Love that Transforms -- Love that Perfects

"God loves you, and there is nothing you can do about it."

I used to hear this phrase a lot. The same man who shared this every week in a meeting, though, did not seem to manifest this love fully in his life. The more that I thought about how much God loved me, the more burdened I felt, because this same God who loved me so much must have been unhappy with  me, since I was still sinning.

Then I looked again at the First Epistle of John:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

The same love that sent Jesus to die for our sins (1 John 4: 10), is the same love that gives us everlasting life (John 3: 16) and righteousness (2 Corinthians 5: 21).

The love of God does not  just cleanse us from sin, but this love transforms us from dead in our trespasses to everlasting life in which we reign:

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." (1 John 3: 1)

This love makes us "Accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1: 3)

For this post, I owe a heartfelt thanks to brother Bob George of "People to People" Ministries. "Love means absolutely nothing without acceptance." This revelation transformed my mind (Romans 12:2) to better appreciate God's love for me.

Because of God's great love for us, we have been perfected in our spirit man (Hebrews 10: 13), and thus we have boldness, because God the Father sees us, and He sees His own Son! Now that's a perfect love!

Wisdom is a Person -- and He Has You

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (Proverbs 4: 7)

This verse is part of the Old Testament, an element of the Old Covenant

Let us read this verse in light of the New Covenant:
"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1: 30)

Christ is our wisdom! This is His firs qualification in the life of the believer, according to Paul in his letter to the Corinthians.

So, wisdom is from Jesus, is Jesus Christ, who lives in us (Colossians 1: 27).

But what about understanding? Jesus gives us this, too:

"And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." (1 John 5: 20)

What is understanding all about? Knowing Him more:

"Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24: 25-27)

and

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3: 18)

Wisdom is a person, and He lives in you. Just ask Him, and He will guide you by His Holy Spirit into all knowledge (John 16: 13)

You Know the Way, and the Outcome

"And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side." (Mark 4: 35)

Jesus told the disciples ahead of time that they were going to pass over.

A storm intervened, and the disciples got scared, but Jesus was sleeping soundly:

"And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4: 38)

Jesus wants us to rest in His Word, trusting that He is going to lead us through whatever storm we may be facing:

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37)

God is interested in bringing every problem under our feet:

"And [God] hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

"Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1: 22-23)

We are seated in Heavenly places with Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2: 6)

We are not called to do more, but to believe more about all that God has done for us:

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

"And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power," (Ephesians 1: 17-19)

Jesus is the Way (John 14: 6). He lives in us, He leads us by His Spirit. Let us trust Him to take us through all the way:

"For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 1: 5-6)

and

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2: 10)

He made you and the works that you are called to do -- walk confidently, knowing that He is leading you through it all!

Believe that He is Taking Care of it

We want our problems to be taken care of. We want to know and believe that all our needs are taken care of.

Paul did not mince words about the one who is taking care of us:

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 19)

Our needs are met in Christ:

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

'He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)

Since God the Father has taken care of our sins - transgression, penalty, and record -- where then do we get the idea that He will not move in our lives when we have any other need?

Without the life that Jesus gives us, there is no point to receiving anything:

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16: 26)

When we have prospered in our soul (3 John 2), behold we begin to prosper on the outside.

We prosper when we rest and believe that God the Father is taking care of us:

"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Matthew 6: 26)

and

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6: 30)

Jesus is talking about the life in which we do not stress or worry about anything. He quickens us to will and to do for His good pleasure, but He is calling not to live in strife and unbelief:

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

"(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. " (Matthew 6: 32-33)

He is on the job. Our job is to rest in Him and let His grace work in our lives (1 Corinthians 15: 10)

Anything Not Done in Faith is Sin

Faith is the operating, guiding light of a believer in Jesus Christ.

"Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Romans 14:23)

We walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Jesus even comforts us not be of doubtful mind (Luke 12:29)

So, how do we effect living by faith?

We believe, we affirm his blessed promises in us, which are in His word!

Every believer is called to live by the faith of the Son of God (cf Galatians 2:20)

When faced with any new situation, the Holy Spirit leads, and His peace operates as judge, an umpire helping us determine the proper course of action:

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

Here, Paul uses for "rule" the word βραβεύω, brabeúō, which means to rule, arbitrate, or "act as an umpire".

This peace of God enables a believer to know with utmost simplicity if he or she is living in the will of God.

Anything that jars this peace, anything that causes doubts to arise in the heart of a believer, is to be discharged or dismissed immediately.

Indeed, may the peace of God rule in the heart of every believer.

His Kingdom is Everywhere -- Through His Spirit

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions" (Joel 2:28)

The Holy Spirit indeed was released to the entire world (Acts 2:17), and by God's grace, the Holy Spirit can enter into man to quicken him from death in his trespasses (Ephesians 2: 1-4).

Thus we enter the Kingdom of God:


"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. "(Romans 14: 17)
Yet this Kingdom by no means is limited to ourselves, although certainly the Holy Spirit pours forth from us:

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

"(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7: 38-39)

God is not limited, however:

"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." (Acts 17: 28)

The same Jesus Christ who lives in us is the same Jesus Christ who holds the entire universe together:

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

"And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1: 16-17)

Yet for the believer, He is more than Creator:

"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

'For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Colossians 1: 18-20)

Let us not limit our awareness of the Kingdom of God to ourselves. Let us pray that God will open our understanding (Ephesians 1: 17-19) to see all that He is, and that He is for us!

Jesus: The Gift Who Never Stops Giving

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John m3: 16)

At Christmas time, we exchange gifts, commemorating the greatest gift that has ever been given to us: God's own Son, Jesus.

Sadly, too many believers in the Body of Christ have stopped open their Gift after they confession their faith in Christ and His Finished Work.

Even worse, many believers do not see the gift as total and free, yet feel compelled to earn or maintain through their own efforts the gift which has been given them.

It is time for believers to stop falling for the folly of this mixed message

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17) Paul presses on his readers that this is a "free gift" (Romans 5: 18), a gift which we are called to keep receiving! Believers think that salvation is all there is. Paul declared that there is so much more:

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 32)

and

"Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

"Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

"And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. " (1 Corinthians 3: 21-23)

Do not limit the blessings which God has so richly lavished on you through His Son.

Keep asking, keep receiving, and keep rejoicing in that God through Christ is giving to you!