Jesus was once asked by a man what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus’ response was that the man should love God and love his neighbor. The man asked for clarification on the definition of neighbor and Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. In the end Jesus defined loving one’s neighbor as showing mercy to whomever we find in need of mercy. (Luke 10:25-37)
This seems like a simple enough command but in practice it is very hard. However, it really is essential to obey.
Jesus said in another place, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). Loving Jesus and obeying his commandments are then conditions of salvation. Oh, don’t get me wrong I know and agree that we are saved by grace through faith alone. I understand that. Jesus’ point is that the change in our hearts as a result of grace, if it is real and growing, will naturally result in a greater love for Jesus and a greater obedience to his commandments, especially in loving our neighbors.
What I have learned is that just as the man confessed his faith in Jesus but asked that Jesus would increase it, we must make it our heart’s plea to God that he teach us to love him more and that he increase our love for him all the more day by day. There are many ways in which he will and can do this, but we must seek it from him. I tell you that I believe with all my heart that if I am ever to be perfect like my heavenly father is perfect, which is my duty to work at, I must grow increasingly more in love with God, for without love for God I can do nothing else, and thus, I expose myself as an imposter of the faith.
So, let us pray today that God will show us more of himself, more of ourselves and more of his marvelous work on behalf of his creation so that our love for him will increase more and more and we find ourselves doing joyfully all the things that before seemed too be burdensome; all the things that we knew we must do but had no real heart to do.
It has been a while sense I last wrote a blog post. I have been engaged in other studies, responsibilities and writing activities, but as I was reading this morning I came across a word from John Bunyan that I wanted to share with you. The thought espoused by Bunyan is one that was first most clearly revealed to me in “The Baptist Confession of 1689”
It should be noted that at the time of writing this thought, Bunyan could not find comfort in it for he was convinced that he had committed that one sin that could not be forgiven. Nevertheless, this thought has been one of the most blessed thoughts for my soul and has done more to encourage me in my battle with the flesh than most other things. Bunyan writes:
Now I saw, that as God had His hand in all the providences and dispensations that overtook His elect; so He had His hand in all the temptations that they had to sin against Him; not to animate them to wickedness, but to choose their temptations and troubles for them; and also to leave them for a time, to such sins only that might not destroy, but humble them; as might not put them beyond, but lay them in the way of His renewing mercy. But oh! what love, what care, what kindness and mercy did I now see mixing itself with the most sever and dreadful of all God’s ways to His people! (Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners #157)
To know that even when I loose a battle with temptation I am still in the sovereign hands of God being moved by His providence toward His mercy…this is a great comfort to me and the very truth that encourages and drives me to my father when I have sinned. Without this truth seated in my heart, my sins would always drive me further from God, but now I know that my sins not only do not condemn me, but are part of God’s way of bringing me into His presence to experience His great mercy.
Praise Him!
I have recently focused on 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. It has practical implication for my life right now. I think it has practical implications for many today. It is a very helpful passage for one who is suffering and for one who is concerned for another who is suffering. For these reasons, I want to spend some time thinking about this passage with you.
First, I want to draw our attention to a very grounding fact for believers. A fact that shaped how Paul viewed and responded to his own suffering and how he felt about the suffering of other believers. The fact, which grounds us in times of suffering is that we are the children of God and that God is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.
“Father of mercies” could refer to the fact that God as our Father is merciful. This is a true statement. Our Heavenly is indeed a merciful father and as one who abounds in mercy and excels in giving good gifts to His children, God gives mercy abundantly to us.
The phrase can also point to the fact that mercies have their origin in God. Coupled with the fact that he is the God of all comforts, or the God from whom all true comfort comes, this description of God is powerful. It tells us that God is the best source to turn to for comfort because he has the power, authority and compassion to dispense it. Furthermore, the comfort that God gives is not weak, fleeting or short in supply. We see that God comforts us, not just in some of our affliction but in all of our affliction.
I take great joy and comfort in the fact that I am the child of one who can and does comfort his children. That fact alone, when focused and meditated on is a comfort. Like a child who is comforted by his father’s presence after a nightmare, so I am comforted by the presence of my God in the midst of my own nightmares. But where the earthly father is powerless to stop the nightmare of his child, our heavenly can stop the nightmares in our lives and can even turn them into blessings, all the while he is with us comforting us with his mercies which are overflowing.
This is why Paul starts the passage with, “Blessed be the God…” for that is our natural response to one saves and gives us comfort: we bless and praise them as our deliverer. May the fact of God’s nature as the eternal giver of all true mercies and comfort animate us with praise to God.
