On Tenth Avenue North's facebook page today:
"But we keep pressing on, with our redemption song,
no one can undo what you've done."
no one can undo what you've done."
What strikes me as the strangest difference between following Jesus and following any other religious leader in history, is at the heart of Christianity, we are called to celebrate and glory in what has God has done for us, not in what we can do for God..
Now, are we live to our lives in grateful response to Him?
Sure.
Are we called to give our lives as a living sacrifice?
Absolutely.
But the key to understanding our obedience is understanding
the word "Therefore," In Romans 12.
"THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF GOD"S MERCY!"
In other words, we don't obey to be accepted, we obey out of the awe we already are.
Sure.
Are we called to give our lives as a living sacrifice?
Absolutely.
But the key to understanding our obedience is understanding
the word "Therefore," In Romans 12.
"THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF GOD"S MERCY!"
In other words, we don't obey to be accepted, we obey out of the awe we already are.
At the heart of the gospel is I John 4.10
"In this is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and gave His son as a propitiation for our sins."
Followed up by verse 19, "we love because He first loved us."
"In this is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and gave His son as a propitiation for our sins."
Followed up by verse 19, "we love because He first loved us."
Now, I've said this elsewhere before, so forgive me for being redundant, but I fully believe all Jesus really calls us to ever do is live loved. Let me repeat that.
LIVE LOVED.
LIVE LOVED.
Every sinister act we ever commit is a result of living unloved.
At the heart of sin, is a skepticism in the Lord's goodness.
It is the terrible lie spoken into the heart of Adam,
and it is the lie we must let the cross put to death in ours.
At the heart of sin, is a skepticism in the Lord's goodness.
It is the terrible lie spoken into the heart of Adam,
and it is the lie we must let the cross put to death in ours.
Hallelujah!
"God proves His love in this, that while we were still sinners,
He died for us."
-Romans 5.8
"God proves His love in this, that while we were still sinners,
He died for us."
-Romans 5.8
Where is your focus fixed?
Are you obsessing over what you'll accomplish for God?
Are you stressing over how much or how little you've done to earn acceptance from Him?
My friend, cease your striving.
We are only to be a people of reactionary deeds.
Let us respond to the grace of God.
And when you feel your love for Him is waning,
don't try harder.
Don't beat your chest and say, "I'm gonna love you better God!"
No.
If we love Him because He loved us first,
then whenever we find a deficiency in our love for Him,
there is a good chance it's being caused by a lack of belief
in His love for us.
Are you obsessing over what you'll accomplish for God?
Are you stressing over how much or how little you've done to earn acceptance from Him?
My friend, cease your striving.
We are only to be a people of reactionary deeds.
Let us respond to the grace of God.
And when you feel your love for Him is waning,
don't try harder.
Don't beat your chest and say, "I'm gonna love you better God!"
No.
If we love Him because He loved us first,
then whenever we find a deficiency in our love for Him,
there is a good chance it's being caused by a lack of belief
in His love for us.
In other words, let's just focus on His incredible unflappable love for us and let that love spur us on toward loving Him back.
Or to say it this way,
Why should we love God?
Because He started it.
Or to say it this way,
Why should we love God?
Because He started it.
-Mike
