact, we can be so confident of the Father’s love that we can come to him boldly.

A little child does not cower in fear before his father (if they have a healthy relationship). No, he runs with reckless abandon and gleeful confidence into his father’s arms. The child is fearless because he does not, for a moment, doubt that his father loves him. Jesus makes this type of relationship possible for you and me.

“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” Ephesians 3:12

God Already Loves You, Right Now

God is not going to love you someday after you have met certain conditions. He already loves you, right now. In fact, He has always loved you. Before you were born He loved you.

The Bible tells us important evidence of His love is found in the fact that He sent His son to die so that we might have life. (Check out John 3:16 or 1John 4:9)

I don’t know what will happen today. It might be a crummy day or it might be the most wonderful day you’ve experienced since that time you quarterbacked the winning Super Bowl game back in ’86. But whatever happens you can be sure of this: the One who created you and sustains all things loves you.

We Should Not Make It Hard For People To Turn To God

Occasionally, I run into religious people who believe their task is to create barriers that make it difficult for people to connect with God. They seem to think they are protecting God if they make it difficult for people to turn to Him.

I understand people may be concerned that God’s wonderful love and grace could be misunderstood as something cheap and insignificant.  That concern is valid.  God’s love and grace are not cheap, they are extraordinary, beautiful, lavish and of priceless value.

However, the truth is God does not want to make it difficult for people to find Him.  It is God’s own Word that calls the salvation He offers to us a “free gift.”  It is God’s own word that tells us if we seek Him we will find Him.

The Apostle James made a point of instructing some people not to make it difficult for others to turn to God by imposing lots of religious rules.  Here is the passage…

“And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”  Acts 15:19  (If you take a moment to read the entire 15^th chapter of Acts you can get a little more of the context for this comment.)

God greatly desires that people would find Him.  So, we need to present the Gospel honestly and not make it anything less than what it really is.  Likewise, however, we do not need to create any unnecessary barriers. 

Loving As God Has Called Us To Love

I understand this is likely to seem foolish to some of the people who read it. However, I write this as a challenge to my online friends who are authentic followers of Jesus. I accept that some people will consider this post to be foolish and naïve. That’s alright.

The Evil One wants to see division, mistrust, fear, misunderstanding and hatred among people. He is particularly effective at using areas of life we typically point to as differences to stir up trouble. Of course, one of these areas happens to be racial classification.

If you are a follower of Jesus with even a moderate level of spiritual maturity you know that Jesus does not have a preferred race. He loves everyone. I do not intend for this to be understood as a meaningless little Sunday School cliché, I mean this literally and I believe it is extraordinarily significant: Jesus loves EVERYONE.  If you do not believe this then you do not understand Christianity. One of the most well-known Bible verses begins like this: “For God so loved THE WORLD that he gave his only Son…” John 3:16 (emphasis mine).  The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news of salvation for “the world.” That means it is for every single person who has ever lived.

To my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, our challenge is to love people the way Jesus loves. 

Do not honor the divisions some people try to emphasize: Love people, all people, the way Jesus loves.

Do not give in to fear. Love people, all people, the way Jesus loves.

Do not allow misunderstandings to create a permanent breakdown in communication.  Love people, all people, the way Jesus loves.

Do not live with a perpetual mistrust of others. Love people, all people, the way Jesus loves.

Do not cultivate feelings of hatred toward others. Love people, all people, the way Jesus loves.

We are called to a life of love, even if we are not loved in return. If you are a Christian and you are thinking, “Why would I do this? Why would I love people with this kind of reckless abandon?” 

The answer is: We love like this because Jesus loved us when we had done nothing to merit His love. What I’m writing here may seem impossible, but it is not. The love of Jesus can overcome. It can shine like a bright light even in a dark world.

It is my desire to love everyone I encounter with the genuine love of God. I pray that is your desire, too.

“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” 1 John 4:19-21

The Extraordinary Reality of God's Unfailing Love

It’s difficult for us to understand that God’s love for us is not conditional because our experience in life is that love always has some type of conditions attached.  So for example, no matter how much someone loves us we are capable of behaving in such a way that the person could possibly reach a point of exasperation and basically say, “I can’t take it anymore.  I’m done with you and your stuff!”

If a person can say “I’m done with you,” and exclude you from his/her life then the person’s love was conditional.  And by the way, I’m not being critical of this fact I’m suggesting we can all understand such a reality.

But this is why it is extraordinary to think that we cannot do something to make God reach a boiling point at which He says, “I can’t take it anymore.  I’m done with you and your stuff!”

God doesn’t love us when we finally get our act together in such a way that we deserve His love.  He loves us, first.  He loves us before we ever do the right thing.  He loves us even if we never do the right thing.

Please understand, it is obviously good for us to do the right thing.  God wants us to do the right thing.  This post is not an attempt to encourage people to do the wrong thing.  The point I’m trying to make has to do with God’s unconditional love.  His love is not based on whether we do the right thing.  This incredible truth is made known to us through verses like this one found in Romans 5:8…

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

No one will ever love you the way God loves you.  His love is complete, total, perfect and unfailing.  The more I understand this truth the more it makes me want to love Him back.

Is It Possible That Fear Isn't Always Such A Bad Thing, After All?

Fear can be troublesome.  Fear can prevent us from experiencing the fullness of life.  Fear can dominate a person’s life in very unhealthy ways.  I have spent more time than I would like to admit experiencing unhealthy fear.  It was not a good thing for me and I don’t like it.

It would not be good for a person to live in continual fear.

However, it’s helpful for us to remember that fear can have a useful purpose in life, too.  Fear is part of the natural alert system that is wired into us.  The emotion of fear exists for a reason.  There are times in life when it is reasonable, natural and even helpful to experience fear because there is something that demands the kind of focus that only fear brings.

Occasionally people have told me they don’t want to turn to God purely out of fear.  I understand that comment and I would be quick to point out that there are many valid reasons to turn to God that are not motivated by fear—His unfailing love for us would be a great example.  No one will ever love us more than God loves us.  That’s a very good reason to turn to God and walk with Him.

We would be wise not to underestimate the usefulness of fear.  Fear can, sometimes, help us identify what we really understand to be true.  Fear, in the right context, can help bring tremendous clarity regarding what we genuinely believe.

There are 16 instances of Jesus saying, “don’t be afraid” in the gospels.  The God who loves us does not want us to experience needless fear.  (I feel compelled, for the sake of clarity, to write again, that fear is often unhealthy and unhelpful.  It is not good for a person to live in continual fear.  A life of perpetual fear is not God’s desire for anyone.)

But Jesus also mentioned an example of a healthy fear that we should have.  He put it this way, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Matthew 10:28

We live in a culture which has influenced us to believe that anything that makes us feel bad or uncomfortable is morally suspect.  So fear is almost never considered to be a good or helpful emotion.  I’m suggesting it is important for us to recognize the value of fear and respect the truths that fear can reveal.

There are some things we ought to be afraid of.  If you are in the woods and a bear is running toward you at full speed and you feel absolutely no fear at all, you are not brave or courageous, you are a fool. 

In the right time, place and context fear may not be such a bad thing, after all.

Great News: Nothing Can Ever Separate Us From God's Love

One of the most wonderful and encouraging statements regarding God’s love for us is found in the book of Romans chapter 8, verses 35-39.  Part of the beauty of what is communicated in these passages is the idea of the unfailing invincibility of God’s love for you and me. 

We are told that “nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.”  And then specific examples are mentioned:  neither death nor life can separate us from His love.  Neither angels nor demons can separate us.  Neither “our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow” can separate us.  The “powers of hell” are mentioned—they cannot separate us from God’s love either.

God makes it absolutely clear that “nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the Lord of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If you’re saying: “Wow!  That is encouraging.  That is inspiring.  I feel so good when I am made aware of those truths.”

Good!  That’s why I took the time to remind you. 

You are loved.

We Want To Be Fully Known And Fully Loved

One of the most significant longings that we have in life is this: We desire that someone would know us—know everything about us, the entire truth of who we are—and yet still love us anyhow.  We long to be fully known and yet fully loved.  This is part of the significance of God’s love because this deep longing is fulfilled in a God who really does know everything about us and He loves us perfectly and unfailingly!

The Incredible Realization That God Loves Us

When people who consider themselves to be weak, unattractive and undesirable discover that they are being pursued by someone extraordinary who loves them, it is a profound and powerful realization.  This is what it is like to awaken to the truth of God’s love for us.

The Incredible Realization That God Loves Us

When people who consider themselves to be weak, unattractive and undesirable discover that they are being pursued by someone extraordinary who loves them, it is a profound and powerful realization.  This is what it is like to awaken to the truth of God’s love for us.