The Three L's part 4
When Jesus said, "...I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25), He was imparting a vital truth. Because at the time people were looking forward to "the last day." And, sadly, over 2,000 years later people are still looking forward to that "last day." But if you notice, He didn't say "I WILL be the resurrection, I WILL be the life." He said "I am." Which, I'm sure we're aware of, is a very important, very powerful phrase. When God says, "I am" it means something. But my point for today is that we need to stop looking forward to something that will "hopefully" happen. Look at Acts 17:28, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poests have said, For we are also his offspring." This is a "now faith" verse. This is a present tense verse. This is a day to day, rubber meets the road, practical living verse. In Him we live. And move. And have our being. Life is the totality of what we have. Jesus is the life. The life of God. The life of love. Because Jesus is God in the flesh, love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. And to live is to love. To love is to live. You can't do one without the other and you can't have one without the other. They aren't just connected. They are the same thing. In Him we LOVE, and move in love, and have our being in love. And, of course, it is the light that shines in order to show us this love. I've long said being a disciple of Jesus is being a student of love. Learning how to love by learning how we are loved. Making (or really LETTING) love be the central theme of our lives. We have our being... in love. It's all about love. The living water of love flows from our innermost being. It's what makes us... us. And it's what allows us to connect with each other. Love is the bond that holds us together. Love is foundation that everything else is built on. Love is the Rock on which we stand. And when we stand on the Rock of love we cannot be shaken. Love is what holds us up when everything else tries to drag us down or trip us up. Love is what calms the storm. Love is what brings us through. Guys... it's all about love. So instead of getting religious on people, we ought to just love people. I always say, "Live your best life." And now I'm here to say, "You live your best life by loving people!" Letting God love you and loving Him back by loving people is HOW you live your best life. That's how you experience Jesus's everlasting, eternal, abundant, Resurrection life of love! He IS the resurrection. He HAS brought us out of death and into life. Look at 1 John 3:14, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." Love is literally the difference between death and life. No love... no life. Know love... know life! In love we live and move and have our being. In love we experience what we were created for. Life isn't about "whoever dies with the most toys wins." Life is about serving others. Helping others. Loving others. And the most simple way to do that is to see a need and, if at all possible, meet it. Live out of your abundance. If you have two coats, and someone doesn't have one... give them one of your coats! You don't have to freeze to death. You don't need a saw to give someone a hand. But if you can help someone... help them! Do what's in your heart. Do it BECAUSE it's in your heart. The Three L's are Light, Life, and Love. That's who God is. And because He lives in us--because we live in Him--what who WE are. In Him we live, and move, and have our being!