6:1; 14:1). His love.--Strictly, His own love. Husbands and wives need to do things together and take an interest in each others activities. He took our punishment and paid the penalty of death that Justice demanded. It is mediated, or communicated, through objective truth about Christ. By asking Peter . Nothing can separate me from the love of God. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Here he uses three terms: Spirit, Spirit of God, and Spirit of Christ. but I dont feel it, orIm not sure I can really say I believe it.. Itwasproved by the sacrificial death ofthe Lord JesusChrist on the cross. He loves all of us so dearly and nothing can separate us from His love as seen in Romans 8:35-39. It was another boy. Till next time! Certainly now Hosea would forget her. My prayer is not for them alone. Previous post: 17 Awesome Christian Quotes About Grace. He called him Jezreel, because it was at Jezreel that King Jeroboams great grandfather Jehu had first come to the throne by ambitious crimes of bloodshed and violence. Chapter 5:6-8. It would be easy for some of us to dismiss this loving call by saying that there are certain more emotional types of people who have these experiences. Maybe it was a note, maybe word sent by a friend, but the essence of it seems to have been, Im leaving for good this time. The Holy Spirit has opened the eyes of the heart to see the preciousness and beauty of the love of God in Christ for what it really is, and we have been moved by a spiritual sense of that love in the heart to cherish and value and treasure and trust this Christ and the love of God in him. These deep and beautiful stories will hit every part of your emotion and show you how the word of God applies to every aspect of your life. You dont get the experience by emptying your head. 18:21, 22). Jeroboam II was on the throne of the northern kingdom of Israel, and his military exploits had extended Israels borders farther than they had been since the days of Solomons glorious kingdom. The younger brother demanded his share of the property and ran away to squander the money with his licentious living. First, consider 2 Thessalonians 3:5: May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ. Here we have Paul praying that God would do something now for the Thessalonians. God's act of . 11:4). This experience has factual, objective content. Bio: O. S. Hawkins has served pastorates, including the First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, for more than 25 years. John 3:16 ends with the words: 'that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.'. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! L. O. 6. . at Calvary., [Read Bible Gateway Blog posts in The Code Series by O. S. Hawkins]. God invites us into his love through trouble. The Old Testament speaks frequently of Israel whoring after or playing the harlot with other gods (e.g., Deut. That means, we put other's before ourselves and treat people the way you want to be treated. Husbands and wives are not always aware of each others love. Let Paul answer from Romans 8:9: You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.. 21 keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. It is something poured out. Most people dont want the drama of dealing with evil spirits. The love of God be with you! be manifestly present to you! In John 8:1-12, we can see how the Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus and set her in their midst. Then the final blow fell. This is why I said the experience of Gods love has factual, objective content. 1 John 4:9says: 'Inthis the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.' Even after their salvation, they continue to see themselves as ugly, putrid sinners. They do it in Britain with a stiff upper lip. During this time he bore the grief of seven dead sons and three dead daughters. That is my call to us all this advent season. What Does the Bible Say About Spiritual Warfare? So if nothing can separate us from the love of God, why does Paul pray, The love of God be with you? The former herdsman of Tekoa thundered Gods warning of imminent judgment, but the nation paid little attention. 4:12, 13; 13:2). It is something felt in the heart. Paul is saying to these believers in this verse, I want something better for you. Any day of the year, we're here for you! Nuggets When Pharaoh decided to chase them - which God knew he would - the Israelites would have been surrounded if they would have taken the direct route. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down ones life for his friends (John 15:13). To be dying, be about to die, wither, decay. The word 'gave' perhaps carries the idea of 'give up'. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. 1. I think that someday I will preach fifteen messages on those verses. . Jesus is still healing today except He isnt limited by being in one place at one particular time. TheApostle Paul wassosure that nothing could separate him fromdivine love that helistedseventeenthings which cannot separate a believer from the love of Christ. Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). Otherwise, Paul would not pray it. From apo and thnesko; to die off. We come alive immediately in awareness of His love for all eternity. We were given the Holy Spirit, but the outpouring seems to have ongoing and varied expressions. He is author of. God calls us to trust His Son. 3 Pray 4 Learn 5 Apply 3 Ways God Proved His Love to You Add to Favorites Many Christians struggle to believe that God loves them. More obviously. If you have not done so before believe in Him and have everlasting life. There is no requirement for God to love us. And God blessed their union with a son. We were still sinners when Christ died for us (Romans 5:7-8). (a) of time: still, yet, even now, (b) of degree: even, further, more, in addition. What happened to Pascal? He demonstrated His love for humanity with a very costly gift: the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Although the disciples longed for Jesus to set up His kingdom to overcome the RomansHe had a much larger plan not just for the Jewish people, but for the world. God has also given us the authority to heal others (Mark 16:18). Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. That is the lesson of Hosea and Gomer, the lesson of forgiveness. 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). They do it by gritting their teeth. He had preached on two continentsin England and in Georgia. The answer was right there in Gods instructions to Hosea, even as the Lord loves. Only one who knows the love and forgiveness of God can ever love this perfectly. God tells us how much our sin grieves Him. Therefore, that is also who our refers to earlier in the verse where it says, The love of God has been poured out within our hearts, through the Holy Spirit who was given to us us believers in Christ, our hearts.. What else could you do together to strengthen your bond of oneness? Big wounds sometimes take longer to heal. Last week I made two points from this text concerning this experience of being loved by God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. . The Passion Code is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway. When we go back to God he doesnt reject us; rather he is filled with so much joy and throws a party for us in Heaven. Richard, was a 1954 graduate of Wheaton College, and received his Th.M. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.. The love of God is endless and it will always be there. Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. It's likely that he composed this poem in response to an attack upon his character. I am Peace Uchenna Anaekwe and I am the Founder of Life Of A Believer. Your children and your crops will be blessed. I, the first-person pronoun. God sent His only begotten son to die for our sins as we read in John 3:16. You can know God loves you because your Sunday school teacher told you, but you dont really know Gods love until youve tasted his love. Bible Verses, Quotes, Christian Answers, Songs and More. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine. The truth is that God's wrath, His hatred of sin, is as strong as His love. They completely miss the fact that Jesus paid the price so they could be made new, or put in right-standing with the Father. Have you believed in Jesus Christ for salvation? We need to drag the festering hurts we have been harboring in our hearts to the cross of Christwhere we laid our own burden of guilt one day and where we found Gods loving forgivenessand we must leave them all there. Ro). And dont ever stop. Everyone knew about Gomers affairs. This life is eternal with the result that nothing can sever us from it. Its ultimate cause is the love of God, which is here in question. 1. In fact, Christ was simply saying in a captivating way that there is no end to forgiveness. This was the last straw. That is why God called Isaac Abraham's only son. That is fixed, objective, unchanging. Therefore, that is who Paul is talking about in Romans 5:5 when he says, the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Us is all true Christians. And so the Lord Jesus Christ God's Son, who was equal with God the Father (Philippians 2:6-11), entered time andspace. (Romans 5:8). In verse 8, the love of God is being demonstrated by God in history through the death of Christ. When God made us in his image, he was saying that he desired us to be, and loved us as, his own sons and daughters. I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. But it sets the scene for great calamity. From John 15:13, we are made to understand that there is no greater love. Human love tends to be conditional and fickle but God's agape love is constant, unconditional, unshakeable and perfect. Today I want to make two more points about this experience of Gods love. We serve a God who prepares the way for us. This beautiful story is a picture of how God loves us and has been waiting for us to return to him. And he prayed that the Holy Spirit would give them eyes to see the glory of what he was writing about. How could anyone ever question God's love for the individual after having read John 3:16? God directed him to take her as his wife, and so it was that Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, became the unlikely wife of the budding young preacher. The Apostle Paul put it this way: 'He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all' (Romans 8:32). So Paul is praying that God would give the heart a sight of the love of God as more attractive and satisfying and valuable than ordinary earthly things. Itis an everlasting lovewhich is not affected byour circumstances. Feeling, Not Just Knowing, God's Love. But Gomer seemed less and less interested in his ministry. It is mediated, or communicated, through objective truth about the death of Christ. The threat of incurable illnesses due to infections, fevers, or food poisoning plagued both rich and poor. Colin Smith (MPhil, London School of Theology) is senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a multicampus church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and his ministry extends through his radio program Open the Bible. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and . Remember, you serve a mighty God, and He delights in you! Looking for a church home? Glorifying God is the highest, the best, and the most noble of all acts, so, naturally, glorifying Himself is what He must do, because He is the highest and the best, and He deserves all glory. Many children know that God loves them, but they have a hard time believing that God likes them. The love of God is seen in the finished work of Christ (His death, burial, resurrection and ascension) for the atonement of our sins. Dont forget to comment, share and subscribe. 3:1). We have a God that cares and comes through for us in subtle ways. Learn More Now! There is peace assured for us when we go through difficult times. And is not all this astonishing experience in Ephesians 3:1419 simply an unfolding of the simple sentence in Romans 5:5 that the love of God be poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us? This account is narrated in John 4:2-28. If you have no response to the love of God, shouldnt you be concerned about the condition of your soul? The love of God is seen in the finished work of Christ (His death, burial, resurrection and ascension) for the atonement of our sins. Many believe that aGodof love would notconsign His creatures to eternal pain. The person who prays this prayer is looking for something more than he or she already has: Lord, direct my heart into your love.. God'slove is strongandpowerful,not a weak love that can easily wane. That brings us, secondly, to his unrelieved agony. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God; that since we were reconciled by his blood, when we were enemies; we shall much more be saved, being reconciled. But it was not Ishmael who was the son of the promised covenant; it was Isaac, ( Gen. 17:19 ). Hosea wanted to see Gomer restored to his side as his faithful wife. #1) Jesus Healed The Sick in Love "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick" (Matthew 14:14). We do not discipline each other, but we can discuss steps that will help us avoid these same pitfalls in the future. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. Maybe youre thinking, I want more of what hes talking about. She probably even accused Hosea of thinking more about his preaching than he did of her. Eternal life is only available through Jesus Christ, God's Son. "We love each other because he loved us first." (NLT) 1 John 4:7-16. Justice was satisfied. . 1. These people werent mildly hungrytheyve gone 3 days without food listening and taking in the precious words of Christ. Why did Jesus ask Peter Do you love me? three times?