October 12, 2015 BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME
John 16:26-27: “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
John 17:3,6: “And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word. Now they have come to know that everything Thou hast given Me is from Thee.”
These verses reveal the unity that Jesus and the Father enjoys and they reveal the love that the Father and the Son have for us as believers. The Father loves us because we love His Son Jesus whom He sent on our behalf. The one factor that puts every individual in one of two categories is whether or not they love Jesus and believe that He came from the Father. One cannot know God, or be born again, without believing in, and receiving His Son as Savior. Believing that God is our Father in heaven and that He sent Jesus to redeem us, is the one belief that makes all the difference both in this life and the one to come. The Father sending His Son is the one cataclysmic event in all of history that unites forever with the Father those who love the Son. Our God is not a God who is looking down from heaven waiting and looking for us to do wrong so that He can execute judgement and punishment. Rather, God is first and foremost a God who loves. God knew, and Jesus knew, that to redeem man- to pay for our sin- would mean that Jesus would suffer a cruel death on the cross. Jesus endured the mockery, the lies, the rejection, and being nailed to a rugged cross; we can only imagine how the Fathers’ heart was broken as He saw Jesus enduring the cross and bearing our sins. As you read the book of John, you see the beautiful picture of the unity and the joy of the Father and the Son. We can’t understand it completely; but the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three, but yet they are one in perfect unity. The wonderful news for us is that both the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit desire that we share in this unity and joy, and they have made it possible for us to experience this unity with them and with each other. This unity among the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and the believers is what the world will see, and it will ultimately bring glory to the Father. The natural mind cannot understand these things, but only by revelation that comes from the Holy Spirit, can we come to know that God has joined us to Himself and we are now a part of Him and we can now experience being in relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls us His brothers and sisters and He said that we have the same Father-what an awesome truth! When we begin to understand the reality of Jesus being not only our Savior, but also our brother, and God being our Father, life takes on new meaning and purpose. Because there is no circumstance nor power that can thwart or hinder what God has ordained, there is nothing for us to fear since we have been placed into His family, knowing that God does take care of His own. All that we do, all that we are, is to flow out of our relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We no longer have to try to earn God’s approval or acceptance, for the Father loved us even before we knew Him, and because of His love for us, He sent His Son to redeem us. When Jesus returned to the Father, He did not leave His followers alone, but sent the Holy Spirit-the Comforter and Helper- to indwell each believer. Let us live in the awareness that Jesus has redeemed us; that Jesus refers to us as brothers and sisters; that God is our Father; that we have been joined to God; and God has indeed made us new creations who will live forever with Him. Finally, know that the Father invites us to make our request known to Him, and we can be assured that the Father will hear and He will give the response that is best for us-because He loves us. Yes! God did send His Son to make us one with Him.
John 17:20-21: “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.”
Blessings,
Buddy
John 16:26-27: “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
John 17:3,6: “And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word. Now they have come to know that everything Thou hast given Me is from Thee.”
These verses reveal the unity that Jesus and the Father enjoys and they reveal the love that the Father and the Son have for us as believers. The Father loves us because we love His Son Jesus whom He sent on our behalf. The one factor that puts every individual in one of two categories is whether or not they love Jesus and believe that He came from the Father. One cannot know God, or be born again, without believing in, and receiving His Son as Savior. Believing that God is our Father in heaven and that He sent Jesus to redeem us, is the one belief that makes all the difference both in this life and the one to come. The Father sending His Son is the one cataclysmic event in all of history that unites forever with the Father those who love the Son. Our God is not a God who is looking down from heaven waiting and looking for us to do wrong so that He can execute judgement and punishment. Rather, God is first and foremost a God who loves. God knew, and Jesus knew, that to redeem man- to pay for our sin- would mean that Jesus would suffer a cruel death on the cross. Jesus endured the mockery, the lies, the rejection, and being nailed to a rugged cross; we can only imagine how the Fathers’ heart was broken as He saw Jesus enduring the cross and bearing our sins. As you read the book of John, you see the beautiful picture of the unity and the joy of the Father and the Son. We can’t understand it completely; but the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three, but yet they are one in perfect unity. The wonderful news for us is that both the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit desire that we share in this unity and joy, and they have made it possible for us to experience this unity with them and with each other. This unity among the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and the believers is what the world will see, and it will ultimately bring glory to the Father. The natural mind cannot understand these things, but only by revelation that comes from the Holy Spirit, can we come to know that God has joined us to Himself and we are now a part of Him and we can now experience being in relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus calls us His brothers and sisters and He said that we have the same Father-what an awesome truth! When we begin to understand the reality of Jesus being not only our Savior, but also our brother, and God being our Father, life takes on new meaning and purpose. Because there is no circumstance nor power that can thwart or hinder what God has ordained, there is nothing for us to fear since we have been placed into His family, knowing that God does take care of His own. All that we do, all that we are, is to flow out of our relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We no longer have to try to earn God’s approval or acceptance, for the Father loved us even before we knew Him, and because of His love for us, He sent His Son to redeem us. When Jesus returned to the Father, He did not leave His followers alone, but sent the Holy Spirit-the Comforter and Helper- to indwell each believer. Let us live in the awareness that Jesus has redeemed us; that Jesus refers to us as brothers and sisters; that God is our Father; that we have been joined to God; and God has indeed made us new creations who will live forever with Him. Finally, know that the Father invites us to make our request known to Him, and we can be assured that the Father will hear and He will give the response that is best for us-because He loves us. Yes! God did send His Son to make us one with Him.
John 17:20-21: “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed