Full of It part 2
We are absolutely full of it. Filled to overflowing with the love of God. The love that IS God. And here's the best part--when you're that full of something, you don't have to TRY to let it out. Or force it out. Because it's too big to contain. It comes out naturally. Because love isn't just what we do, love is who we are. Before the cross there was an old man with a selfish beast nature. But now, on this side of the cross, we are a New Man with a new nature. The love nature. A circumcision took place. The flesh of human effort was cut away from our hearts, revealing God's hear beating with love in our chests! We don't have to try to finish the work. Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 11:12, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." UNTIL NOW. What was significant about John the Baptist's ministry is that when he baptized Jesus he handed over the reins of ministry. From the old order of the priests of Levi... to the eternal order of the priesthood of Melchizedek. There was a shift. An end of the old and a beginning of the new. We were filled with something. And that something (the Holy Spirit, our love receptor) made the love of God evident. Before the cross we tried to earn His love. But you can't earn a gift. A gift is freely given. But it must be recieved. So get this straight: The cross did NOT change us into something God could love. He always has and always will love us. He IS love. The cross changed us into something capable of receiving (and releasing) God's love! The cross changed us into something capable of obeying the New Commandment. A New Commandment for a New Man, right? Walking in newness of life. Abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life. And what makes abundant life abundant? What is the difference between life and death? LOVE. We CAN love because we know and believe that we ARE loved. We love Him (by loving each other) because He first loved us. He filled us with His Spirit. Making His love REAL to us. (Again, it was always real, but before the cross it seemed too good to be true. Now, through the Spirit, we know that it is so good it MUST be true.) And when something is real, and it is literally the best thing ever, that's something you can't keep to yourself. That's something you've experienced, and have to witness about. That's something you have to give away. Or share. Something that flows out of you as you fill yourself with the fulness that you've been filled with! And this part is pretty amazing too: The more you use it--give it away, and share it--the more you have. Because love feeds on love. It is a consuming fire that consumes everything EXCEPT itself. It is a Holy Ghost wildfire that just grows and grows, buring away everything else and purifying itself... in you. And in me. Until that's all that's left. Just Jesus. Just love. We're full of it, so we don't have to worry about losing it. We can give it away. We can love fearlessly. We can love.