Beloved part 2
One of the most important things about the truth is that it is true whether you believe it or not. That's why its the truth. The immutable truth. The unconditional love of the God who IS love. But its when you KNOW the truth that it sets you free and makes you free. Its when you KNOW that you've been given a gift that you can experience it and enjoy it. And that's why the ministry of reconciliation is so important--not to reconcile people to God. God was in Christ reconciling us all to Himself on the cross. That already happened. That's a done deal. But so that people KNOW they have been reconciled. There are no hoops to jump through in order to "get" the love of God. Because we already have it. That's the truth: God is love, and He loves you. He always has and He always will. And there is NOTHING that can separate us from the love of God. God moved into the neighborhood, and He's never moving out. He's right where He wants to be. All through the Old Testament God reveals the cry of His heart--He wanted to be our God and He wanted us to be His people. And then, when you get to the book of Revelation, which, in my opinion, is an in-depth look at what happened on the cross, God GOT the desire of His heart. Because He took up abode in OUR hearts. Through the Holy Spirit--the Spirit of Truth, our love receptor--we can stop trying to GET something we think we haven't got. We can stop looking for love in all the wrong places. We can stop trying to earn something that can't be earned. We can know the truth. We can let ourselves BE loved. That's exactly what happened when Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove. "And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11). The Spirit of Truth appeared and the Truth was proclaimed. That's the biggest difference between God's two sons--Adam didn't know he was loved so he tried to earn it by the sweat of his brow. Adam tried to do in order to be. Jesus knew He was loved so He could operate from a place of rest. He didn't do in order to be... He did because He knew what He was. He knew WHO He was. The beloved Son of God. And that affirmation empowered everything Jesus did. Because He didn't start His earthly ministry until AFTER He was baptized. All of the miracles He did flowed from the knowledge of who He was. His power, if I can say it that way, flowed from His identity. He didn't try to get anything, because He knew what He had. So instead He was able to just give away what He had. He loved... because He knew He was loved. We loved... because God first loved us. Because we LET Him love us. We keep our heart open and we let God fill us to overflowing so that His love can come out of us. Naturally. The truth that has always been true becomes true for us. The gift we've been given becomes something we can use. Something we can experience, by giving it away. Something we can enjoy, by sharing it. Because shared experiences are the best experiences. We truly live when we love each other. When that connection draws us together instead of the walls we build keeping us apart. Its all about love. That's how we live--by loving each other and by being loved. And it all flows from our heavenly Father. WE are His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased!