Tag Archives: with Jesus

Dealing with Aging, The Joy of Journey's End

The Shadow of Death

6 Comments

God has given me such a joy and delight in diving deeply into His words. I write to clarify my thinking and understanding, but also to share and to encourage others, both those who confess Christ and those yet to become His disciple. Glenn Livingston (Guest Blogger)

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me (Psalm 23:4a).

In previous seasons of my life the shadow of death seemed like a remote idea. But now, being over 80, I’m sensing the continuing erosion, loss of my physical vitality and abilities to deal with life.  More and more it’s as if my demise, my death is looming over me as an increasingly, uncomfortable shadow. This has caused me to pursue developing a Biblical perspective regarding aging and death.

I find the Lord has given us great encouragement for dealing with living in the shadow of death as it relates to aging.  It’s not to be feared.  Is it not a natural process ungoverned by God? This season of life, with its attending suffering, is not without purpose.

In a general way, God seeks to use the problems of our aging to sharpen our focus on the transcendent [1] realities surrounding our existence.

And for those who are disciples of Jesus, to further develop our spirituality. The way we deal with the difficulties of life, and our infirmities, stimulates others in their faith and trust in God. [2]

What Does God say about our Impending Death?

OUR PHYSICAL BODIES function as temporary intermediaries between us as persons, our inner self  (our souls) and the physical world.  2 Corinthians 5:1-8 speaks of our present physical body as a tent that is our earthly home, something temporary and of limited duration.

OUR AGING involves losing our physical abilities to function in this physical world. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 speaks of this as…our outer self is wasting away…  This is but our souls being prepared to depart from our physical bodies and be able to put on our heavenly dwelling 2 Corinthians 5:2. (More on this below)

The circumstances of our aging are governed by the Lord.  He uses it all to reveal how weak and fragile we are.  This causes us to think less and less of this present life and more on present and future transcendent realities.

OUR PHYSICAL DEATH is not the end of our existence. 2 Peter 1:13-14 The apostle Peter speaks of death as but putting off our physical body ( this earthly tent), not the end of our personhood. 

Jesus said; I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me though he die, yet shall he live (John 11:25). 

Jesus told the criminal who confessed faith in Him even as he was being crucified; Today you will be with me in paradise. This man’s physical death on the cross would not be the end of his existence. [3]

Moses writes of Rachael’s physical death. As her soul was departing for she was dying …i.e. her soul was departing her physical body. [4]

In our physical death we only lose the limitations and vulnerabilities we possess through our physical fleshly bodies. 

 OUR ETERNAL FUTURE involves our receiving a spiritual body which we see manifested in Jesus’ post resurrection appearances. Examples John 20 and 21. Romans 6:5 …we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.

Jesus’ resurrected body is a prototype for ours. Through Adam we received our natural physical bodies and through the last Adam (Jesus) we receive our spiritual bodies. [5] 

The apostle Paul writes…the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body…(our physical body vs a spiritual body with an enhanced capacity to know and enjoy and love God) [6]

 We will be further clothed so that what is mortal – subject to death is swallowed up by life…by what is immortal, not subject to death. [7]

Then we will in no way be restrained (limited) in the manner imposed on us by our present physical bodies. See 1 Corinthians 15:44-49  (frailties, sicknesses and death)

we groan…as we await this future reality, the redemption of our body. [8]

Fear No Evil

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me (Psalm 23:4a).

Back to Psalm 23, WHY NO FEAR?

BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE AND ACTIVITY OF GOD, OUR SHEPHERD.

 Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6)                 

 WHY DO I HAVE SUCH CERTAINTY REGARDING MY FUTURE ?

Because God has given us His words that, by His grace, He has given the opportunity to have the eternal, personal experience of knowing Him; a relationship with God.

FOR I KNOW YOU ARE THE GOD; WHO has REVEALED HIMSELF to me in Jesus.

Luke 10:22 …no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

For God who said let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ  (2 Corinthians 4:6). 

WHO has REDEEMNED me in Jesus’ death on the cross. 

For there is One God and there is One mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (1Timothy 2:5).  

Who gave Himself as a ransom for all…who would receive Him (John 1:12). 

In Him we have redemption thru His blood (Ephesians 1:7) .

He who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will raise us…into His presence  (2 Corinthians 4:14) .

WHO has given the SPIRIT OF JESUS to reside within me, guiding and empowering me into living a qualitatively different life than I would have ever known, even as I experience aging. [9]

When the fulness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who are under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons, and because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts… (Galatians 4:4-6).  

When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all Truth (John 16:13). 

Galatians 5:22-23 ..and the fruit of the Spirit is…the believers inner transformation is the evidence of the Spirit of Jesus’ presence and activity.

I identify with the Apostle Paul who wrote in Philippians 1:21-23; For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, that is far better. (i.e. the best is yet to come). But to remain in the flesh is necessary… for God is not through working in my life and using me in the lives of others.

 And in another place God’s word says; But as it is written, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him (I Corinthians 2:9).

Bottom Line Biblical Perspective For My Live

  • I treat my death and moving towards it as but a shadow. It is a difficult time, but not to be feared for God is with me. The best is yet to come.  
  • I sense this time of decline is not wasted. God has given the promise that He uses all things for our good. [10] In our experiencing the weaknesses of aging and becoming increasingly weary of this life, He is weaning us off our sense of self-sufficiency in order to develop our spirituality [11] more fully.
  • The promise of a personal resurrection and living in the close presence of God energizes my heart with hope and endurance through all the trials of life. 

I often meditate on the testimony of Job who was physically afflicted in many ways. He testifies that it was God’s words and promises that sustained his faith in dealing with so much.

From Job 19:23-27 KJV:

Oh that my words were written, Oh that they were inscribed in a book  That with an iron stylus and lead they were engraved in a rock forever!      

 As for me, I know that my redeemer lives  – (Job acknowledges his need of a Redeemer that has overcome death)

and He will stand in the latter days upon the earth  – ( He knows how it’s all going to turn out)  

and though worms consume my body, –  (It’s a sure prospect Job will die and his body will decay)

yet in my flesh I shall see God,  (He has confidence in his personal resurrection and that he will see God)

whom I shall see for myself – (and that he would have a close, personal encounter) Yes I will see Him with my own eyes.                    

I am overwhelmed at the thought!    (It takes precedence over everything else).

[1]  transcendent – beyond what we can know by our physical senses

[2] Colossians 1:24

[3] Luke 23:43 

[4] Genesis 35:18

[5] 1 Corinthians 15:44-45

[6] Philippians 3:21

[7] 2 Corinthians 5:4

[8] Romans 8:23

[9] John 16:13

[10] Romans 8:28-29

[11] spirituality – living out of a heart valuing God and eternal realities

Subscribe below to have the posts delivered to your email. We publish weekly. At least that’s the plan. (8^>

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

 Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Knowledge which changes everything

Soap

4 Comments

In the mid 1800s a large number of babies were dying soon after childbirth. During that time Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian doctor, learned something which would change the medical community forever. In his studies he noticed more babies were dying after being delivered by medical students than by midwives. Digging deeper, he realized the students often performed autopsies prior to delivery, contaminating their hands with microbes.

Dr. Semmelweis instigated a regiment of hand washing which substantially dropped the number of infant deaths. Though soap had been around since Biblical times, its total benefit was not known until then. This began the great soap-related hygiene revolution which radically changed the medical field.

It’s amazing how a bit of knowledge about soap could save countless lives.

Is there knowledge we can gain which can have an even larger impact on us? 

Yes.

Knowing God’s love for us is even more vital that knowing the benefits of soap during medical procedures. Us knowing God’s love has eternal ramifications.

Following are three reasons knowing God’s love is so essential. To grasp it we need to realize its more than information to be stored in our heads. It must also come alive in our hearts.

May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened. [2]

Perfect Love Drives out Fear and Allows us to Love

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love because He first loved us (I John 4:18-19 NASB).

As I examine my heart, much of my sin is rooted in fear. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of poverty. Fear of unhappiness. Fear of . . . 

Fear causes worrying and robs me of essential peace.

In the above verses, John writes about a love which drives out fear, a perfect love, flowing from the heart of God. 

While we still fear, we’re yet to be perfected in God’s love. However, to the degree we realize God’s amazing love for us, our fears melt away and peace reigns in our hearts.

As I write, I imagine a life with no fear. Fearless. Oh the freedom! Oh the joy! And it’s not just something to wish for. God’s perfect love is real, the chaser of all fears. 

But there’s much more.

God’s love for us is the source of all true love. To the degree we realize His perfect love, we’re able to reflect His love back to Him and to others. 

Perfect love not only gives us courage, is also the source of all of our love.

We love because He first loved us.

God’s Love Enables Our Obedience

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NASB)

Since our love is rooted in God’s love for us, His love enables our obedience. In the above verses, Jesus gives two vital commands which basically summarizes the entire Bible. Our obedience is characterized by love. It’s the overarching filter to govern everything we do. As the ten commandments state, loving God (first four) and loving others (last six) should guide our every word and deed.

So, why is God’s love for us important?

God’s love enables us to love. And loving is how we obey Him.

God’s Love Roots and Grounds Us

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19 NASB)

God’s love for us surpasses our knowledge. It’s beyond our understanding and our intellect. Even so, Paul prays that the superlative dimensions of God’s love might be comprehended or realized in a way which comes alive in our hearts.

Paul is praying that what does not fit in our heads, will dwell in our hearts as God is pleased to illuminate it.   

God’s love roots us and grounds us and gives us a vital firm foundation. To the degree God’s surpassing love is illuminated and made real to us, our souls are secured against the storms and trials of life.

Story: There’s a song based on the verses above about the deep, deep love of Jesus. Many years ago, the song was sung at the funeral of Rachel, a little two-year old play mate of my oldest son.

O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus [3]

As the song was sung, I looked over at her parents. I couldn’t comprehend what they were feeling. In my raw state, I wondered how the song could possibly fit since Rachel had died. 

Then it hit me. As deep as the pain Rachel’s parents were feeling, God’s love was deeper still. In their pain, they had an opportunity to experience the depth of God’s love in a way they might not have otherwise known. 

Since then, my wife and I have experienced some deep relational pain of our own, kind of like the death of a child. But through it all, God’s love is deeper still. We can truly say that we know God’s love more deeply because He’s met us in the depth of our grief and pain.

Conclusion

From Zephaniah 3:17 we learned that God delights to be with us and that we make Him happy.

The Lord your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

What makes this and other facts about knowing God’s love for us so VITAL is that:

  • God’s love chases away ALL fear
  • God’s love and is the source of our love
  • God’s love enables us to obey Him
  • God’s Root and grounds our soul, no matter what

Prayer

Lord may my comprehension of Your amazing love for me continue to grow as I soak in its reality. Thank You for chasing away my every fear with Your perfect love. Please remind me quickly when fears arise. Thank you that Your love enables me to love You. May I receive Your love and give it away.  Thank You for delighting to be with me. Please help me to grasp Your love more and more. Steady my heart in the firm foundations of Your delight in me. Amen.     

[1]https://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/11/21/tenthings.changedtheworld/index.html         

[2] Ephesians 1:18

[3] Written by Samuel Trevor Francis

Other posts on God’s Love

God’s Everlasting Love

Experiencing the Freedom of God’s Love

God’s Love in a Broken World

Completely Loved

God’s Delight in Us

When we don’t Feel God’s Love

What we Need is Love

Subscribe below to have the posts delivered to your email. We publish weekly. At least that’s the plan. (8^>

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

 Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

God's Everlasting Love, Loved in spite of how we feel

U Can’t Touch This

1 Comment

Stanley Burrell was batboy for the Oakland Athletics from 1973 to 1980. During that time, he was given the nickname “Hammer” because he looked so much like the homerun, king Hammering Hank Aaron. 

After his time with the Athletics, Hammer went on to write and perform the first rap song ever nominated for a Grammy Award record of the year. It became the  winner for best R&B and best rap solo performance. 

The song – U Can’t Touch This. The artist – M.C. Hammer.

I like it. It has an inviting, catchy rhythm. The title is repeated many times during the song.

U Can’t Touch This.

What’s interesting is how these words have helped me get a deeper understanding of some key aspects of God’s love.

You may wonder how the title of a rap song could possibly illuminate God’s love. Let’s take a look. 

Everlasting Love

On a vacation in Highlands N.C. a number of years ago, I was struck by the  the following verse.

The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness” (Jeremiah 31:3 NASB)

 As I rocked on the front porch, staring at the Appalachians, towering above the small mountain town, I dug deeper. I discovered that “Ahabah,” the Hebrew word  translated “everlasting love,” describes a quality of love which is beyond corruption. It can’t be changed by anything physical or what goes on in our souls.

With all the recent devastation in the world, the idea of God’s love not changing, no matter what the circumstance, is extraordinary news. It also means neither choices, thoughts or feelings can affect His everlasting love.

The steady embrace of God’s love for us can’t be changed. It remains untouched and unaffected by any external force. You can’t touch God’s love in a way which can change it.

U Can’t Touch This.

As believers, this changes everything about us, especially since we’ve been chosen to be loved by God since before the world began. [1]  

And how do we more fully grasp this quality of love which is not only unchangeable, but vast beyond belief?

As we ponder and meditate on the enormity of God’s everlasting love, let’s consider other aspects which add to the quality of His amazing love:

God’s Love Rescued Us

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:8-10 NASB)

We were apart from God, facing eternal darkness with no ability to change the situation. In our helpless state, while we were still hostile toward Him, God choose to rescue us. And He did it by sending His Son to die in our stead.

Please don’t allow the familiarity of this great news to cheapen the impact!

We were hostile and helpless, but God, out of His unparalleled love, gave His Son to save us.

And, not only did He save us from God’s wrath by His death, much more will He now preserve and heal us by His indwelling life. 

Jesus Loves Us as Much as God Loves Him

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.”[3] Jesus

As much as God loves Jesus, He loves us. How can this really be? It seems unimaginable. Yet, Jesus said it. It is true!

Don’t rush past this. Remain in the truth of Jesus’ abiding love. 

But, we can’t assume upon the love and grace of Christ. [4] Though our actions can’t change God’s love for us, we can choose to disobey. As believers, the strap of His love holds, but Jesus desires us to walk in the fellowship of His love and joy. This is done by relying on Him and walking in obedience. 

Conclusion

As believers in Christ’s finished work for us on the cross, gazing upon and beginning to grasp the magnitude of God’s love for us is a first step in prioritizing and nurturing our relationship with Him.

God’s love has an eternal quality which keeps it from being affected by anything of this world, seen or unseen.

Even when we were against God, His love for us moved Him to send His own Son to die in our place, rescuing us and making us whole.

As much as God the Father loves Jesus, Jesus loves us and we’re called to walk in the fellowship of His love.

Prayer

Lord, I’ll never fully comprehend the extent of Your love for me. It’s beyond my ability to comprehend. However, because You describe it in Your word, I believe it and want to walk in it. Though I don’t understand Your love, please make it real in my heart that it might shape every moment of my life. Amen.

[1] Ephesians 1:4-5

[2] Romans 8:29

[3] John 15:9

[4] Romans 6:1-2

For Further Reading on God’s Love

Completely Loved

Why is Knowing God’s love Essential?

The Connection between Love and Joy

What Threatens us knowing God’s Love?

Experiencing the Freedom of God’s Love

God’s Love in a Broken World

Being Loved by God is our True Identity

Please Check out the new Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child in the Midlands of South Carolina.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Satisfying Joy, The Lord our Joy, The Source of all Joy

Rhythms: UP (Who’s Your Treasure?)

4 Comments

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21 NASB).

Baked into the heart of every human is the unaltered desire to find a lasting joy to satisfy our empty souls. This longing, this need for satisfaction, is so strong we won’t give up the quest, though we may die trying. The problem is we look for satisfaction in all the wrong places.

Wasn’t it the Rolling Stones who could get no satisfaction after trying and trying and trying?

King Solomon tried all manner of worldly delights to satisfy his emptiness.[1] Denying himself nothing he saw around him, he concluded that it was all “vanity and striving after the wind.”  Ecclesiastes 2:11b (NASB)

Trying everything, but failing to find joy, Solomon was left hopeless and despondent. “I hated life, for the work which has been done under the sun was grievous to me, because everything is futility and striving after wind.”  Ecclesiastes 2:17 (NASB)

He would later conclude, that God has set eternity in the hearts of men.[2] Solomon had the means to attempt anything the world had to offer to fill his need for satisfaction. None of it worked. At the end of his search, he hated life because he recognized the utter futility of trying to fill the eternal hole in his hearts with anything around him.

God designed our hearts for joy. We’re to be fulfilled by God  Himself, the fullness of all joy,[3] not in having a better life.

Until we realize true joy and fulfillment comes from God Himself, our lives will be endless pursuits of fleeting, temporal, pleasure which lead only to idols and addictions.

We must all ask ourselves – What is our treasure?

Is there something we’re looking forward to, or hoping for, which we believe will finally bring fulfillment and lasting happiness?  Completing college? Getting married? Buying a house? Getting out of debt? Getting promoted at work? Having children? Starting a business? Publishing a book? Having good health? Having grandchildren? Retiring? Winning the lottery?

These can be good things, but will they provide lasting fulfillment?

Desiring happiness is not a bad thing, but true joy is a by product of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It’s built into our design by the Intelligent Designer.

But, how can we walk in a growing awareness that God Himself is our Highest Joy when all around clouds the truth?

Awakened

Truly realizing God Himself is the Great Satisfier of our Soul is something God Himself must reveal to us. If this is our desire, to believe He’s our Highest Joy, He will awaken our hearts to a deeper and deeper understanding and lead us into days of sustained Joy in Him.

Paul prays that the eyes of the Ephesians’ hearts would be enlightened to the marvelous spiritual truths of the gospel. [4]

God Himself is our Great Reward. Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward  Genesis 15:1b (NIV).

Joy is fully experienced in the presence of God. In Your presence is fullness of joy; Psalm 16:11b (NASB).

Jesus satisfies our deep hunger and thirst. I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst (John 6:35 NASB).

If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’ (John 7:37b-38 NASB).

Chew on these and other truths from Scripture which tell us God Himself will fill us to overflowing with lasting satisfaction. Ask Him to make these words come alive in your heart so that they will progressively govern how you live every moment.

Story: Disillusioned, hopes crushed, my fragile world was crumbling around me. What I thought would bring lasting happiness left me disheartened, disappointed and empty. I felt like a failure – rejected and unloved.

This describes several “low” points in my life. I see now how I’d set my affections on God’s benefits rather than on God himself. At the time, I was  miserable. But looking back, I see these very hard times as severe mercies.[5] Each played a part in further dislodging, me from an entrenched disillusionment.

These were extremely difficult times, but, looking back, totally worth it.

The fundamental truth in the human existence, that God Himself brings us the lasting satisfaction we so desperately need, is becoming REAL in my soul.

From time to time I still struggle. I put feeling good and having worldly peace above God Himself. But more and more these struggles are short lived. God is awakening me and bringing me back to the knowledge that NOTHING fully satisfies me but HIM. 

Conclusion

Where we are is not as important as where we’re headed and Who we’re with. Where are we headed? What’s our aim, what motivates our heart as our treasure?

Idealistically, we long for our lives to go smoothly. We’d love to have our bills paid, be in good health, have stuff that’s not always broken and get along with the people who matter most to us. These are all wonderful things, but we must recognize two things about these life goals.

First of all, these longings for our circumstances to go smoothly almost never work out as we hope.

Secondly, even if they did, our inner longings would still ache and scream out for satisfaction. 

Let’s recognize now that God Himself is Who we’ve been searching for all our lives. He’s our Reward, our Pearl of Great Price, the Bread of Life, our Rivers of Living water filling our souls to overflowing.

We need to believe this and ask God to awaken our hearts to the reality that He’s our Highest Joy.

When we find ourselves longing for lesser treasures, let’s acknowledge it, confess it and turns our hearts quickly back to seeking Him above all else.

Prayer

Lord, it’s so amazing that you created me for fellowship with You. It’s profoundly simple, that the key to life is being with You. Yet, it’s also so difficult when my heart drifts to what I see around me. But you are showing me more and more, in the depths of my soul, how complete I am in You. I can rest  now and enjoy who You, no matter what I face. Thank You for the loving way You show me when I stray, tenderly pointing me back to You.

By Your Spirit, please  keep me on the path of seeking You as my Treasure every  moment of every day.

Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight Matthew 13:44-46

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

[1] Ecclesiastes 2:1-10

[2] Ecclesiastes 3:11

[3] Psalm 16:11b

[4] Ephesians 1:18

[5] I first heard this term from a book entitled A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

Previous posts in the UP series:

God’s Amazing Love

God’s Essential Love

What Hides God’s Love

Christ Lives in Me

Raised up with Christ

.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

 

In Christ, Our Union with Christ, Seated with Christ

Rhythms: UP (Raised up With Christ)

Leave a comment

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-6 NASB)

A central thread of the Bible is God’s desire to be WITH us. As believers, the Holy Spirit indwells us. Christ, not our own striving, is our source of Life.

In addition to Christ being in us, there’s another amazing dimension to our union with Him. When Christ was raised into newness of life, we believers were raised up with Him. Not only is Christ in us, but we are also in Him.

In his book, Union with Christ, Rankin Wilbourne writes that the word “Christian” is only used three times in the New Testament letters. However, Paul uses ” in Christ” 165 times to describe those who follow Christ. [1] 

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1 NASB).

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption (I Corinthians 1:30 NASB),

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (II Corinthians 5:17 NASB).

Being raised up in Christ is essential to who we are. Paul puts in this way in Colossians 3:3-4, “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

Being dead, and now hidden in Christ, adds far-reaching, glorious implications to our daily lives which we don’t want to miss. Let’s look at a few.

In Christ, We have a New Self

..in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:22b-24 NASB)

We know our lives are now hidden in Christ. We’ve been raised with Him in newness of life. However, as mentioned before, we can still choose to walk in our old manner of life.

Paul gives a command to lay aside our old self, reminding us that it’s steeped in corruption. Lay aside – put off, put away.

So when we’re tempted to walk in our old ways, and we certainly will be, we’re to make a choice based on our renewed minds. Seeing clearly that our former way of living leads only to death, we can now choose life.

In this divine realization, we’re to put on our new self, turning away from the corruption of the old.  “Put on” has the connotation of sinking into as with clothing. It literally means to clothe ourselves. So, since our lives are hidden in Christ, we’re to walk in our new selves, created in righteousness and holiness.

What possible benefit, other than coddling fleeting, empty pleasures can come from engaging our old ways of living? It’s exactly what our enemy wants us to do, but we are not unaware of his lies. Our minds have been renewed.

and do not give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:27 NASB) 

Story: Wilborne writes of a friend who was the person inside the Mickey Mouse costume at Disney Land. Reflecting on her time “in Mickey” she felt safe and loved, hidden in a different identity. “She recalled praying, ‘Lord, is this what it’s like to have masses of people run towards you with joy, excitement, and eagerness?'” [2] 

Rankin’s friend’s identity changed every time she took the Mickey costume off. Our identify in Christ does not change. The question for us is clear. Do we choose to put off our old self, steeped in corruption, and put on our new identify in Christ?

For me, it’s a moment by moment choice to put off the lies of the enemy and trust that in Christ I  walk in newness of life.

In Christ, We Have a New View

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth (Colossians  3:1-2 NASB).

In the above verses, Paul tells us how the truth of our position with Christ should change our perspective.

 Even though we physically live on earth, our view is to be from above where we’re spiritually seated with Christ. This means we’re to focus on  what God cares about, even in the midst of our daily activities. We’re to keep seeking (require, be about, aim at) the things above.  As our days unfolds, our higher desires should be on what God wants, not just a happy life.

What are God’s higher desires for us? Among other things, He’s at work conforming His children into the image of Christ [3]. He wants us to love others as Christ loves us. He desires for our words to be His words and our deeds to be in His strength, that He would be glorified in all we do. [4]

Focusing on what God desires for us, above our personal desires, doesn’t mean a joyless life. In fact, it means just the opposite. Orienting our lives from above means God Himself is our delight, not the trappings of the world. [5] Christ, the Source of all Joy, is our life, no matter what we face.

Story: Like many others, hard circumstances have occurred in my life which I can’t change. And believe me, I’ve tried!

Sad circumstances have threaten to discourage me and steal my joy. But I have a  growing trust in what God is doing from His eternal throne. I don’t want to ignore my grief, so I try and invite Him into it, but I don’t walk around in sadness. Over time, and through the difficulties, God is skillfully and lovingly, uncovering the lie that I need happy circumstances to be okay.

From my new view with Christ, I’m more an d more seeing my life from what God is doing to conform me into His image. With this is in mind, joy is growing, even in the midst of pain.

In Christ, We are Complete 

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:9-10 NASB);

In the 1600s Bliase Pascal wrote that man’s cravings for true happiness can only be filled with an infinite, immutable object. He wrote that man tries in vain to fill this void with everything around him, seeking in (what is not) only what God Himself can give us. [6]  This came to be known as our God shaped void.

To summarize, we were created with an incompleteness that only God can fill .

Incomplete: not having all the necessary or appropriate parts, not full or finished. [7]  

Our problem is that, in our nagging sense of need, we attempt all manner of temporal ways to fill the void and feel complete.

  • Being loved by people
  • Our success in our different roles
  • Accumulating possessions
  • Happiness from smooth circumstances
  • Overloading our senses by living an epicurean lifestyle

These and other pursuits may partially fill the vastness of our souls, but each leads only to longings for more. We simply can not satisfy the deep longings of our soul with anything temporal.

The word “complete” in the above verse also means to make full, render perfect, fill to the brim, to receive fulfillment.

So, in Christ we’ve received the fulfillment our hearts have longed for. We are filled to the brim with Christ, lacking nothing.

But we must believe it and walk in it.

in Him (Christ) you have been made complete

Story: One evening, a few years ago I felt utterly undone.  My heart was filled with failure, disappointment and relational pain. It was close to midnight and I decided to take a walk up our road and across the two lane highway at the top. On the way “out” I surrendered my burdens to God the best I knew how.

When I  got to the end of the cul-de-sac across the highway and circled around to head back home, a deep peace invaded my soul. The problems seemed to be overshadowed by the Lord’s nearness. I pondered the truth of my completeness in Christ. I thought of being filled to the brim and overflowing with Christ. In those moments, all the burdens and pains were swept away in the awareness of this marvelous truth.

I’m complete in Christ, in need of nothing, no matter what I face.

Since that time, I’ve sometimes felt the same feelings of discouragement and incompleteness. But, I go back to the truth etched in my heart those years ago.

In Christ Jesus, I’m complete, lacking nothing. 

Conclusion

As believers, though we walk on this earth, we’ve been raised WITH Christ into heavenly places. Being “in Christ” is the best description of who we now are.

Though, as long as live on earth, we fight our fleshly tendencies, in Christ we’ve been made new creations. We can now choose to put off our old ways, laced in death, and put on our new selves, in Christ.

In Christ, we’ve been raised above the temporal view. We can see things from God’s greater purposes. As we orient our lives from God’s eternal perspective, what He desires becomes more and more what we want. The sufferings of this world, though very real and painful, do not define us or remain our focus. Setting our minds on God and His Kingdom, fills our hearts with joy, no matter what we face.

In Christ we’ve been made complete. Our deep inner longings, placed in our hearts by Father God, are completely satisfied in Christ. In Christ Jesus, we are completely forgiven, completely loved, completely valued and completely satisfied. In Him, we lack nothing.

Prayer

Lord, Wow! When I ponder these amazing truths about me being in You, it’s beyond belief. But You say it’s true and I trust You. Please help me not to loose sight of these facts as my days get busy and hard. When I’m tempted to try and make life work out for me in my own flesh, please remind me to put off my old self and walk in You, my Life. When I get caught up with the smaller story of how circumstances work out for me, please remind me there’s a greater, much more important story going on; Your story.

When a feel the nagging emptiness of measuring my life by temporal values, please remind me that in You I’m complete. When I’m tempted to live life apart from You, please remind me quickly that I’m in You. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight II Corinthians 5:17-21

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

 [1] Union with Christ, Rankin Wilborne, David Cooke 2016, p. 13

[2] Union with Christ, ibid p. 53

[3] Romans 8:29

[4] I Peter 4:11

[5] Psalm 37:4

[6] Pensées, Blaise Pascal (Published in 1670 after his death)

[7] Siri Dictionary

Previous posts in the UP series:

Amazing Love

Essential Love

What Hides God’s Love

Christ Lives in Me

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Abiding, Christ - Our Life, Christ Indwells Us, Crucified with Christ

Rhythms: UP (Christ Lives in Me)

Leave a comment

It could be argued that the main thread of the Bible is God’s desire to be WITH us. 

The Creator of the Universe gave up His only Son to have Eternal fellowship with us. But we don’t have to wait until we die. He wants to be with us now.     

Ongoing, intimate fellowship with God can begin at the point of our salvation. 

Jesus promised it: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23b NASB)

Paul confirmed it: “having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,  who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13b-14 NASB)

What a pledge of our inheritance! GOD HIMSELF, in the form of the Holy Spirit given to us!

Sealed in Him – marked, for security from Satan, concealed and hidden, stamped in order to confirm, to authenticate.

As believers in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit of Jesus indwells us.

In light of this, how do we live?

In what some consider a summary of the Christian life, Galatians 2:20, Paul answers the above question: I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

We died. Christ lives in us now. Our new normal is to live a life of depending on Him to live His life through us.

Our lives are to be marked by the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control exemplified by Jesus’ life on earth. 

But how does  “Christ lives in me” work out in our everyday lives? 

Treasuring God Above all Else

As with other aspects of our Christian lives, living WITH God starts with us realizing, trusting and walking in His love..

God’s love is the reason He rescued us to begin with. Our greatest command is to love Him back. Delighting in God accentuates our longing to be WITH Him.

Skye Jethani, in his book With, writes, “the life with God posture is predicated on treasuring God above all else.” [1]  He goes onto say that treasuring the world and a long comfortable life is not a life of living with God.

Our pathway to living out our union with Christ must begin with love for God above all earthly gains: our possessions, success, popularity, comfort, etc.

Our love for God must be absolute. Jesus told his disciples that coming to Him and deeply loving Him, makes human love seem like hate in comparison. [2] Our love for God must be extreme and the more we love Him, the easier it will be to delight in His nearness. 

Story: In my human weakness, I sometimes forget that God Himself is my highest delight, especially when I don’t feel love from people who are important to me.  During these times, I can easily shift from enjoying the experience of God’s abiding love, to chasing human love to fill my heart cup.

However, more and more an awareness of God’s great love for me is growing. I’m understanding that the love of people are like sprinkles on top of  a decadent hot fudge sundae, complete with the dark chocolate sauce, nuts, whip cream and the cherry on top.

God’s love completes me.  May I love others out of the abundance of His love, not to try and satisfy my need for love.

Draw near to the One who indwells you and invites you to revel in His love.

Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth (Psalm 73:25 NASB)

I No Longer Live

Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,  knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;  for he who has died is freed from sin (Romans 6:4-6 NASB).

For me, our crucifixion with Christ has always been hard to comprehend.

How can a person who lives and breathes be dead? To understand, we must seek deeper truths, beyond the temporal. 

In the above verse, Paul says our old self has been crucified. Before our flesh reigned, but having been crucified with Christ, it’s been rendered powerless.

However, until we physically die,  we can still choose to walk in the old ways of death. This is why Paul warns us, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:12-14 NASB).” 

So, on a Wednesday afternoon, in the midst of duties and temptations, how do we live out “I’ve been crucified with Christ and I no longer live?”

Our old fleshly choices have worn paths not easily broken. Even in the splendor of God’s love and His life within, idols and addictions chain our souls. Carnal pleasures, seeped in death, can seem more real and viable than God’s loving presence.

Imagine you were in the Marines and you had a sergeant who was constantly picking on you. Eventually you serve your time and are honorably discharged. As a civilian, you come face to face with your old nemesis on a street corner. Assuming a familiar position of authority, he orders you give him 25 pushups.

Out of habit, you drop and begin churning them out. But then it hits you; you’re free from his reign. He’s lost all authority over you. You stop and walk away. Being a marine is in your past, but that life is behind you. You’re dead to it’s authority and power.

When we’re tempted to walk in our flesh, it’s like meeting that old sergeant. We can still choose to follow Him, but why should we? Now, we can refuse and “present ourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over us”.

Story: One of my strongest temptations to operating in my “old self” has to do with trying to handle problems in my own strength. Historically, when challenges come I try harder rather than recognizing my weakness and walking in newness of life.

Recently, I fell and severed my quad tendon. I was down the hill from our house at our barn when it happened. When I heard the pop, I knew something had happened, but my first response was to try and stand up and walk. Impossible! Helpless on the ground, all I could do was crawl like a crab and scream for my wife.

During the time of recovery after the surgery, I was helpless. My wife even had to put on my socks. It was a forced time to slow down and realize how little I have to offer. A real life experience of true weakness. What a blessing!

I Live by Faith in the Son of God 

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5 NASB).

After promising to send us the Holy Spirit, in John 14, Jesus gives us an earthly example of what life WITH Him is like.

A wine branch, connected to the sap enriched vine, is able to produce luscious fruit. But, a branch detached from the vine of life, yields nothing but death.

Our lives are like that. Sure, we can busy ourselves with all manner of seemingly good things, but any activity detached from the source of life is life-less, no matter how good it looks.

We’re familiar with a bowl of plastic fruit. Painted up and shinny, it can look so real, so delicious!  But try tasting it. There is no life.

Our souls are to be governed by the Holy Spirit, not our flesh.

Jesus commands us to “abide” in Him, His Holy Spirit. Over many years I’ve had two wrong understandings about what this means.

First: that abiding is a level to get to in our maturing process as Christians. Wrong. Abiding is not a level. It’s not a “nice to get to.” Abiding is the process. Abiding is the way Christ is formed in us.

Second: I assumed abiding took great effort. With great strain and discipline I sought to tap into Christ’s life within. Actually, it’s just the opposite. The Greek word translated as “abide” also means to remain, stay, stop, tarry, live or dwell.

We did nothing to be placed in the love of Jesus. God did it. [3] So, abiding is not an effort to get somewhere, its a command to stay where we’ve already been placed. Dwell there, remain there, stay there, tarry there, abide where you’ve been placed. Don’t move.

Story: My wife recently bought us a small plaque which we placed on the window seal above the kitchen sink, where we’ll often see it.

I need Thee every hour.

The longer I live the more I believe these words. Not only do I need to depend on Jesus to know the Father’s will, to speak His words and love in His strength, but I also need Him every second to fill to overflowing my longing heart. I so easily forget and begin to look around me at the world to love me, to deem me successful and to value me.

Lord, show me quickly when I stray.

Conclusion

Living out our new life of total dependence upon God is not an option. The New Testament is saturated with the truth of God being WITH us now. The Holy Spirit of Jesus indwells us. We’re to enjoy His nearness every moment of our lives. Jesus is the source of all joy and life, but we must continually chose life over death.

We’ve been crucified with Christ. We’ve been raised with Him in newness of life. But, we can still be influenced by our old, worn out fleshly patterns. We must recognize our death in Christ and choose to depend upon Him.

By faith, we rest in Christ’s finished work and remain in His love. We yield to His life within us that His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control might be displayed in our lives. 

Prayer

Lord, I’m seeing it now. My life with You is not about me following a bunch of rules and trying to pattern my life after Your example in my own strength. I died because You died in my stead. Thank You. You love me so much You want to be with me forever.  Please give me a moment by moment dependence upon Your Spirit within me, that I might speak with Your words, serve in Your strength and love with Your love. Please stop me in my tracks when I move ahead of You and try to do anything apart from Your abiding Spirit  Amen.

the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:26b-27 NASB).

Personal Study

Highlight Romans 6:4-14

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

 [1] With, Skye Jethani, Thomas Nelson 2011, p. 131

[2] Luke 14:26

[3] I Corinthians 1:30

Previous posts in the UP series:

Amazing Love

Essential Love

What Hides God’s Love

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Recognizing Threats to Knowing God's Love, The Love Which Holds

Rhythms: UP (What Threatens Us Knowing God’s Love?)

Leave a comment

If we really knew God’s love for us!.

If we understood, at a heart level, His quality of love which can’t be changed!

If we realized God delights in being with us. If we comprehended His  willingness to send His Son to die in our place.

If we learned to remain in Jesus’ love for us. 

If we really knew these things at a heart level – Our adversary’s schemes to persecute us would be shallowed up in God’s ocean of love. 

Since God’s amazing love for us is absolutely essential, It’s good to uncover  what threatens us knowing it.

Following are three threats.

God’s Love is Beyond Understanding

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God ( Ephesians 3:14-19 NASB).

God’s incomprehensible love for us doesn’t fit in our heads. We need to lay aside our desire to mentally understand it.

In the above verse, written to believers in Ephesus, Paul says God’s love surpasses our knowledge. Even though, as believers, we have Christ in our hearts, Paul prays Christ’s love would dwell (settle and pervade) there. He wants the eyes of our hearts to be enlightened[1], so that God’s love would expand more completely there.

Oh the vastness of His Love! Like an ocean, the dimensions can’t be grasped. However, as our hearts are enlightened, as awareness of His love grows, we become more and more “filled to the fullness of God.” 

Story: As I read about a love which is beyond my ability to comprehend, I’m thrust into a quandary. On the one hand I feel stuck. If I can’t understand it, how do I know it. 

I’m realizing that though God’s love for me surpasses knowledge, my heart can contain it. I join Paul’s prayer that, by His Spirit, I might grow in my awareness of the vastness of God’s love for me. 

May God’s love, which is beyond words come alive more and more in my heart that I might love others as Christ has loved me.

God’s Love for Us is Not Affected by How We’re Treated

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,  *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He *poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. (John 13:3-5 NASB)

Jesus didn’t entrust Himself to men.  He knew their hearts[2]. His confidence was in God’s love alone.

In the above verse, Jesus washed the feet of a man who would deny Him (Peter) and a man who would betray Him (Judas). And He knew it.

Hours later, He would perform the ultimate example of sacrificial love by dying to rescue mankind from the wrath of God.

Jesus didn’t allow how people treated Him to rattle Him. He didn’t need their love. He knew where He came from. He knew where He was going. And while He was on earth, since He knew His Father’s love, He had all things.

If, like Jesus, we don’t need the approval of people, we can love freely as He did, expecting nothing in return. As we dwell in Jesus’ love for us, how people treat us, though painful, won’t affect our value.

We are deeply loved by God. This is our value. 

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10 NASB).

Story: A few years ago I became aware that I’ve “required” love from the important people in my life. I certainly love them, but since my love cup was not full, I needed their love in return. I see now that this is not only unloving, but it kept me in bondage to the actions and feelings of others.

Occasionally, I still struggle with this when I feel rejected or unloved.  However, as the awareness of God’s complete love for me grows, the chains of “needing” the love of people are breaking and falling off. 

This frees me to love others purely and reduces the threat of doubting God’s love when people hurt me.

Our Enemy Does Not Want Us to Know God’s Love 

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2nd Corinthians 10:3-5 NASB).

At all costs, our enemy wants to keep us from knowing God’s love. Since he’s out to afflict us, the peace, hope and joy of us resting and walking in God’s love is the exact opposite of what he desires for us.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10 NASB)

Based on the truth about God’s love, we’re to disagree with his lies and agree with what we know is true. Agreeing with the truth, and not the lies, gives no foothold for our enemy to fortify within.

Familiar, life shaping lies we’ve agreed with in the past can be destroyed by God’s truth. The weapons of our warfare are “divinely powerful” (sourced in God and able to accomplish what is intended) for the destruction of all strongholds and speculations. 

Paul tells us to take every thought captive and to obey Christ by believing what He says.

The devil is like a roaring lion seeking always to devour. We resist him by casting our cares on the Lord, standing firm in our faith in His Love. [3]

Conclusion

Previously, we established that God’s love for us is eternal and can’t be changed. This quality of love motivated God to rescue us from His wrath by the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus loves us as much as God loves Him. His love for us chases away our fears and is the source of all our loving. God’s love roots and grounds our soul. It enables us to delight in Him and to love others as He’s loved us.

God’s incredible love is beyond our understanding and is designed to be held in our hearts. As the eyes of our hearts are enlightened, and our awareness of God’s great love for us grows in depth of experience, the way people treat us and the lies Satan feeds us CAN’T change us in the slightest degree.

Prayer

Lord, the more my heart grows in true awareness of Your great love for me, the more my soul experiences Your peace, Your hope and Your joy. Yet, so many forces are at work to try and hide it. You’ve commanded me to remain in Your love. No matter how folks treat me or how hard my circumstances, Your love holds. Please teach me to judge every word or thought based on Your truth and nothing else. Help me to quickly recognize lies so I can disagree with them and agree with what You say. Thank you for loving me and wanting to be with me.   Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight Romans 8:31-39

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

 [1] Ephesians 1:18

[2] John 2:24

[3] I Peter 5:6-9

Previous posts in the UP series:

Amazing Love

Essential Love

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Fears Chased Away, Loved to Love, Rooted and Grounded

Rhythms: UP (Why Knowing God’s Love is Essential, Especially Now)

4 Comments

Why is God’s love absolutely essential right now?

How is God’s love for us tied into how we love?

What is the correlation between God’s love and our fears?

How does God’s love enable our obedience?

What difference does God’s love make when we confront life’s storms?

Review some amazing truths about God’s love

Knowing God’s love for us is essential. And it needs to be more than information, it’s to become a growing realization. May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened. [1]

Perfect Love Drives out Fear and Allows us to Love

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love because He first loved us (I John 4:18-19 NASB).

As I examine my heart, much of my sin is rooted in fear. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of poverty. Fear of unhappiness. Fear of . . . 

Fear causes worrying and robs me of peace, which is essential to my existence. 

In the above verses, John writes about a love which drives out fear, a perfect love, flowing from God. 

While we still fear, we’re yet to be perfected in God’s love. However, to the degree we realize God’s amazing love, our fears melt away and peace reigns in our hearts.

But there’s much more.

God’s love for us is the source of true love. To the degree we realize His perfect love, we’ll be able to reflect His love back to Him and to others. 

We love because He first loved us.

Story: As I ponder the truth concerning God’s perfect love, different nagging fears come to mind, particularly fear of failure and  fear of rejection. These fears have sometimes sent me down destructive paths. But more and more the reality of a love which literally casts out fear is growing in my heart.

As I write, I imagine a life with no fear. Fearless. Oh the freedom! Oh the joy! And it’s not just something to wish for. God’s perfect love is real, the chaser of all fears. Perfect love which, not only gives us courage, but is the source of all of our love.

This is something to get very excited about.

God’s Love Enables Our Obedience

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NASB)

Since our love is rooted in God’s love for us, His love enables our obedience. Like a cart being pulled along by a horse, our works of obedience (loving) are empowered and guided by God’s love for us, not the other way around. 

In the above verses, Jesus gives two vital commands which basically summarizes the entire Bible. Our obedience is characterized by love, becoming the overarching filter to govern our lives. As the ten commandments state, loving God (first four) and loving others (last six) should guide our every word and deed.

So, why is God’s love for us important?

God’s love enables us to love. And loving is how we obey Him.

Story: For many years I’ve been captivated by the verses above. As complicated as life can be, they seem like a great filter to run all aspects of life through. After all, Jesus tells us the command to love God and love others summarizes the whole law and the prophets.

So many times I’ve realized that what I was choosing was not loving toward God as my highest love. What a great realization, as opposed to not realizing it and continuing to love idols.

So many times, I’ve realized my actions toward people were more for me than for them. Again, what a great realization. I want my love to be pure. I know I have far to go, but to the extent that I’m loving others out of God’s love for me, joy and freedom erupt.

God’s Love Roots and Grounds Us

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,  from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19 NASB)

God’s love for us surpasses our knowledge. It is beyond our understanding and our intellect. Even so, Paul prays the superlative dimensions of God’s love might be comprehended or realized in a way which comes alive in our hearts.

What does not fit in our heads, can dwell more and more in our hearts as God is pleased to illuminate it.  This is what Paul is praying.

God’s love roots us and grounds us, establishing a firm foundation. To the degree God’s surpassing love is illuminated and made real to us, our souls are more and more secured against the storms and trials of life.

Story: There’s a song based on the verses above about the deep, deep love of Jesus. Many years ago, the song was song at the funeral of Rachel, a little two year play mate of my oldest son.

As the song was song, I looked over at the parents. I couldn’t comprehend what they were feeling. In my raw state, I wondered how the song fit.

Then it hit me. As deep as the pain was that Rachel’s parents were feeling, God’s love was deeper still. And, in their pain, they had an opportunity to experience the depth of that love in a way they might not have otherwise known. 

Since then, my wife and I have experienced deep relational pain, but God’s love is deeper still.

Conclusion

Previously, we established that God’s love for us:

  • Is eternal and can’t be changed by anything of this world, seen or unseen.
  • Motivated Him to rescue us by the death of His Son Jesus Christ
  • Is modeled by Jesus’ love for us

From Zephaniah 3:17 we learned that God delights to be with us and that we make Him happy.

The Lord your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

What makes these and other facts so VITAL is that God’s love:

  • Chases away ALL fear and is the source of our love
  • Enables us to obey God
  • Root and grounds our soul, no matter what

Especially Now

In today’s world of disunity and hatred, it’s essential to realize God’s love for us. We must know we’re completely loved no matter how we’re treated. 

Prayer

Lord, may my comprehension of Your amazing love for me continue to grow as I soak in it’s reality. Thank You for chasing away my every fear with Your perfect love. Please remind me quickly when fears arise. Thank you that Your love enables me to love You. May I receive Your love and give it away.  Thank You for delighting to be with me. Please help me to grasp Your love more and more. Steady my heart in the firm foundations of Your delight in me. Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight I John 4:13-19

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

 [1] Ephesians 1:18

Previous posts in the UP series:

UP (The Amazing Truth About God’s Love)

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Everlasting, To Die For, Unparalleled

Rhythms: UP (The Amazing Truth About God’s Love)

9 Comments

UP is about our relationship with God our Father. It’s developing daily rhythms of meditating on God’s love and His purposes through the lens of His word. This prioritizing of our relationship with God is necessary for all spiritual activities both within and outside of the church.

UP is intentional, unhurried times of being with God which yield fullness of Joy and empower us to live the abundant, loving life Christ demonstrated for us to follow.

Grasping the magnitude of God’s amazing love for us is not just to be information, but it’s to become a growing realization. May the eyes of our hearts be enlightened.[1] 

We love because He first loved us (I John 4:19 NASB)

For those of us who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation, the following is true. 

God’s Love for Us is Everlasting

The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness” (Jeremiah 31:3 NASB)

How do we get our head and heart around everlasting love? “Ahabah,” the Hebrew word for everlasting love,  describes a love which is beyond anything physical or any aspect of our soul (mind, will or emotions). God’s eternal love for us is unconditional and can’t be altered. It outshines every war, every illness, every natural disaster. No choice, thought or feeling can change the quality of God’s love for us. 

Let this sink in a moment.

As believers, we’ve been chosen to be loved by God since before the world began. [2]

Story: There are exceptions and vast limitations to any earthly correlation to the things of God, but my mother gave me the most tangible example of His everlasting love. No matter how I disappointed her throughout my life, I never doubted her unconditional love for me. Often, when we’d part, she’d say, “Robby, don’t you ever forget how much I love you!”

She passed away in 2011, but her love remains constant within me ever day.

“Mom, I won’t ever forget. I love you too.” 

P.S. Mom came into a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus seven months before she died. I smile within at the thought of seeing and hugging her again.

God’s Love Rescued Us

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:8-10 NASB)

We were apart from God, facing eternal darkness with no ability to change the situation. In our helpless state, while we were still hostile toward Him, God choose to rescue us. And He did it by sending His Son to die in our stead.

Please don’t allow the familiarity of this great news to cheapen the impact!

We were hostile and helpless, but God, out of His unparalleled love, gave His Son to save us.

And, not only did He save us from God’s wrath by His death, much more will He now preserve and heal us by His indwelling life. 

Story: Growing up in a social Christian environment, I had a twisted view of what it means to believe in Jesus and go to heaven. I heard the wrath and hell part, which scared me to death, but I knew nothing of grace. My assumption was that since I believed in Jesus and was a pretty good person, I’d go to heaven.

But my belief was only a belief in the fact that Jesus is Lord. True belief, as spoken by Jesus in John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life,” is more than factual. Belief in this context means, trust in, commit to and rely upon.

My true belief in the finished work of Jesus Christ occurred one evening during my college years. In those moments, my trust in Christ’s work and His death for me  freed me from God’s wrath. His life in me, as I continue to trust Him, is conforming me into His image. [3]

Jesus Loves Us as Much as God Loves Him

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.”[4] Jesus

As much as God loves Jesus, He loves us. How can this really be? It seems unimaginable. Yet, Jesus said it. It is true!

Don’t rush past this. Remain in the truth of Jesus’ abiding love. 

Story: If you’ve seen the movie Twister, the last scene is powerful. A raging tornado blows a building completely away. But, the main characters are saved because they are strapped to a pipe secured underground. God’s love is like that. He’s got us.

But, we can’t assume upon the love and grace of Christ. [5] Though our actions can’t change God’s love for us, established before the world began, we can choose to disobey. As believers, the strap of His love holds, but Jesus desires us to walk in the fellowship of His love and joy. This is done by relying on Him and walking in obedience. 

Conclusion

As believers in Christ’s finished work for us on the cross, gazing upon and beginning to grasp the magnitude of God’s love for us is a first step in prioritizing and nurture our relationship with Him.

God’s love has an eternal quality which keeps it from being affected by anything of this world, seen or unseen.

Even when we were against God, His love for us moved Him to send His own Son to die in our place, rescuing us and making us whole.

As much as God the Father loves Jesus, Jesus loves us and we’re called to walk in the fellowship of His love.

Prayer

Lord, I’ll never fully comprehend the extent of Your love for me. It’s beyond my ability to comprehend. However, because You describe it in Your word, I believe it and want to walk in it. Though Your love doesn’t fit in my head, please make it real in my heart that it might shape every moment of my life. Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight Zephaniah 3:16-20

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

[1] Ephesians 1:18

[2] Ephesians 1:4-5

[3] Romans 8:29

[4] John 15:9

[5] Romans 6:1-2

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Beyond Time

Hope Remains

Trusting, Resting, Enjoying, Loving

In the Moments(As Sea Gulls Fly)

4 Comments

Martha had enough. Her sister Mary did it again, left her to do all the work while she just sat there. Martha was distracted by all the preparations. And though the very source of Joy was with her, she was focused on what she had to do.

Sound familiar?

“But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

But how can life really be about one thing? Without Martha, no food would have been served.

On a slow morning, sitting on a dock facing the intracoastal waterway in Wilmington, NC, I’m once again pondering how to rest as Mary did without neglecting my responsibilities.

The mid-morning sun warms the steady breeze as it whips across my face. I look across the gray blue waterway and see white caps ushering the tide to my right. The rhythmic waves lap upon the shore only interrupted by the rubbing of the floating docks along the pile driven wooden poles and the distant sound of a dog’s bark.

I have sought my own answers to this quandary for years, but this morning it all seems clear. No profound answers are given, only His strong hand outstretched; inviting me to give Him my cares. He’s much more concerned about us being together than what I’ll accomplish. Together, He will show me how to live a Mary life in a Martha world.

My worries are safely sealed, waiting for His commands to be revealed.

Two light yellow butterflies dart across the rolling tide. Above the water flow, there is a lime green strip of land below a line of emerald trees, couching white, multi-storied buildings in the distance. Above the tree line, a cloudless sky rises in deeper shades of pastel blue towards the heavens.

Wow! Is this joy, this trusting, this resting, this enjoying His presence? Is this abiding? Is this what Jesus means when He tells me to remain in His love?

A convergence. Totally unplanned. Unscripted. A gift.

A sea gull effortlessly glides above me. Out stretched wings riding on unseen strength. Lord, is this like us resting in Your strength as we journey? Positioning in the wind of Your presence, relying on You to empower and guide.

So, what now? I could regret millions of distracted moments in my past when I labored without a thought of His nearness. Flapping against the wind.

But I won’t.

I ‘ll go forth with a deeper understanding of what Jesus means when he tells me not to worry, but to seek His Will, His Kingdom, His supremacy in my life.

All that other stuff, the things I seem to focus on, what I’ll eat and what I’ll wear and what I’ll drink – He’s got that. He and I  have more important things to do, like resting in His presence enjoying our time together.

And by the way, when I am doing that (Enjoying moments of life with Him) I will naturally love the people I meet along the way. When, like Mary, I’m in tune with my Lord’s nearness, when I’m yielding to His Indwelling Spirit, His love flows through me to others. My number one concern now is to love others as He has loved me. This  starts with resting in His love.

Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”

“Love is the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others.”  John Piper

Trusting, Resting, Enjoying, Loving

Prayer

Lord, truly these moments cannot be scripted. However, like the sea gull, I can spread the wings of my life out to You. I can trust that as I rest in your Indwelling presence, You will carry me. You in me will accomplish what needs to be done. You in me will love those who need to be loved. You in me will guide along this path of life until you receive me into Your glory. May I always have my wings ready to catch the wind of Your Holy Spirit and glide where You want me to go. Amen.

“Nevertheless I am continually with You. You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterwards receive me to glory.” Asaph from Psalm 73:23-24

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

Experiencing God in the moments of our lives