02.03.10
A True Love Story
As we enter into the month of February, love is in the air. Valentine’s day is approaching and people are scrambling around buying things and doing things to show their significant other or the special people in their lives how much they care. I’m sure that most of us have a story of love to tell- either past or present, and others are believing God for that special someone so that they too can have their own love story to tell.
I’d like to tell you about a very special love story. It’s about a man who was born for one purpose, to bear a gift of love from His father to all mankind. Somewhere along the line, mankind had slipped and fallen off the course that the Father had put them on and they began to do many terrible things in His sight. Things that were contrary to His rules for life. Now, because it was already established that if mankind committed sin the punishment would be death, and the Father, because He cannot go back on His word had to punish mankind. This bothered the Father because He had so much love for mankind, and He also knew that there was an evil force in play that made it his sole purpose to cause mankind to sin. So the Father thought, how could He save mankind from their deserved punishment, but at the same time, keep his word as far as the consequence of sin. So He came up with a plan. He would send His only Son, in human form, to receive the punishment of death in place of mankind. The only way that this could happen though was that the son would have to be sin free- completely undeserving of this punishment, and that way he would bear the sins of mankind, that they might have another chance at life. 1 John 4:9-10 says “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love- not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Imagine for a moment the person that is dearest to your heart. Then imagine that you have to send them away on a mission, and while on this mission, they are ridiculed, threatened, accosted, degraded, spat on, beaten, tortured, forced to carry a wooden cross at least five times their weight, have their hands nailed to that cross and then are left there to die. Now imagine that the sole purpose of going through this is to save someone else.
This is what God did for us. This is what Jesus endured for us. God did it out of love so that we could have a fair chance. John 3:16-17 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His son to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
The way to benefit from this gift of God is to acknowledge that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and then, make an effort to sin no more. Jesus’ life on earth, His teachings and His examples are meant to serve as a blueprint of life for those of us who believe in Him. Then once we have accepted Him into our hearts we can now continue to grow in Him- completely immersed in God’s love, and Christ, by the Holy Spirit, lead us out of a life of sin and into a life that is pleasing to God. Galatians 2:20 says” And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
If we think about God and the only thing that comes to mind is an authoritative, power wielding ruler, then we have surely missed the entire point. God is a loving, fair, compassionate and gracious Father who sacrificed His only, blameless son for us. 1 John 3 says” See what kind of love the father has given to us that we should be called the children of God, and so we are.” God’s love for us is immense that He would consider us so worthy of such a sacrifice.
The Lord may not be our first love, because we are all called into Christianity at different points in our lives but when we really get to know God and start to have an intimate relationship with God, then, every Christian should be able to say that God is their first true love.
Share your thoughts that you might encourage your brethren.
In Christ,
The handmaid at His feet.
Anonymous said,
February 3, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Thank you God for sending your only Son to die for my sins, what a precious and tremendous gift. Everyday, I feel like I don’t deserve His great love. What an amazing love….Praise God!
Racheal said,
February 4, 2010 at 10:25 am
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us…” When I read this scripture I was slightly confused. I was confused because the word “manifest” was used. Manifest by definition means readily perceived by the senses and especially by the sight or easily understood or recognized by the mind. To me it was like a light bulb went off. Without Christ we would not be able to understand the love of God nor would we be able to comprehend how God is love. And yet even in the midst of this He still loves us… He loved us first knowing that loving Him back would be difficult if not impossible for some. Imagine those who don’t even believe in Christ… I CANNOT… to NEVER know what true love is… I am so thankful that I know this man whom we call our Saviour, Redeemer, King of Kings… I can truly say with all my heart and with all that it is in me that He is mine and I am His and We are so in LOVE
Jnr. said,
February 5, 2010 at 11:17 pm
How can I tell You that I love You dear Lord? Words are insufficient, praises are inadequate, my dances in worship of You barely meet the mark…I just love You Lord…He has done so much for us, and continues to do so much, yet we find a way to repay Him with sin. I pray that the good Lord will grant us the strength and spirit to continue to express our love for Him in everything that we are and that we do. I love you Jesus!!!!!!
Adaeze said,
February 8, 2010 at 12:23 pm
“Love is paitent, love is kind. it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. it is not rude, it is not selfseeking, it is not easily angered. it keeps no record of wrongs, Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. it always protects always trusts always hopes always perseveres” 1Corinthians13:4-7
I read this and I begin to wonder what man on earth or woman can embody such qualities at once. I searched and could not find. Even those that preach love know that they fall short if they were to be judged on these criteria. But God does not fail! He is so patient with this world he is yet to destroy it. He is kind to us and willing to forgive us our sins. He tells us to have a humble spirit. He sent His son to die for our sins, how selfless can that be. He is constantly protecting us from the hands of the evil ones. He hopes that one day everyone will come to him and believe that he is the way, the truth and the life. In a nut shell, God is Love. My prayer is that he will teach us how to be called Love as He is. I love you Lord!!!
Hardly Anonymous said,
February 9, 2010 at 8:37 pm
If nothing else this passage should encourage everyone who has ever, or is currently, drinking from that maddening chalice of unrequited love. The love of God and Christ for mankind is the sum and weight of what unrequited love is all about- when you continue to love and hanker after someone or something so dearly, despite the fact that you know that person does not and will not reciprocate even a fraction of that love.
In the end I s’pose it is true what they say, “It is better to have loved and lost than never at all.” Learn from the love of God and his Son, our Lord and Messiah, Jesus Christ.
We are so focused and so busied with our desire to be loved, looking in the faces that pass us by for a hint of that affection; we search in hallways, malls, cafes, church, and continue to ask, “When?” However, may be the substance of true love is not found in its receipt, but in its benevolence. After all, does the Scripture not say, “Give, and it shall be given unto you”?
So as we look towards this Valentine’s Day, whether you are happily married, jadedly married, coupled, or single, forlorn and lonely, don’t mourn the love that isn’t returned; instead celebrate the love you have had, the promise that keeps you up late at night, and what is more, fill someone else’s life with the overwhelming weight of YOUR love. Remember, for every Mary Magdalene, Stephen and Paul, there was an adulterous woman, Ruth and John, “the one that Jesus loved.” For every heart that longs and yearns for true love, there’s at least a thousand who would settle for the mere appearance of love.
Fortunately God has set the bar so high; unfortunately the Lord has set the bar too high. There isn’t a woman or man that could ever measure up or embody these qualities in the perfection of the Trion. Consequently, as you watch this world, frenzied and frantic for one day, as boys, girls, men and women, dance to this commercialized pseudo lyric of love, and your lips begin quivering and your mind begins whispering, “Why can’t I find love?” Congratulations; it’s probably the closest you’ll ever come to being like God.
In His Service.
LadyO said,
February 10, 2010 at 3:11 pm
The love of God to mankind – It’s never too late to surrender your heart and soul to God. No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, His arms are widely open to receive all that reconcile just like the prodigal son
Luke 15:11-32 – The story of the Prodigal Son, also known as the Parable of the Lost Son, follows the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin. Jesus is responding to the Pharisees’ complaint: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus tells the story of a man who has two sons. The younger son asks his father to give him his portion of the family estate as an early inheritance. Once received, the son promptly sets off on a long journey to a distant land and begins to waste his fortune on wild living. When the money runs out, a severe famine hits the country and the son finds himself in dire circumstances. He takes a job feeding pigs. He is so destitute that he even longs to eat the food assigned to the pigs.
The young man finally comes to his senses, remembering his father. In humility, he recognizes his foolishness, decides to return to his father and ask for forgiveness and mercy. The father, who had been watching and waiting, receives his son back with open arms of compassion. He is overjoyed by the return of his lost son! Immediately the father turns to his servants and asks them to prepare a giant feast in celebration.
Anonymous said,
February 10, 2010 at 3:47 pm
I am scared that I do not love the Lord enough. I feel so inadequate in how I show how much I appreciate His love. How can I say I love the Lord, if I am still struggling with petty sins? How can I say that I appreciate His death on the Cross for me, if I continue to crucify Him over and over again with my sins. It is a beautiful love you write about, I just find it hard to realize it in my life. I dunno
Esais said,
February 10, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Dear Anonymous,
Your struggles with sin is EXACTLY what makes you worthy of his love. It’s like any marriage- the courtship, romance, poetry and ditties, is hardly the substance that will sustain your matrimonial estate, but rather, the struggle, the endurance under the trial and difficulty of the relarionship, the strength that keeps you going even when you can’t, and the will and unbreakable determination to rise after every fall…that’s your Act and Gesture of Love back to him.
Obviously at some point, you must begin to progress after the Fall, but even then, it will still take his grace to see you beyond (for my grace is made perfect in weakness ). The struggle is his delight; the wretchedness you feel after the fall is what makes you worhty, and your desire to learn how to love him is why he will teach you and help you grow into that Flower he intended.
Remain a Soldier of Love.
Funso said,
February 10, 2010 at 11:47 pm
God is Love and I am eternally grateful for his mercies. King David reminded us that if Lord should mark iniquities, who could stand? It is only through the grace and love of God that we are safe and sound.
His handmaid said,
February 11, 2010 at 2:08 am
To Anonymous,
I just wanted to comfort you with these words. You don’t have to be perfect to love God. If that were the case then none of us would be worthy of His love or be able to love Him. Christ himself said that he did not come for the righteous, but for the sinners He said -come unto me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.Because of this, we don’t have to carry around the burden of our sins once we’ve confessed them to Him.
The only way to realize God’s love in your life is to receive it. In Psalms, David said – My heart says of you “seek His face.” Your face O Lord, I will seek. Seek the Lord with all your heart and soul. Desire to know Him and desire to be able to keep his commandments.
Romans 8 says- Those who live according to the sinful nature have their mind set on what that nature desires; but those who live according to the spirit have their mind set on what the spirit desires. When we- guided by the spirit of God- change our focus, our actions start to change as well. We are human, so we will never be perfect; but because we are followers of Christ, we have to continue to strive for it. The Lord sees our hearts and that is what he will judge us on.
Remain encouraged.
Anonymous said,
February 11, 2010 at 7:37 am
Awesome…Very encouraging words from all…In fact, too encouraging. Thanks so much, I pray that Yahweh will continue to give us strength. Really encouraging words. Gotta run now. Nice post…some of these comments are serious!
UGG Boots said,
February 11, 2010 at 4:25 pm
I found this article useful in a paper I am writing at university. Hopefully, I get an A+ now!
Thanks
Bernice Franklin
UGG Boots
His handmaid said,
February 15, 2010 at 9:08 pm
All have said is nice, inspired and encourage. What about the unconditional love, despite of our sin, running away from him every seconds, minute and day. he still there with his hand open to take us back. Unconditional love is not about the feelings or emotions. I believe God love us not becuase we are lovable but love us becuase he is love. What an unwrapped gift he gave us, God sacrificed His only Son so that we, who put our faith in His Son, will not spend eternity separated from Him. This is an amazing love, because we are the ones who choose to be separated from God through our own sin, May the good God restore our relationship with him.Amen