Love, Obedience, and Grace

Today's full reading: 1 John 5:1-21

"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:3-4 NIV)

The authenticity of our love for God is systematically evaluated by the measure of our obedience. That being said, now consider this: partial obedience is disobedience. One cannot be a follower without truly following.

Today, as an act of worship, take a fresh look in the at the standards in God's Word. Die to yourself and live for Him. Praise God for His marvelous grace - that we desperately need.

Grace That Is Greater Than All our Sin
Daniel Brink Towner
Julia Harriette Johnston
Public Domain

Verse 1
Marvelous Grace of our loving Lord
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured
There where the Blood of the Lamb was spilt

Chorus
Grace Grace God's Grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace Grace God's Grace
Grace that is greater than all our sin

Verse 2

Sin and despair like the sea waves cold
Threaten the soul with infinite loss
Grace that is greater yes Grace untold
Points to the refuge the mighty Cross

Verse 3

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide
What can avail to wash it away
Look there is flowing a crimson tide
Whiter than snow you may be today

Verse 4

Marvelous infinite matchless Grace
Freely bestowed on all who believe
You that are longing to see His Face
Will you this moment His Grace receive

Love One Another

Today's full reading: 1 John 4:1-21

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:9-11 NIV)

Eternal security is found in the presence of the Holy Spirit living in and through us. Based on this entire chapter, we see that genuine expressions of love flow from the outpouring of God's Spirit living in us. It is His Spirit that compels us to love others deeply and transparently (no self-serving motives).

And what does godly love look like? Turn to God and you will see. The most beautiful expression of love was made when God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to take away our sin. Jesus "did not come to be served, but to serve," and we should do likewise. (Mark 10:45)

Today, as an act of worship, respond to that great love by reaching out to someone new in your life. Open your eyes to see the people God has brought across your path. Love God, and love one another.

Love With Actions

Wednesday's full reading: 1 John 3:7-24

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:16-18 NIV)

What a great season of the year? As we make the 23 day gallop to Christmas there will inevitably be a whirlwind of activity on your every horizon and in the wake trailing behind you. Be careful not to allow the flurry of activities to blind you of the realities that you and I have brothers and sisters in great need. I pray that you and I will be faithful with our commitment to the Lord as managers of the resources entrusted to us - time, money, possessions, and abilities. None of it truly belongs to us; we just manage it for either our purposes or His.

Today, as an act of worship, join me by demonstrating love with actions. Be careful not to offer lip service to others (especially the poor) when you can actually give far more. Simply, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and give of yourself at every available opportunity.

An Amazing Father

Tuesday's full reading: 1 John 2:18-3:6

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure." (1 John 3:1-3 NIV)

The Lord Most High has done a most amazing thing by making a way that we can be His children. When you begin to get a better grasp on who God really is - how great, awesome, mighty, powerful, excellent, holy, beautiful, kind, just, and utterly righteous He really is - you begin to stagger at the thought that He calls us His children and that is what we are.

Today, as an act of worship, praise God for His great love to us. He gave His one and only Son as a sacrifice for our sin - our sin - OUR sin. WOW! May He be forever glorified by, in, and through OUR lives.

Walk As Jesus Did (What Would Jesus Do?)

Monday's full reading: 1 John 2:1-17

"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:3-6 NIV)

I remember the first time a read the book In His Steps by Charles Sheldon. It blew me away. I was never much of a reader, but this story griped me in such a way that I could not seem to part with its pages. (You can read the entire book online for free at the link above.)

Anyway, the message of the book is easily summarized in the subtitle: What Would Jesus Do? It is a great question and one that warrants serious consideration and obedience. The reality that we all must face is, "Whoever claims to [be a Christian] must walk as Jesus did." (1 John 2:6)

Today, as an act of worship, commit your ways to the Lord. Make no decision without His approval. Ask the Lord what He wants you to do. Read His Word and obey it!

Confession

Today's full reading: 1 John 1:1-10

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." (1 John 1:8-10 NIV)

Confession is a necessary aspect of every Christian's life. We must learn to own-up to our sins and come face to face with a Holy God who truly loves us yet hates sin. He, like any good parent, will not sit idly by and sweep our sins under the rug. He will address them head-on and without apology.

Today, as an act of worship, thank God for hearing our prayers of confession and forgiving our sins by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, the Christ.

Make Us One

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (John 17:20-23, 26)

On the night before he was scourged and crucified Jesus prayed these words. Take a closer look at the heart and apex of his prayer. Literally moments before Jesus was arrested he was praying for all of his followers including you and me. He was praying that we would be fully united with him and the Father, and in doing so, live in harmony with one another.

The phrase that stands out to me is, "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." Think through the depth of this statement and consider this truth: the evidence of Jesus' coming here from the Father to save a lost world is wrapped up in our unity. Moreover, the way the world perceives the love of God is directly connected to the love they see in us.

Are you unified with Christ? Are you unified with his church? It is incorrect to say you love Christ but not the church, his bride. "We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:19-21)

Today as an act of worship, praise God for his acts of love toward you. Thank him for fulfilling his promise to never leave us. Thank him for the fellowship of believers. If you are not at peace with God right now, know that you can be. He offers us a full pardon from all our sin. If there is strife or discord between you and a brother or sister, pray for unity today. Obey the father by taking the right steps to resolve the matter.

Additional scriptures: Romans 10:9-10, 1 John 1:9, Matthew 18:15-17, 28:19-20,

Enjoy this video entitled "Make Us One"

Secrets of the Vine

John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Many years ago I committed this verse to memory. It has served me well. The truth revealed in its words is timely for the church at large and the individual Christian. Read it again. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Now break it down into small phrases and weigh out the truth.

"I am the vine..."
Jesus is the vine. He is our link to God. He makes the way for us to have a relationship with God. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3)

"you are the branches..."
In Christ, we are extensions of God. We serve as his hands and feet. Our purpose in life is to do his will and obey his Word. "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching." (John 14:23)

"If a man remains in me and I in him..."
We must remain connected to him. It is absolutely vital that we are constantly communing with God through Jesus (the vine) if we are going to do his will. Which will bring him glory by bearing fruit for his kingdom. "See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—even eternal life." (1 John 2:24-25)

"he will bear much fruit..."
Our lives will bring him glory by bearing the fruit of the Spirit and making disciples of all nations. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:22-25) "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

"apart from me you can do nothing."
Simply put, we can do nothing without Christ. Sadly, it is entirely possible for Christ to use us to bring glory to the Father and we totally miss it; we never see it. How tragic! Let's not miss it. Please do not miss God working in and through you to bring great glory to himself. "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2:13)

Today, let me leave you with a final scripture from Colossians encouraging us to abide in him. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:16-17)

No Wasted Experiences

Our faithful God never wastes an experience. No, He wants to use and ultimately will use everything that happens to us in a way that will bring glory to Him. It is very important for us to believe that God is exactly who He says He is. He says that we are his children. (1 John 3:1) And, just like our earthy parents desire to give us good things in life, it is God’s desire to bless us even more.

One thing that’s for sure, no one enjoys discipline. Being corrected is never fun, however, it is ultimately necessary for our greater good. This doesn’t mean that everything we experience is a form of God’s discipline, no. But, God never wastes an experience, good or bad, He will use them all to teach us to “live lives worthy of the gospel.”

He is always working on us. Like a blacksmith molding and shaping a tool, God is always shaping us in a way that he can use us to bring and honor to Jesus Christ and share his love with others.

"God, within Your temple, we contemplate Your faithful love. Your name, God, like Your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with justice." Psalm 48:9-10 (CSB)