Living the LOVED LIFE; the GOOD LIFE, Part 3
This is the THIRD article in a series of FOUR. For your edification and enjoyment, if you have not already done so, please read Parts 1 and Part 2. In Parts 1 & 2, we've laid the solid Biblical foundation regarding God's extraordinary love for us, a love so grand, I refer to it as living the LOVED LIFE.
What we COULD NOT do, GOD DID, through Jesus Christ. It is that simple. The Bible declares those who RECEIVE Jesus CAN ALSO WALK IN HIM. Actually, it's more like WE MUST WALK IN HIM.
Colossians 2:6 "THEREFORE, as you have RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS the Lord, SO WALK IN HIM,"
Before we proceed, if you have not already done so, PLEASE RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. Right now, confess with your mouth and believe in your heart JESUS IS LORD and receive the free gift of Salvation and the FORGIVENESS OF ALL YOUR SINS, now and forever, in Jesus' name!
Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;"
If Jesus has already paid for every sin MAN COULD EVER COMMIT, and He has already forgiven ME FOR EVERY SIN, how can I not forgive EVERYONE in ADVANCE?
Romans 5:6 "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."
How could I not fully forgive everyone in advance, knowing that I am fully forgiven? If I do, I am living the GOOD LIFE, the LOVED LIFE.
Romans 5:10 "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
Think about that for a moment... I don't know about you, but my sins are BAD. And, I will freely admit, there's a lot of sin, more than I can bear.
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Poor Jesus, I can't imagine Him taking the full brunt of every sin I ever committed or will commit.
Romans 8:1 "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
The good news is that Jesus has already TOOK ALL MY SINS, and He can't give them back; they are forever covered by His blood. So, I might as well make the very best of His sacrifice BY ENJOYING HIS GRACE TO THE FULLEST.
John 15:12 “This is MY COMMANDMENT, that YOU LOVE ANOTHER, JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU."
God is not so concerned about our love for Him. HE IS THE CREATOR OF ALL LOVE. He made us IN HIS LOVE, BY HIS LOVE, and THROUGH HIS LOVE. He made us to LOVE US. God, our Father, knows that our love is lacking, and that is why Jesus came to be our SAVIOR. THAT’S BIG! That’s the GOOD LIFE.
1 John 4:7, 16 "Beloved, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER, for LOVE IS FROM GOD; and EVERYONE WHO LOVES IS BORN OF GOD AND KNOWS GOD... We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. GOD IS LOVE, and the one WHO ABIDES IN LOVE ABIDES IN GOD, and GOD ABIDES IN HIM."
The love that CHRIST gives us is the LOVE OF GOD, and it’s FROM THE FATHER OF ALL LOVE. How could it get any better?
Ephesians 1:3-6 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, WHO HAS BLESSED US WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that WE WOULD BE HOLY AND BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM. IN LOVE, He predestined us to ADOPTION AS SONS through JESUS CHRIST TO HIMSELF, according to the KIND INTENTIONS OF HIS WILL, to the praise of the GLORY OF HIS GRACE, which He FREELY BESTOWED ON US IN THE BELOVED."
Knowing what we know, how can we not forgive EVERYONE? How can we not LOVE EVERYONE? How could we not immediately repent and begin to think differently about God, praising him continuously, realizing that HE IS THE SOURCE OF ALL LOVE and that HE LOVES US?
What's more, God loves to shower us with HIS LOVE, forever without limits, as a gift for us to enjoy and share with others in need. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE DEPTH OF HIS LOVE FOR US?
1 John 4:11 "Beloved, IF GOD SO LOVED US, we also OUGHT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER."
Yes, God, the Father, THE GOD OF ALL LOVE, the only TRUE SOURCE of LOVE, loves us and wants us to love others. He actually commands us to love. The Father who made ALL LOVE through Jesus, His Son, who is the WORD OF GOD, NOW dwells within our hearts forever through love. How could we NOT FORGIVE? Can you see it? Are you hearing this TRUTH BY FAITH?
Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
BELIEVERS are to RECEIVE GRACE and GROW IN GRACE; as such, we grow in KNOWLEDGE of God's love for us.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 "For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe."
It’s God’s love that has power, not our own. We need to be filled with HIS LOVE before we can share it, and then His love does the good work IN US, thoroughly without our help or efforts. God wants to love others through us, so give him your heart to be filled with love by Grace. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, the absolute goodness of God.
2 Peter 3:18 "but GROW IN THE GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
God rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into His love, Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:13 "For HE RESCUED US FROM THE DOMAIN OF DARKNESS, and TRANSFERRED US to THE KINGDOM of HIS BELOVED SON (IN CHRIST),"
We received HIS love to be healed and to be an example of HIS love for others. Yes, WE ARE HEALED BY HIS LOVE, and we love others through HIS LOVE, and not by our own carnal love.
Ephesians 3:19 "and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."
Our carnal love is weak and falls woefully short. So, Jesus gives us HIS sacrificial love so that He can live through us, which is the GOOD LIFE.
1 John 3:16 "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
Knowing we are TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY FORGIVEN OF ALL SINS, we are free to love others. To live the LOVED LIFE, we must first know how much we are loved by God.
Revelation 1:5 "and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—"
For the Christian, Spiritual maturity IS NOT measured by our own love for God or others. Maturity is measured by HOW MUCH WE KNOW GOD LOVES US (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and NOT by our love for GOD.
Think about it, God's love sets us free. Jesus died on the Cross because our love did not measure up. So, ultimately it is our choice to receive GOD ETERNAL LOVE or settle for our TEMPORARY CARNAL LOVE.
John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER, EVEN AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, THAT YOU ALSO LOVE ONE ANOTHER."
God created LOVE, all of it, and He made IT ALL FOR US, to LOVE US. God only asks us to RECEIVE HIS LOVE, ENJOY HIS LOVE, BE THANKFUL FOR HIS LOVE, and to love one another with HIS LOVE.
John 3:16 “For GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
It’s not even fair to compare OUR LOVE FOR GOD with GOD'S LOVE FOR US. When did we suffer and die for God, for Jesus? Jesus suffered BECAUSE our sins. For that reason alone I will focus on God’s love for me, and not my love for HIM.
2 Corinthians 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, THAT THOUGH HE WAS RICH, YET FOR YOUR SAKE HE BECAME POOR, SO THAT YOU THROUGH HIS POVERTY MIGHT BECOME RICH."
Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God has appeared, BRINGING SALVATION TO ALL MEN,"
Picture in your mind ALL THE LOVE you have demonstrated for Jesus and our Heavenly Father, and then compare it with the love of God.
Romans 5:8 “But GOD DEMONSTRATED HIS OWN LOVE TOWARD US, in that while we were yet sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US.”
When we don’t know how to pray or what to pray, the Spirit of God intercedes for us and prays for us with groanings too deep for words. Are we equipped to do the same for Jesus? No, it has never been about our love, its ALL ABOUT HIS LOVE FOR US! Receive it and be transformed!
Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, BUT TO SERVE, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Can the Father or the Son of God count on our love to be the same as theirs? Or, should we learn from Peter and be humble and not brag about our love for Jesus?
Romans 8:39 "nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, WILL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, which is IN CHRIST JESUS our Lord."
Our love is not much, not compared to Jesus’ love, that is.
Romans 8:26 "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;"
Please continue, READ ON and enjoy the entire series. You have just completed Part 3 of a four-part series. We DECLARE YOU WILL GROW EXPONENTIALLY in the last and final part, Part 4:
Living the LOVED LIFE; the GOOD LIFE Part 1
Living the LOVED LIFE; the GOOD LIFE Part 2
About the Author:
Craig Rogers
Grace Coach
Craig Rogers has been a Christ-centered leader in the...
Craig Rogers has been a Christ-centered leader in the behavioral health industry for the past 25 plus years. Craig Rogers is an...
