The Love of God
Last Tuesday evening in Bible study I spoke about THE FACT THAT WE ARE CALLED . That is we are called to love one another with fervent love and then I spoke a little about God’s love and I RELATED SOMETHING I HAD READ IN A LITTLE devotional book entitled “ponder the love of God” It touched each heart in that study as I read what the author had said about God’s love. He said , “upon learning that God would rather die than live without you, how do you react?” The next morning early I was speaking with our missionaries in Mindanao, Philippines and related this same story and thought to Gwen and Dale,and they encouraged me to share it further. It’s not a thought that originated in my mind but I will take the liberty to borrow it because it is one of the most powerful things I have ever read. God was in Jesus the Bible says reconciling the world unto himself and in order for Him to do that He had to die; yes Jesus had to die for you and I. And everyone who has ever lived or will live. He would rather die than live without us! Try to imagine such love if you can.
I take the liberty to quote from the prophet Isaiah chapter 40 again reading from verse 12 “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, MEASURED HEAVEN WITH A SPAN And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? 13. Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD or as His counselor has taught Him?” This is the God Who became a man and came to earth to die because He would rather die than live without you and I. That is a mind boggling concept of our God but I believe it is true. Again in Isaiah ch. 45 vs.21, 22 “Tell and bring forth your case; Yes let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I the LORD? And there is no other God beside Me, A just God and a Savior, There is none beside Me. 22. Look to Me and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God
And there is no other” There is no other! This is a truth that should be proclaimed from the rooftops “there is no other God or gods. I don’t need to prove the Bible is true no more than a LION HAS TO PROVE its A LION. Let it loose and it will prove itself. All we need to do is proclaim God’s Word and it will prove itself. So let’s not get hung up in trying to prove Who God is. Oswald Chambers, that great British missionary of the early part of the last century said that the only God that a Christian knows is Jesus. And He came for one purpose: to die for each and every one of us
He said in the Gospel of John ch. 14 vs.1, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Vs.8, 9 “Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”(The answer that Jesus gave to Philip is a Divine revelation and can only be understood through a revelation from God.) Vs.9 Jesus said to him (Philip), “Have I been with you so long and yet you have not known Me Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say show us the Father?”VS. 11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in ME, OR ELSE BELIEVE Me for the sake of the works themselves.” Only God could do the works that Jesus did.
It blesses my soul every time I read these words. With Paul that great apostle of the Christian faith I too can say, “For I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.” God was in Christ and He still is God!
And He would rather die than live without you! What a mind boggling thought!
How can we fathom the depths of His grace?
Last Tuesday evening in Bible study I spoke about THE FACT THAT WE ARE CALLED . That is we are called to love one another with fervent love and then I spoke a little about God’s love and I RELATED SOMETHING I HAD READ IN A LITTLE devotional book entitled “ponder the love of God” It touched each heart in that study as I read what the author had said about God’s love. He said , “upon learning that God would rather die than live without you, how do you react?” The next morning early I was speaking with our missionaries in Mindanao, Philippines and related this same story and thought to Gwen and Dale,and they encouraged me to share it further. It’s not a thought that originated in my mind but I will take the liberty to borrow it because it is one of the most powerful things I have ever read. God was in Jesus the Bible says reconciling the world unto himself and in order for Him to do that He had to die; yes Jesus had to die for you and I. And everyone who has ever lived or will live. He would rather die than live without us! Try to imagine such love if you can.
I take the liberty to quote from the prophet Isaiah chapter 40 again reading from verse 12 “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, MEASURED HEAVEN WITH A SPAN And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance? 13. Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD or as His counselor has taught Him?” This is the God Who became a man and came to earth to die because He would rather die than live without you and I. That is a mind boggling concept of our God but I believe it is true. Again in Isaiah ch. 45 vs.21, 22 “Tell and bring forth your case; Yes let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I the LORD? And there is no other God beside Me, A just God and a Savior, There is none beside Me. 22. Look to Me and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God
And there is no other” There is no other! This is a truth that should be proclaimed from the rooftops “there is no other God or gods. I don’t need to prove the Bible is true no more than a LION HAS TO PROVE its A LION. Let it loose and it will prove itself. All we need to do is proclaim God’s Word and it will prove itself. So let’s not get hung up in trying to prove Who God is. Oswald Chambers, that great British missionary of the early part of the last century said that the only God that a Christian knows is Jesus. And He came for one purpose: to die for each and every one of us
He said in the Gospel of John ch. 14 vs.1, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Vs.8, 9 “Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”(The answer that Jesus gave to Philip is a Divine revelation and can only be understood through a revelation from God.) Vs.9 Jesus said to him (Philip), “Have I been with you so long and yet you have not known Me Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say show us the Father?”VS. 11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in ME, OR ELSE BELIEVE Me for the sake of the works themselves.” Only God could do the works that Jesus did.
It blesses my soul every time I read these words. With Paul that great apostle of the Christian faith I too can say, “For I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.” God was in Christ and He still is God!
And He would rather die than live without you! What a mind boggling thought!
How can we fathom the depths of His grace?
posted by Randall | 5:58 a.m.
2 Comments:
"Amazing love, how can it be that Thou my God should die for me?" I think these are the correct words of a song.
I will have to re-read this submission quite a few times to get all the wornderful points - it certainly is beyond our understanding, God's love - I was one of the ones at that study who was moved by the concept - He would rather die than live without me!! As you point out, it is impossible to fathom His love, but we know that He does.
Keep sharing your thoughts - they cause us all to spend more time in His Word,
How I wish I could be at your study on Tuesday. I really appreciate your sending it to me but to be with the rest and hear the comments would be so great. It is just more than I can understand sometimes that GOD so loved me HE would send HIS son to die for me. Oh what wonderous love. We can never repay.
B&G
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