Expectations part 5
God loves us with expectations. Which, of course, is why (and how) we can love each other without expectations. Because what happened was, on the cross God filled us with His Holy Spirit. He took up abode within us. He conformed us to the image of His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. He made it so that we could stop trying to get something, and instead start giving something. By knowing and believing that we have something to give. And I like to use Romans 5:8 to kind of explain why Jesus died for us. Ready? "But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Did you catch that? Jesus gave His life for us (and to us)... because He loves us. Because that's what love IS. Love is giving. Giving everything you have and everything you are. And there's two things I want to say about the "while we were yet sinners" part. The first thing is that if we were yet sinners before Christ died for us--before the cross--that means that we are no longer sinners on this side of the cross. That's one of the things that the cross accomplished. We were dead in our trespasses and sins, but quickened to life when we were given the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God. From sinners to saints, if I can say it that way. If you were a sinner saved by grace... then you aren't a sinner anymore. "Whoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9). Before the cross we WERE sinners. Because of the cross we are not. That's the first thing I want to say. The second is this: When we were sinners (one more time... before the cross) we didn't have anything to offer God. We know that God didn't want what we could produce with our hands, through our own works and labor. We saw that when God rejected Cain's offering. Because all God has ever wanted is the Lamb. Jesus. So when we couldn't offer God anything... He gave us everything. He loved us without exception, without condition, and without expectations. Unfortunately, religious folk seem to think that God did what He did on the cross in order to put us in his debt. In order to say, "I loved you. I saved you. Now what are you going to do for me?" But that's pretty twisted. That's like saying God got us out of the bondage of sin and death, only to but us into bondage with Him. He freed us... in order to enslave us? I don't think so. Love doesn't demand its (HIS) own way. Love that isn't freely given isn't love. Love that expects to get something... isn't love. Its manipulation and control. And that's gross. Let me say it like this: I take care of Logan as best I can. Feed him, clothe him, try to teach him how to live. And I make jokes about how when I'm old it'll be his turn to take care of me. But those are jokes. I don't expect him to anything because of everything I've done for him. Its not a quid pro quo. Its not a trade. I take care of him because he's mine and I love him. Period. Now, he DOES take care of me... even now. He's always got my back. And I know that's a byproduct of my love for him. Because its hard not to return that kind of love. But would I stop loving him if he didn't? Of course not. God loves us without expectations. And the New Commandment is to love one another as He loves us. So we can--and should--love each other without expectations. Just give what you've got. Just let the love inside come out!