Thoughts For Consideration

Greetings again my Brethren.  As I said last month this month we will look at another one of God’s many mysteries, His love. God’s love is a great mystery to me. How could God be love? John tells us this most amazing truth, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”  (1 John4:8)  But, why would a loving God love a very unloving person like me? John continues, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10) Why would the God of the universe first love us?  John again helps us here, “We love him, because he first loved us.”  (1 John 4:19)  Why would God send His only begotten Son to earth to face shame, humiliation, and death of the cross? Paul tells us, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:” (Philippians 2:8-9)  Now do not make the big mistake in believing as some teach that Jesus was “highly exalted” because He is God’s Son and we too being sons and daughters of God are to be “highly exalted.”  Oh no if we are to be “highly exalted” like Jesus it will be because we (like Jesus) humbled ourselves and become (a process of God being able to judge and deal in our lives) obedient.  Did you know children must be taught obedience? Kids today know not obedience this is why kids today know not God even at a young age, whereby they learn to know God first through the instruction and teaching of obedience in their lives. And as they grow older it becomes natural to kids to come to know God which is one of His main purpose in our lives. God’s love will humble us and make us obedient to the Father.  This is why “He that loveth not knoweth not God.” Yes my friend God’s love is amazing and mysterious. Why would God ask of His Son to take off His divinity and put on humanity?  We said the cross Jesus bore was unbearable, but for Jesus it was bearable.  What love, but I think Jesus becoming man when He was equal with the Father in heaven was more unbearable than facing the cross and death.  I do not know about you my friend but God’s love is beyond my understanding and comprehension. Why would Jesus willfully desire to suffer for you and me?  I do not know about you my friend, but the older I get the less I enjoy cold water and suffering.  The writer of Hebrews tells us, “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;” (Hebrews 5:8-9) Here is that “obedience” word again.  Could it be safely said without obedience to God we cannot love as He would love? Because Jesus “learned he obedience by the things which he suffered” and “being made perfect” by the things He suffered “he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;” If Jesus had not suffered and learned obedience He could not have become the author of eternal life.  That is not me saying that this is the Bible saying that. Did you know Jesus did not die for everyone? Now dying for everyone was Jesus’ intention, having all to come to salvation is God’s heart through the death of Jesus, but only those who “obey” Him will come to eternal salvation.  Sadly those who do not “obey” Him will be lost.  Even John 3:16 tells us this truth. “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” We must believe or obey or we will be eternally lost. With that being said we must never forget the main reason for God’s love.  It was mentioned earlier in this section, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us. As strange and as unbelievable as it may sound God’s love can be summed up in these words.  As His reason is plain so that we may come to know Him.  To come to the  intimate knowledge of a loving God.   

          Next month we will look at  jealousy another emotion some Christians say God does not have.