Already, Becoming the LOVE of God

Already, Becoming the LOVE of God

We are God’s chosen family. God is our Father. We are made in the image and likeness of God, as such, we are also co-creators with God, invited to reflect His goodness and glory.

"Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Genesis 1:26

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"Already, becoming..." What does that mean?

"even when we were dead in our transgressions, God made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)" Ephesians 2:5

It means that we, all people, are already SAVED, but not all people BELIEVE and RECEIVE this as TRUTH.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8

We all have full salvation, given as a free gift of Grace, PAST TENSE. Yes, because of what Jesus ALREADY did on our behalf, we are SAVED by Faith working through Love, HIS LOVE. It is finished, SALVATION has come. The question is, do you BELIEVE IT and RECEIVE IT? Do you walk in this truth?

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:1-4

We have ALREADY been given salvation, all of us. And, for those who are BORN AGAIN, we now have the LIFE of CHRIST, and we are being TRANSFORMED (becoming) into the image of God.

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20

We have been given Jesus' very life entirely. We have His full LIFE already.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" Romans 8:28-31

Yet, we still struggle with selfishness and sin, we all do. God HIMSELF is transforming us, and He has promised to transform us into His image. Already, becoming.

"For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh," Romans 8:3

All our SINS ARE PUT AWAY WITH, CANCELLED, NAILED TO THE CROSS. What we could not do, GOD DID! Now, in LOVE, He is transforming us into His image of love.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

By God's Grace, we are being transformed into His image. NO WORK OR EFFORT ON OUR PART! Now that you are ALREADY saved, surrender yourself fully to the POTTER (you are the clay) and allow Him to transform you into His image!

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

God’s nature is found in order. God creates order out of chaos. God pulls raw material from chaos and gives it order (form and purpose) to bless His children and family.

"After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you." 1 Peter 5:10

God, our Father, creates. We are made in His image and likeness. We are called and equipped to co-create with the Father.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:4

Through Jesus, our Father gave us His life-giving Spirit and made us ONE with Him. The Father has sent us out into the world to co-create.

"God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:27-28

Creation vs. Chaos

God our Father is the maker and manager of all order, and He has equipped us to co-make and co-manage all of Creation with Him and through Him. Having been made in His likeness, Jesus gave us His LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT, the LIGHT to the WORLD.

"So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly." 1 Corinthians 15:45-49

Self-giving humans are God’s Family, and we are co-creators with God. Being full of God’s love, having been transformed by His love, our Father called us to illuminate His LIGHT to all of Creation.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

RADICAL GENEROSITY vs. SELFISHNESS

We’ve been rescued from the darkness. Jesus, the ONLY true KING, has equipped us to co-rule and co-reign with Him and through Him. He has called us to SHINE HIS LIGHT and bear fruit of HIS GOODNESS. We are imagers of God, fruit bears of His love.

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." Colossians 1:13

Becoming BORN AGAIN is to move from chaos to order. We’ve been removed from chaos and given order. Perfect order is God’s perfected love.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

Cancer is disorder, total chaos. Disorder and chaos are sure signs of death. Order is LIGHT and the abundant LIFE.

As born-again believers of Jesus, we become God’s love, mercy, wisdom, and favor. He promises to transform us from the inside out. GOD HIMSELF PERFECTS US. We are His workmanship, His masterpiece.

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

Jesus called the Father’s love for us “Grace.” Jesus describes Grace as the Father’s strength and empowerment given to us as a gift to establish TRUTH.

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth... For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ." John 1:14,16-17

Essentially, we are empowered to choose LIGHT over darkness through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Through Grace, we are empowered to FOLLOW Jesus, as commanded.

"If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.” Luke 11:36

God’s Grace is His perfect order empowered and released in us and through us.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

God’s Grace empowers us to make goodness come out of chaos, to shine the LIGHT of LIFE that exposes and destroys the darkness.

"Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops." Luke 12:3

Through God’s Grace, we become AGENTS of ORDER equipped to bring order out of chaos.

"namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:19-20

We are fully equipped to co-create, co-rule, and co-reign with God through Christ, our life.

"and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith." 2 Thessalonians 3:2

Rebellion is to return to chaos. Rebellion is to reject and move away from God’s order to trust and embrace the world’s chaos instead.

"and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." 2 Corinthians 5:15

To prefer chaos and darkness over God’s LIGHT is rebellion. To reject the LIGHT is to choose darkness over God’s Grace.

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