Posts Tagged ‘ Love ’
So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Galatians 4:7, ESV
We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, so we are called to serve the world in the same sacrificial manner, yet we also are called to eternal life and joy in Him.
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Matthew 25:40, CSB
We are called to be the hands of feet of Jesus, serving Him by helping those in the most need, ultimately through the gospel but also down through basic needs.
“‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’”
Matthew 25:35-36, CSB
We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, bringing His Kingdom to this world through kind service in His name to others, ushering His return as we serve Him.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39, CSB
The Holy Spirit reveals God’s love for us and empowers us to fight against the spiritual attacks and arguments against biblical truths that will come.
No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29, CSB
God is our Creator and Savior, and He frees us from fear of others, giving us compassion and love for others that should make us want to speak kindly and with grace.
Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12, CSB
God is our Creator and Savior, and He empowers us to live a Christ-like life and overcome our sins and failures to love Him more as we strive toward eternity.
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21, CSB
God is our Creator and Savior, granting us rest from sins by becoming one of us to give Himself for our sins.
So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
John 13:14, CSB
God is in us by the Holy Spirit, empowering us to love and serve like Jesus did: sacrificially and humbly, with a boldness from God.
No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13, CSB
Christ has freed us, and He has freed us from sin by His own blood and from the terror of God by calling us friends.
One of the funniest moments of the 2003 film “Elf” was Buddy the Elf seeing a feral raccoon, spreading out his arms, and asking, “Does someone need a hug?” (It did not go well.)
Something I like to tell people is that on January 9, 2000, Jesus hugged me in welcome to His Family. On July 26, 2000, I finally returned the hug.
It is nice to think about receiving a comforting hug when life feels overwhelming, things are generally crazy, or having just gone through a horrible situation.
It is also nice to look back through the Bible and see how God has been there for His people:
In the Exodus, God said He rescued Israel with a mighty hand and outstretched arm (Exodus 6:6; Deuteronomy 4:34, 5:15, 7:19; Psalm 136:12).
Within Israel and their Exile, God welcomes those who come to Him humbly and for His glory (1 Kings 8:41-43; 2 Chronicles 6:32-33; Ezekiel 20:34).
We can see how God has been taking care of His people, yes even under judgment at times.
What is the most comforting is that God came to us to take the punishment we deserve for disobedience. He promised to do this when He spoke with Abraham 4,000 years ago (Genesis 15), and there are so many places that it is laid out in the Hebrew Scriptures (such as Genesis 22, Psalm 22, and Daniel 9:26).
Good Friday is good, because we see the Creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who saw all the sinfulness of this world, come to us in the midst of our fear, pain, and anxiety. The one who stretched out His arm with His might hands came to comfort us with those strong arms and hands.
So, on that terrible Friday 2,000 years ago, Jesus opened His arms for us. We are the feral raccoons, rooting around in garbage and attacking the God who loves us. He took the punishment we deserved, holding back God’s wrath for those of us who will believe.
Yet this same God who took on His own wrath, with those same strong, mighty, scarred arms, reaches out to us to hold us and comfort us.
When we look at the cross, we see God opening His arms to us.
a simple man of God 