GOD'S HOLY LOVE

 

GOD’S HOLY LOVE

Rom. 8:38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. NLT

First of all, are you convinced that nothing can separate you from the love of Christ for you? Do you know for a fact that Jesus can never stop loving you? It is impossible for God to stop loving you. He loves you no matter what. No matter how you treat Him or how little attention you may give to Him, He loves you. You can do nothing to keep God from loving you. Nothing.

Now, just because God loves you, it doesn’t mean that He will condone your lifestyle or how you respond to Him. God’s love does not negate His holiness. God loves you, but He will never overlook sin. He always will hold you responsible for sin in your life. You will have to answer to Him for your sin.

There are a lot of people today who deny the reality of God’s judgment on sin since God is love. They deny the reality of hell since a loving God would never send a soul to a godless place of eternal torment. What they fail to accept is that God’s love is balanced by His holiness. He does not send anyone to hell who has not chosen to go there. God extends His love to all and invites them to accept Him as their Savior and Lord, but most will not accept His offer of love. He loves them and longs for their fellowship, but will not force himself on anyone. All who will be in hell will be there because they chose to reject God’s offer of himself to them.

There is a huge difference between knowing about God’s love for us and knowing the love of God for us. Are you living in the overflow of God’s love? Do you know the wondrous truth that nothing in all of creation can stop the Lord from loving you?

Dear friend, I want you to know that God loves you. His love for you never stops or changes. He longs for you to live in the bountiful richness and fullness of His love.

GOD REALLY LOVES YOU

 

GOD REALLY LOVES YOU

Rom. 8:38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. NLT

How convinced are you that this verse is really true? Be honest. How many times have you wondered if God really loved you and was for you? Maybe you still wonder. Satan is very good at casting doubt on our being loved by God. We think we have done or said things that would cause God to love us no more. We think that God doesn't love us because we aren't loving Him. We come up with all kinds of reasons to believe that we are not loved by God, but we are.

God loves us regardless of any conditions or circumstances we may come up with. We don't even have to be His child in order for God to love us. God is love. But, just because we are loved by God doesn't mean that we can do what we want and be found acceptable to God. God can only accept us as His children on the basis of Christ's righteousness within us. We will not make it to heaven just because God loves us; we need Jesus.

Dear child of God, don't listen to Satan's lies. You cannot stop God from loving you. You may mess up royally and need to be taken to the wood shed, but if you do, be assured that God loves you and is doing it for your good. Life may be very difficult and seemingly hopeless, but be assured, God loves you and is nearby to help you through whatever you are facing. You may have been abused by others or judged wrongly, but God loves you. God loves you, always has and always will.

There is one thing you can always count on, God loves you. No matter what you may have done or find yourself now doing, God loves you.

NEVER ALONE

 

NEVER ALONE

Rom. 8:31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? NLT

Maybe you have never known what it is like to have people against you, but I have. It’s not a very pleasant experience. No one wants others to create pain and suffering against them. No one wants to be on the receiving end of someone else’s wrath. No one wants to be accused of things that are demeaning or that might be hurtful. It just isn’t a good time of life.

Yet, today’s verse helps to put things into perspective. Jesus was on the receiving end of much persecution, both verbally and physically. He was constantly under scrutiny from His enemies. He rarely faced a day in which He wasn’t under fire. He knew what it was like, and He wants us to know as well that when God is on our side, we can overcome the worst of satanic attacks.

When you go through life’s adversities, just try to remember that you are not alone in your battles. The Lord is on our side at all times. So in reality, who can ever be truly against us? The Lord makes available to us all the resources of heaven to help, so what can overpower us?

Whenever you come under fire, look to the Lord and all He has done. Whatever you may face in life, the Lord is on your side. Dwell in His presence and on His Word and you will have the resolve to not buckle underneath it all. Victory is certain for all who keep Christ as their shield and protector.

IF GOD IS FOR US

 

IF GOD IS FOR US

Rom. 8:31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? NLT

What can we say? If God be for us, who can be against us? What does it really matter who is against us if God is for us? Think about it. God is the absolute creator and authority over everything. He is the one who gives and sustains life. He is absolute power and there is nothing that can ever come close to withstanding Him. He is God and if He is for us, we are safe and secure. There is nothing to fear when God is with us.

The real issue then is how do we know for sure that God is for us? There is only one way that we can count on God being for us, and that is for us to be living in Christ. We must not only proclaim our allegiance to Him, we must live like He is our Savior and Lord. God is with those who are with Christ, and He is not with those who do not know Christ. It's as simple as that.

There is so much God wants to do in us. There is so much He wants to show us. There is so much power He wants to display through us. There is so much He wants to give us of His goodness and love. But, He will not do anything for us if we don't seek Christ and His forgiveness. What Jesus did at Calvary is the key to know that God is us.

If God is not for us, then He is against us. We must choose which way it is. Do you know for a fact that God is for you? If so, thank Him and praise Him today for your salvation and the life you live in Christ. If you don't know that God is for you, you can know it for a fact right now. Call on the name of Jesus, confess your sins, ask Him to forgive you, and accept what He has done for you at Calvary and you will be saved and you will know God is for you.

CHOSEN TO BE LIKE CHRIST

 

CHOSEN TO BE LIKE CHRIST

Rom. 8:29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn with many brothers and sisters. NLT

God chooses us in Christ to be like Christ so that Christ would always be first in our lives. We are chosen to be like Christ. Paul tells us in Phil. 2:5 that we need to have the same attitude that is in Christ. So, we need to measure ourselves in light of how well we are living like Christ did.

Christ was a servant-leader. Everything He did He did according to God's will for Him. He came to us for no other reason than to do God's will. If we are not doing God's will for our lives, we are not right with God. We need to prayerfully evaluate what we are living for, and if we are not living to do God's will for us, we need to change our ways. If we don't, we are living in sin.

Christ was a loving servant. He did not do what He did to draw attention to himself. He did what He did because He loved those He was with and tried to help them understand and know God on a personal level. His whole life on earth was to help others to be who God created them to be, children of God. If we aren't living as servants to help others know God and know Him better, we are living in sin.

Christ was a sacrificial servant. He often set aside His own needs for the sake of others. He did not pass up an opportunity to help someone who genuinely wanted His help. He showed us by example that we ought to sometimes go out of our way in order to help those in need. If we aren't willing to reach out to others in need, we are living in sin.

Jesus was a righteous servant. He did the right thing at the right time all the time. He lived close to the heart of God and knew the mind of God. He never failed to not do God’s will for His life. In fact, doing God’s will was the only thing that mattered to Him and He would not stop until He had done it. We, too, should always discern God’s will for us and do what is right in God’s eyes while doing it.

Everything we do should be to bring Christ honor and glory amongst men. We have been saved to not hoard our salvation, but to pass it on. We are saved to be difference-makers in the world. We are to be so like Christ that others can readily see Him in us. Our lives should be focused on one thing, to lift Him up so that all will see that indeed He is the Son of God, the firstborn of all creation, the Lord of life and the church.

TO BE LIKE CHRIST

 

TO BE LIKE CHRIST

Rom. 8:29-30 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory. NLT

There is much discussion in church circles about election of the saints. I do not want to even go there. I am not wise enough to figure out God's ways, and I admit that I don't completely understand how it all fits together.

The point that I do understand is that it is God's desire and plan to make all who are in Christ like Christ. We are to become like Christ. We are to become a righteous and holy people. We are to take on the character of Christ. When others see us they are to readily know that we are children of God. There should not be a need for those who know us to wonder whether or not we are Christians. We should be a people who live to please God and not man. We don't act or talk like non-Christians do. We don't focus on what the world can offer us, but rather what we can offer the world through Christ.

It is God's plan that you be like Christ. He took you in and gave you a right standing with himself. He promised you a life filled with His glory. And He expects you to live like it. Instead of trying to change one another over to our understanding, we should be focusing on how to help one another become more like Christ in holiness and righteousness.

GOD'S GOOD WORK IN US

 

GOD’S GOOD WORK IN US

Rom. 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. NLT

The emphasis is on God. God causes everything to work together for our good. It is God who does the work and everything God does is done right. God does everything perfectly and in love. Nothing that God works out in our lives is a mistake. He has perfect knowledge and does what is best for us. We may not see it or understand it, but nevertheless it is true. God alone knows what we need to experience and know in order for our lives to become all that He has planned for us to be.

God's work in us is like pieces of a puzzle. Individually the events of life may not seem to be good for us, but when put together with the rest of our lives, they fit perfectly and make perfect sense. We cannot see the completed picture because of the seemingly chaotic mess of the pieces strewn all over the place. But, God sees the whole picture and knows where each piece goes.

These truths apply to all who love the Lord and are living in relationship to Him. Don't let the events of life throw you. God is in control and will complete the puzzle of your life. When He is done putting all the pieces together, it will be a beautiful picture indeed. Let the Lord do all He desires to do with your life and you will be amazed at how beautiful of a person you will become. You will be like a bride fit for a King.