“So we have come to know and to believe (rely/trust) the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16
Given the compassion and provision from Christ that we looked at yesterday in Mark 8, this is the perfect perspective-setting Scripture for today. Through God’s Spirit within us we have come to know God’s love…but the question this morning is how well are we believing, relying/trusting the love that God has for us? This Greek word “believe” informs us that is an active, continuous and vital trust in Jesus and his Word. So again, if we can’t think of anything else for which to be thankful, knowing He loves us so much that He died for us to secure our salvation ought to keep us in a state of perpetual gratitude. So why don’t we believe it often enough? This isn’t cliché, it is our hope in life and death. So why don’t we believe it often enough? Through the finished work of Jesus, all of our sins are forgiven, all judgment is exhausted, and our permanent address is in His unwavering affection and favor.
The Heidelberg Catechism asks this first question; What is my only comfort in life and in death? That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me, that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto Him.
The Getty’s have put this question to song in Christ, Our Hope in Life and Death. The chorus of this song that has been playing in my head for a couple of days now. “We Sing…Hallelujah, Our Hope Springs Eternal, O Sing… Hallelujah! Now and ever we confess our Hope in Life and Death!”
This is the love we have come to know because of the Spirit’s presence within us and it is in this love that we must abide so we can believe it is true…so true that God’s love rules all our thoughts and actions.
God is love…which means… Love is Him. But many don’t see it that way today, hence all the confusion over love. The popular culture says “love is love” as if the emotion rules. But God’s Word says God is love…which, when you think about it, is all that needs to be said! Except that John goes one step further, “whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” We must abide in love as God defines it. Now we cannot totally love as He does, because of sin in us we cannot love unconditionally, but as we abide in Him and believe His love is true then we can love as He expects us to love to bring Him glory.
So, wherever God take us this week, we need to pray to Him that He will free us to believe in and abide in His love. I do not know what God has in store for you this week but I do know that there will be challenges, afflictions, confusion, heartbreak and overwhelming tensions with those we love and care about who aren’t presently abiding in God’s love. This will lead us to question and doubt, and when that happens recall this text, “So we have come to know and to believe (rely/trust) the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” This ought to be enough for us to endure through to flourishing today and maybe this week. God is love…do we really need to know anything else…except, perhaps, that He has showered us with His OWN love as His children!
God Bless y’all today!!
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
