One of the greatest truths of the Bible is that God loves you and me. The Bible describes God's love towards us as beyond knowledge. Look in Ephesians 3:17-19 "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God."
It is kinda overwhelming to start to get a grasp on how much God loves each one of us. I was thinking to myself this morning if each believer really lived this way and believed that each person we come in contact with is deeply loved and valued by God what would that do? Would it then require us to treat each other differently than we do now? Honestly, I think in many cases it would require a total transformation in our attitudes and behaviors towards each other. We might be a little more careful about saying an unkind word or lying or stealing or belittling each other if we realized that not only does God love you, but he loves the people around you also.
In 1 John 4:8-11 it says "The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that god has sent His only begotten 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. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." You see scripture identifying that love is the signature, the seal and the sign that you know God. It is a sign that you get it. That you realize that God loves you not just so you can selfishly enjoy it, but so you can share his compassion and love with others.
So, I just have to question it when I go to a church and see people who don't welcome guests when they come into the door or judge others by the clothes they wear. I have to question how a church can sit on the corner of the community and see needs around them and do nothing to help broken families and needs everywhere you look. I have to question if the church is truly the church when it doesn't care, love and respect others. If there was ever a time when the church could rise up and demonstrate the love of Christ it is now. Our world is really hurting right now with needs everywhere. And too many times christian are busy debating the validity of whether or not they are mid tribulation rapture belieers or whether dinosaurs roamed the earth and when. REALLY? Who cares? It's time the church needs to wake up and share the love of Christ.
It is kinda overwhelming to start to get a grasp on how much God loves each one of us. I was thinking to myself this morning if each believer really lived this way and believed that each person we come in contact with is deeply loved and valued by God what would that do? Would it then require us to treat each other differently than we do now? Honestly, I think in many cases it would require a total transformation in our attitudes and behaviors towards each other. We might be a little more careful about saying an unkind word or lying or stealing or belittling each other if we realized that not only does God love you, but he loves the people around you also.
In 1 John 4:8-11 it says "The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that god has sent His only begotten 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. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." You see scripture identifying that love is the signature, the seal and the sign that you know God. It is a sign that you get it. That you realize that God loves you not just so you can selfishly enjoy it, but so you can share his compassion and love with others.
So, I just have to question it when I go to a church and see people who don't welcome guests when they come into the door or judge others by the clothes they wear. I have to question how a church can sit on the corner of the community and see needs around them and do nothing to help broken families and needs everywhere you look. I have to question if the church is truly the church when it doesn't care, love and respect others. If there was ever a time when the church could rise up and demonstrate the love of Christ it is now. Our world is really hurting right now with needs everywhere. And too many times christian are busy debating the validity of whether or not they are mid tribulation rapture belieers or whether dinosaurs roamed the earth and when. REALLY? Who cares? It's time the church needs to wake up and share the love of Christ.
