Tag: First Epistle of John

The Reasons Why We Deserve God’s Love

by markjemilbooth, posted in Bible Study, Christian Life, God's Attributes, Love
Winter Sunset in Wyoming (Photo by: Deanna Maston)
Winter Sunset in Wyoming (Photo by: Deanna Maston)

“Herein 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 4:10)

When I was young, I remember a song that had the following words: “What the world needs now is love sweet love, It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” This song expresses the search for love that is part of each person’s life.

Where do we find love? What can we do to receive love? The Word of God makes it clear that love begins with God, continues with God, and ends with God. He is the source of love. He demonstrated His love by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins.

The love of God is real. We see that His love is a perfect love that desires to see change in our lives. He wants us to go from being dead in our trespasses and sins to having eternal life. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Deep down, we feel that we deserve God’s love. We demonstrate this when we complain during the difficult times in our lives. We may say of God: “If God is a God of love why did He allow this.” We feel we are deserving of God’s love and he has failed to love us. Do we deserve God’s love?  Here are several reasons why we deserve God’s love.

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“Dear Lord, I come before you in all brokenness and humility because I know that I don’t deserve your love. Your love for me is based on all that you are. I deserve nothing but your wrath because of my sin before you. Yet, you have loved me with an everlasting love. I don’t understand your love, but I thank you for it. I thank you that I can call you “Father” because you brought me to a saving knowledge of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Please help me never take your love for granted. Amen”

Have we accepted God’s love? Have we come to Him realizing we don’t deserve His love? He has His hands of love outstretched towards us. Will we accept His offer of love today? This love is expressed in an old hymn. The words abound with the sacrificial nature of God’s love for us.

“WHY SHOULD HE LOVE ME SO?” By Robert Harkness

1.Love sent my savior to die in my stead;
Why should He love me so?
Meekly to Calvary’s cross He was led;
Why should He love me so?

2.Nails pierced His hands and His feet for my sin;
Why should He love me so?
He suffered sore my salvation to win;
Why should He love me so?

3.O how He agonized there in my place;
Why should He love me so?
Nothing withholding my sin to efface;
Why should He love me so?

Chorus: Why should He love me so?
               Why should He love me so?
               Why should my Savior to Calvary go?
               Why should He love me so?

A Heart to Walk with God

by markjemilbooth, posted in Bible Study, Christian Life, Love, Prayer, Psalms
Sleepy Hollow State Park-Michigan USA-Photo by: Mark J. Booth

Imagine taking a walk with God. One of the most unusual people in the Bible is Enoch.  He is one of two Old Testament characters who never died.  What is it that makes Enoch unique?  The Bible says:  “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24)  Enoch loved listening to God.  He enjoyed sharing his heart with God. He made his relationship with God the number one priority in his life.  Enoch’s walk with God meant that he had an intimate relationship with God.

We often find ourselves too busy to take time to walk with God.  Our culture focuses on  instant gratification.  We don’t like to slow down.  We have fast food, fast cars, instant photos, instant communication and microwave ovens.  We think that we can also have a microwave relationship with God.  We  read a few verses, and say a quick prayer and think that we have a close relationship with God.  We have lost the joy and the benefit of slowing down and learning to walk with God.

How can we develop a heart that longs to walk with God?  Here are five ways that we can cultivate a heart that desires to walk with God.

1. We need to develop a heart that agrees with God.  Agreeing with God enables us to view our life from His perspective.  We enjoy our time with God because we aren’t arguing with Him. We are learning from Him.  The nation of Israel had a problem of agreeing with God.  They wanted to go their own way.  The prophet Amos said: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) Do we agree with God concerning our goals, our future, our family, our time, our money and other areas of our lives? We can’t walk in our own way and walk with God at the same time. 

2. We need to develop a heart that is humble before God.  Pride causes us to think that we don’t need to walk with God.  We are able to handle our life without God.  The prophet Micah says:  “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8) A humble spirit is a dependent spirit.  A dependent believer sees their great need to walk very close with God.

3. We need to develop heart that is pure before God.  Because God is holy, sin keeps us from walking with God.  The Apostle John says: “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7) Sin is choosing to walk in darkness, instead of walking in God’s light.  However, God has provided the way of restoration in our walk with Him. “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) A pure heart is a heart that enjoys walking with God, who is Light. 

4. We need to develop a heart that loves as God loves.  When our hearts are full of anger, bitterness, hatred, and selfishness, we are unable to walk with God, who is love.
“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” A believer that loves God and others feels very comfortable walking with God.  They look for opportunities to pour out the love they receive from God unto others. 

5. We need to develop a heart that is quiet before God.  God’s Word encourages us to slow down and be still.  We need to learn the art of waiting upon God. “Be still, and know that I am God:” (Psalm 46:10) A patient and quiet heart is saying to God: “I am ready to walk with you with my undivided attention.” 

Woldumar Nature Center-Lansing, Michigan (Photo by: Mark J. Booth)

Enoch made a choice that he would walk with God.  This meant the sacrifice of his time.  It meant that he would be misunderstood by others.  However, he desired a close walk with His God. God took pleasure in His time Enoch. As a result, He just took Enoch right up to heaven to be with Him.  What about us?  How is our walk with God?

“Dear Lord, I am tempted to hurry my time with you.  I find myself walking this life without you.  Then something happens and I wonder where are you.  Help me, to see my need to walk close with you.  I know that the greatest enjoyment in life is when I take the time to walk with you.  Thank you for always being available to walk side by side with me.  I love you, Lord. Amen”

 

 

Moving Beyond Selfishness to Love

by markjemilbooth, posted in Christian Life, God's Attributes, Love
New York City-Photo by: Mark J. Booth

True love has many enemies.  Some of these enemies are hatred, lust, ignorance, and jealousy; however, the greatest enemy of love is selfishness.  Love gives.  Selfishness takes.  Love thinks of others.  Selfishness thinks of self.  Selfishness is: “The desire for one’s own gain without regard for God and others.”  Selfishness has destroyed marriages, families, work relationships, individual lives and even churches.

Do I show evidence of selfishness in my life?

  • Am I a lover of self?  “For men shall be lovers of their own selves.” (2 Timothy 3:2) The last days will be a time when people’s self-love will reach new heights; however, selfishness is rampant even today.
  • Do I seek to please self? “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” (Romans 15:1) Selfishness says: “I will please myself.  I don’t care what God and others think.”
  • Do I seek my way? “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philippians 2:21) Selfishness says: “It’s my way or the highway”  Frank Sinatra sang a song glorifying selfishness: “I Did it My Way”. Is this our life theme as well?
  • Do I seek my gain?  “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 John 3:17)  Selfishness says: “What is mine is mine.”  This was the philosophy of the scribe and Levite that passed by the man who was dying in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
  • Do I seek first place?  “They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.” (Mark 10:37) James and John, ignoring the other disciples, sought the most important places in Christ’s kingdom. Selfishness runs over others; so that we can be first.  Our goal becomes not the success of others, but our success. 

People dismiss selfishness as something that exists in our lives.  We may try to control it a bit, but we love to satisfy ourselves; however, this selfish spirit destroys our relationship with others, including God. Are we prepared to replace selfishness with love?

How can I move beyond selfishness to love?

  1. Have an intimate relationship with God, the source of love.  “God is love.”  He is the author of love.  He showed his love toward us by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins.  John 3:16 says: “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.”  When we place our faith in Christ as Savior, we become a child of God.  This loving relationship enables us to share the love we receive from the Father towards others.  We are like a water hose.  A hose doesn’t produce the water, but it disperses the water.  We don’t produce love, but we disperse God’s love to those He brings into our lives.
  2. Learn and apply the qualities of love in your life.  1 Corinthians 13:4-7 show the qualities of love.  Take the time to meditate upon each quality.  Think about how Christ demonstrated each of these qualities.  Also, think about how you can demonstrate these qualities in your life. “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”  (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
  3. Look unto Christ as your example of love. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)  Christ demonstrated love in spite of the hatred that was demonstrated against Him. How does Christ show His perfect love towards us?
  • The sacrifice of His love.  Christ gave his life for us.  How about our love for others?  Are we willing to sacrifice for those God places into our lives.  “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)
  • The permanence of His love.  “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35)  Nothing stops Christ from loving us.  What about our love for others?
  • The edification of His love.  When Christ walked upon the earth, he was always encouraging people.  His teaching helped people to grow and understand the truth.  When we love others, we want to build them up and not tear them down.
  • The forgiveness of His love.  Christ said of those who were mocking him: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Christ forgave even in His darkest hour.  Forgiveness is a great act of love.

Love is more than a feeling, It is a choice.  We can live a life of love.  Selfishness doesn’t have to rule in our relationships.  We can look up to the God of love and seek to apply His love to others.

“Lord, thank you for your great love towards me.  Thank you for your Son who died on the cross for my sins.  Thank you for adopting me into your family.  Lord, I still struggle with selfishness in my life.  Help me, to apply your love to those you bring into my life.  Amen.”

Note: This is the third article in the “Moving Beyond” series.