Finished part 3
I can't stress how important it is that we understand possibly the three most important words Jesus ever spoke: It is finished. Because, well, let me quote my Scripture for today. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8:3-4). Walking after the flesh is no good. Trying to accomplish things through the Law is no good. It's not about behavior as much as it is about righteousness. Spirit. God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit. The Spirit of truth that leads and guides us into all truth. The truth that God is love and He loves you. The ultimate truth of the universe that says, "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand" (John 3:35). We looked at forgiveness yesterday, but this, more than anything is what was finished--or settled--on the cross. God proved His love for us. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16). It's what Jesus meant when He said the greatest love a man can have is to lay his life down for his friends. It's what we have been equippe and empowered to do... now that the work is finished. Now that we know who God is. Now that we know what love is. And listen, I've Ranted on this many times before: Knowing what love is doesn't mean we understand every single aspect of it. This never ending eternal life-long journey into the heart of the matter, is just that. Because the heart of the matter... is the heart. God's heart beating in our chests. God's love filling us up to overflowing and coming out of us. Naturally. See, we don't have to try to earn Daddy's love. We can, instead, simply receive it and release it. He laid His life down for us... we ought to lay our lives down for each other. It's really that simple. But as long as we're trying to do it in our own strength or power... we'll continue to fail. To bang our heads against the wall and have nothing to show for it but a headache. We couldn't do it. That's the point. So Jesus came and did it. Both for us and AS us. He drew us into Himself and planted Himself in us. The incorruptible seed... of love. And that love grows. Especially when we water it. What you feed is what will grow. The more you love people, the more you will feel love. The more you will experience love. Because love is giving. Giving everything you have and everything you are. Love isn't about what you get. Love is about what you give. And, since the work is finished, you don't have to try to get anything. You already have everything you need. I have no lack because my God has no lack. It's just simply about receving and releasing. Understanding that Jesus has finished the work, and enjoying the fruit of His labor. Which is the fruit of the Spirit. Which is love. We love, because He first loved us. We CAN love because He loves us. He has filled us up. That was the work, and it is finished. Now we can fill ourselves up with what we've been filled with... by filling each other up with what we've been filled with! By giving what we've got. By letting God love the hell out of us and then turning around and loving the hell out of each other!