In Believing part 1
Here's the deal: The truth is the truth. And there's nothing that can change that. The ultimate truth of the universe--that God is love and He loves you--always has, and always will, be true. But while the truth HAS set us free and made us free... its the truth that we know and believe that equips and empowers us to experience that freedom. That love. Let me say it another way, and this is what I'm planning to talk about for the next few days. "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13). Now, see, that's the key. We HAVE been filled. But in believing we fill ourselves (to overflowing) with what we've already been filled with. I think people (in general), and Christians (in particular), spend way too much time and effort trying to be someone they're not. Trying to fit into someone else's idea of who or what we're supposed to be. Wasting our three t's (time, talent, treasure) trying to earn something that can't be earned. God's love is not about what we do. Love is giving. Love is God giving us everything He has and everything He is. God filling us with all joy and peace. These are the important things in life. Grace. Mercy. Forgiveness. Love. And these are things that cannot be earned. No matter how hard we try we can never make God love us more than He does right now. Or less, for that matter. God's love is eternal. Because God is love and HE is eternal. He always has and always will love us. And I hear people say things like, "I love you a lot." Or, "I love you so much." But to me... love is the most. The maximum effort that you can give. Because, as Jesus said, the greatest expression of love that a man can have is to lay his life down for his friends. Literally giving everything you are and everything you have. But you can't give what you don't have. How could you? And you can only give what you do have. What else is there to give? So its vitally important that we know what we have. That we know who we are. That we understand that God--our provider--has already given us everything we need. He provided for us. That's what a true father does. And God is nothing if He is not our heavenly Father. He wants what's best for us. What true Father wouldn't? So He gave the best TO us. He gave HIMSELF to us. In believing, we experience everything God is in us. Everything LOVE is in us. Knowing and believing is what makes the truth--that always has and always will be true--true. For us. Knowing and believing is what allows us to experience that truth. Allows us to abound in hope. And let me end with that this thought: "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12). Abounding in hope doesn't mean hoping real hard that something will happen. It doesn't mean hoping real hard that someday someone will love us. It means--listen. Christ in you is the hope of glory. Revealed glory. Abounding in hope is abounding in Christ. And abounding in Christ is abounding in love!