Love vs. Anger
Jesus was rejected in His own home town. Imagine how that must have felt. People He knew and loved tried to murder Him just for speaking the truth. If I were God, I would have gotten angry and murdered them all. But God is a loving God. Do not think your sins are unforgiveable. God has already died for them. If you believe in Him, they are forgiven!!!!!!
Trust vs. Doubt
Simon trusted God and let his net down again. The leper showed trust when he cried out, Lord! If you are willing, you can heal me. Matthew the tax collector trusted and followed Him. All these things were rewarded. Simon with the fish, the leper with being cleansed and Matthew with eternal life. Not that we show trust in God just for the rewards or else we really aren't trusting in God...well at least not in the right way.
Speck vs. Plank
All of us have our own number of bad thoughts. If you had a brother and you noticed that your brother's shoelace was untied and you said to him: "Bro, let me kneel down and tie your shoe for you. But your brother says, Stupid...your whole shoe is off! First get your shoe back on and then you will be able to tie my shoe. You see the brother saw that his brother has a sin but he did not consider that his whole shoe was off!
Or if you and your sister were riding bikes and you said to your sister. Sis, your tire is a bit squishy. let's stop and I will pump it. But she says you sorry human. Do you not notice that your tire is flat? First pump your own tire before you do mine.
Both of these pictures showed that both of them having a sin. The brother and sister acted like their brother or sister couldn't do it themselves...which you know....they couldn't. But they were too puffed up and feeling they were perfect that they didn't notice that they had bigger sins on their hands! Only God can heal us of our sins and only God can say He is better than us because He is God.
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Royal Law...
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.--James 2:8-11
Dear Girls,
The royal law...the law of love...is the fulfillment of all of God's laws. As we walk in beautiful surrender to the Spirit of God, His love shed abroad in our hearts sets us free from sin and selfishness and enables us to obey His word and treat people as He treats them...love them as He loves them. Hatred enslaves us. Partiality is not consistent with belief in God's Son because God by nature is impartial. James tells us quite simply that if we show partiality we commit sin and are convicted by the law as a transgressor. If we are fulfilling the royal law of love, however, we will not be committing partiality. Selfless, agape love is an attribute of our Father in Heaven. His nature loves. When we believe, He sheds His love abroad in our hearts and in surrendering to His Spirit living inside us, we can share His love with those around us. Loving others with His love frees us from the offenses that inevitably come and weigh us down and distract us from our true mission as an ambassador of Christ....glorifying in Him in our word and deed and being the very fragrance of Christ to those around us.
Look at verses 10 and 11..For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law." There is no grace in the law. If we break one of the laws we break them all and are guilty of all. The bible tells us that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. It also says that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in God's Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. The law was a tutor to bring us to Christ. The law is good in that it shows us our inability not to sin and our desperate need for a Savior, but there is no grace in the law. Grace can only be obtained by belief in God's Son. Grace involves God's sovereign choice of those who cannot earn and do not deserve salvation. "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Girls, we are saved by God's grace alone. To treat those around us based on anything else is utterly and totally inconsistent with the doctrine of grace and with the Lord of glory.
Let's look at the royal law. The royal law is the law of love. It is loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself.
"The first of all the commandments is: 'HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.
AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' This is the first commandment.
And the second, like it, is this: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." --Mark 12:29-31
Jesus told us in the story of "The Good Samaritan" that our neighbor is anyone who needs our help. Love is the law that rules all other laws. If you are loving God supremely and loving the people around you with His love...treating them as you yourself want to be treated...then you have fulfilled the whole law. Read this passage from Romans 13.
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," "YOU SHALL NOT MURDER," "YOU SHALL NOT STEAL," "YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS," "YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. --Romans 13:8-10
When we practice love, there is no need for any other laws, because love covers it all! On it hang the law and the prophets! If we love others, we will not sin against them...love does no harm to a neighbor. It is as simple as that and as impossible as that.
Think about how you treat yourself...how concerned you are about yourself...about your appearance...about your financial status.... about your health....about your social status. Whose body do you care for...whose hair do you comb...whose bills do you pay? Are you getting the picture? We are to show the same kind of loving concern we show ourselves to others. When they hurt, we are to feel their hurt as if it were our own. Uh oh...Do you see how impossible this is to do in our own strength? Do you see how far we all fall short? This kind of love is not possible outside of the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts. Laws cannot change our hearts but the Spirit of God does...and as we surrender and obey, we are taught by Him to love one another.
Biblical love is a command. We are to love others whether we feel like it or not. Love in the Bible is not based on emotion...it is based on action. We are to meet another in love at the point of their need. Again, and this is worth repeating...if we are loving God supremely and loving others as we love ourselves, we will be automatically obeying all the other commandments. Purpose in your heart to put on love ahead of time for those God has placed in your lives. Obey His command to love. As you do this you will find yourself beginning to see the people (and some might be enemies) with His eyes and even begin to "feel" the love that He has for them because His Spirit is performing a miracle in your heart...transforming your thinking and conforming you into His image, as you surrender and obey.
This is how you reflect your God to others...by loving them with the love that He has placed in your heart. Jesus said this in John 13:35. If you do this, James says you do well.
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Love
Mom
Dear Girls,
The royal law...the law of love...is the fulfillment of all of God's laws. As we walk in beautiful surrender to the Spirit of God, His love shed abroad in our hearts sets us free from sin and selfishness and enables us to obey His word and treat people as He treats them...love them as He loves them. Hatred enslaves us. Partiality is not consistent with belief in God's Son because God by nature is impartial. James tells us quite simply that if we show partiality we commit sin and are convicted by the law as a transgressor. If we are fulfilling the royal law of love, however, we will not be committing partiality. Selfless, agape love is an attribute of our Father in Heaven. His nature loves. When we believe, He sheds His love abroad in our hearts and in surrendering to His Spirit living inside us, we can share His love with those around us. Loving others with His love frees us from the offenses that inevitably come and weigh us down and distract us from our true mission as an ambassador of Christ....glorifying in Him in our word and deed and being the very fragrance of Christ to those around us.
Look at verses 10 and 11..For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law." There is no grace in the law. If we break one of the laws we break them all and are guilty of all. The bible tells us that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. It also says that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in God's Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. The law was a tutor to bring us to Christ. The law is good in that it shows us our inability not to sin and our desperate need for a Savior, but there is no grace in the law. Grace can only be obtained by belief in God's Son. Grace involves God's sovereign choice of those who cannot earn and do not deserve salvation. "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Girls, we are saved by God's grace alone. To treat those around us based on anything else is utterly and totally inconsistent with the doctrine of grace and with the Lord of glory.
Let's look at the royal law. The royal law is the law of love. It is loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself.
"The first of all the commandments is: 'HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.
AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' This is the first commandment.
And the second, like it, is this: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." --Mark 12:29-31
Jesus told us in the story of "The Good Samaritan" that our neighbor is anyone who needs our help. Love is the law that rules all other laws. If you are loving God supremely and loving the people around you with His love...treating them as you yourself want to be treated...then you have fulfilled the whole law. Read this passage from Romans 13.
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," "YOU SHALL NOT MURDER," "YOU SHALL NOT STEAL," "YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS," "YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. --Romans 13:8-10
When we practice love, there is no need for any other laws, because love covers it all! On it hang the law and the prophets! If we love others, we will not sin against them...love does no harm to a neighbor. It is as simple as that and as impossible as that.
Think about how you treat yourself...how concerned you are about yourself...about your appearance...about your financial status.... about your health....about your social status. Whose body do you care for...whose hair do you comb...whose bills do you pay? Are you getting the picture? We are to show the same kind of loving concern we show ourselves to others. When they hurt, we are to feel their hurt as if it were our own. Uh oh...Do you see how impossible this is to do in our own strength? Do you see how far we all fall short? This kind of love is not possible outside of the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts. Laws cannot change our hearts but the Spirit of God does...and as we surrender and obey, we are taught by Him to love one another.
Biblical love is a command. We are to love others whether we feel like it or not. Love in the Bible is not based on emotion...it is based on action. We are to meet another in love at the point of their need. Again, and this is worth repeating...if we are loving God supremely and loving others as we love ourselves, we will be automatically obeying all the other commandments. Purpose in your heart to put on love ahead of time for those God has placed in your lives. Obey His command to love. As you do this you will find yourself beginning to see the people (and some might be enemies) with His eyes and even begin to "feel" the love that He has for them because His Spirit is performing a miracle in your heart...transforming your thinking and conforming you into His image, as you surrender and obey.
This is how you reflect your God to others...by loving them with the love that He has placed in your heart. Jesus said this in John 13:35. If you do this, James says you do well.
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Love
Mom
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