The Love Issue

May 21, 2016

Devotions:

      “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  John‬ ‭15:12-13‬ ‭

        “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”  2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:14-15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

        The love of God was demonstrated in the greatest demonstration of love in the universe and it was demonstrated openly, and in public, Jesus laid down His life for us.The wording here in the passage from John is covenant words.  In Jesus we have an everlasting covenant with our Father.  Paul says then that this love that was demonstrated controls us.  In many cultures if someone saves someone else's life then the person whose life which was saved is obligated to the one who saved him.  The person is not free from the obligation until he does something equal to his life being saved in return.  By His death, Jesus saved our lives and the only thing that we could ever do in return is to live totally for Him.  Furthermore as we behold this great love we are transformed by it more and more into His image in our soul.  We already have His life in our spirits when we are born again.  Contemplate and think deeply on our plight before we came to Jesus and then on the love that He shared with us by taking the fullness of that plight, our sin upon Himself just because He loved us so deeply.  He was not obligated to save us but His love compelled us, even when we were sinners and enemies of His.