All Things part 5
We know all things, and we have all things. Which means, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). When we begin to understand who we really are--when the scales of our own pride and self righteousness fall off and we can clearly see that the light of the world (the love of God... Jesus... God in the flesh, love in a body... God in OUR flesh, love in OUR body) is shining--that is when we can do all things. Which, of course, in the context of Spiritual things, means love. All things--we have all things that pertain to life and godliness... we have an unction from the Holy One and we know all things--is love. Period. Full stop. The wonderful thing about love is that it comes in so many different shapes and sizes. It is the solution to every problem because there is a facet of love that will get you through whatever you're going through. When the Scriptures talk about, well, I'll just quote it. "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure" (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT). When the Scriptures talk about escaping, we are talking about enduring. And love never fails... because it endures. Everything works out in the end. If it hasn't worked out yet, it isn't the end yet. That's our "blessed hope." Our hope is in Jesus. But not the hope of something happening. What needed to happen already happened 2000 years ago on an old rugged cross. And, really, from the foundation of the world. It is Christ in you the hope of glory. Specifically, the "hope" of REVEALED glory. The glory of God IN you being revealed THROUGH you. You are the spout where the glory comes out. You are the visible face of the invisible God. Christ is strengthening you to fulfull your purpose on this earth--which is to rule and reign. Which means letting God love you and loving Him back by loving the people you come into contact with. If you can love "the unloveable" that means you can do all things. Because you know all things. Because you've been given all things. If you know that God is love and He loves you... you can fill yourself to overflowing with that love and you can love anybody. Under any circumstances. If you know that you have all things... you can live out of your abundance. You can see a need and meet it. You can do more than just give nice words to people. You can put your money where your mouth is. You can make a real difference in people's lives by feeding them when they're hungry or clothing them when they're naked. You can give what you've got because you know you have it, and you know people need it. AND because you know that you have no lack because your God has no lack. You can live out of your abundance, and you can love bigger and harder and stronger than ever before because you know that there is no way you could ever run out of love. Love isn't just what you have. And it isn't just what you do. Love is who you are. Because love is who God is, and as He is, so are we in this world! That's what we know, and that that's what we can finally--through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth that leads and guides us into all truth--begin to understand. We can stop trying to be someone we're not in order to get something we think we haven't got, and we can finally embrace who we are and BE who we are. Which is who we are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in us! It is that love inside of us coming out of us that equips and empowers us to do all things--to be loved by God and to love Him back by loving people!