Yes, I know. it isn't really proper English usage to throw an ain't into a title, but it did get your attention, right? That's actually an advertising technique. However, this blog is not
about advertising; it's about God.
That's right Jehovah, the covenant God, and He is in pursuit of all His creation that has not accepted the grace-filled promise of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Luke 15: 4-7
It can be a perceived tap on the shoulder, a soft whispering voice hardly perceptible or
it can slap one upside the head with vigor, but God is after those who He seeks and He
will not give up that pursuit easily.
We all know people who spend a lot of time denying the existence of God, who strive to
come up with reasons why they do not go to church, why they do not have time or the need to be Christians. They have defense mechanisms in place, favorite arguments to present,
ears and eyes closed to the obvious existence of a Creator. Truth be told, it is often
impossible to get past this stubbornness, but God is not deterred.
We all know that lost sheep. He or she is out there with the mistaken impression that they
are in charge, that they can handle all life has to throw at them. They are prideful, stubborn, egotistical and ignorant of the one thing they need above all others; God.
So join me in prayer for those you know and for those you do not. Join me in praising
our God for His persistence and loving kindness!
He is a wonderful, magnificent LORD!
Showing posts with label Love of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love of God. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Friday, January 3, 2014
Yes, GOD loves as only HE can love!
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4: 8
Rob Bell's book, Love Wins, is one that I read when it first came out, and I found it
very positive and encouraging. I have also found that there are those who do not
feel positively about the message of the book, those who fear that we risk looking at
God as a "God of Love" and forgetting His other attributes.
The gospel message, as an important example, is based on the fact that God hates
all sin, He is Holy and without sin. This puts us humans in a precarious position
because we all sin. It is a part of a fallen nature that dates back to the original sin.
Therefore, to be somehow acceptable to a God that cannot accept sin, we have the need
of a savior, Jesus, who came into the world to defeat Satan, death and provide a
sacrificial atonement for our sin. We, as sinners, can only be acceptable to God as
righteous if we accept this payment by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour,
repent and love God with our heart, soul and mind.
So where does this leave us with God's love?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3: 16
It seems to me that being created in the image of God means that we share emotions
common to God. To accept God as loving, does not ignore His other attributes. Each
of his attributes is a "maximum" attribute. He is fully and completely transcendent,
Holy, majestic, omniscient, omnipresent...the list goes on.
Despite His true hatred for sin, aware that we, His creation, are mired in sin, He
has provided a way for atonement. He has provided a means to be welcomed into
His presence and family as adopted children. He has offered up His son to be
sacrificed, as the only possible propitiation for our sinfulness. To me, this
shows His amazing gracious LOVE.
It is best that we not look at God as a God of Love at the expense of forgetting
His wrath toward sin, His coming judgment on the earth...but it is also a bit
frightening to allow this to shade our acceptance and appreciation for the emotion
He invented and has shone in our direction...His Glorious LOVE!
Rob Bell's book, Love Wins, is one that I read when it first came out, and I found it
very positive and encouraging. I have also found that there are those who do not
feel positively about the message of the book, those who fear that we risk looking at
God as a "God of Love" and forgetting His other attributes.
The gospel message, as an important example, is based on the fact that God hates
all sin, He is Holy and without sin. This puts us humans in a precarious position
because we all sin. It is a part of a fallen nature that dates back to the original sin.
Therefore, to be somehow acceptable to a God that cannot accept sin, we have the need
of a savior, Jesus, who came into the world to defeat Satan, death and provide a
sacrificial atonement for our sin. We, as sinners, can only be acceptable to God as
righteous if we accept this payment by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour,
repent and love God with our heart, soul and mind.
So where does this leave us with God's love?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3: 16
It seems to me that being created in the image of God means that we share emotions
common to God. To accept God as loving, does not ignore His other attributes. Each
of his attributes is a "maximum" attribute. He is fully and completely transcendent,
Holy, majestic, omniscient, omnipresent...the list goes on.
Despite His true hatred for sin, aware that we, His creation, are mired in sin, He
has provided a way for atonement. He has provided a means to be welcomed into
His presence and family as adopted children. He has offered up His son to be
sacrificed, as the only possible propitiation for our sinfulness. To me, this
shows His amazing gracious LOVE.
It is best that we not look at God as a God of Love at the expense of forgetting
His wrath toward sin, His coming judgment on the earth...but it is also a bit
frightening to allow this to shade our acceptance and appreciation for the emotion
He invented and has shone in our direction...His Glorious LOVE!
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