Perfect Love
I’ve been writing a paper about my salvation process. It’s been frustrating at times, but I think I came to some good conclusions.
What is sanctification? It’s how the Spirit makes you holy. So it must mean that you stop having the desires to cuss, drink, smoke, and have sex, right? Not exactly. How can we boil down sanctification to such disgustingly legalistic matters? It is so much richer and fuller than that. I see God’s sanctifying grace at work in my life right now gradually helping me to learn to love. I feel as though God has made us for the highest purpose of all: to love and be loved. Love with a Godly love. That does sum up the Ten Commandments, right?
When I am tempted to curse the people around me for treating me so rotten, I think about how Jesus endured flogging, beating, and mocking and still forgave the people who did it to Him. His fellowship with the Father overshadowed everything else so much so that the only thing he could think to do was to plead to the Father on behalf of these people. The same is true of Stephen. While he was having stones thrown at him, he cried that familiar cry, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Wow. Now that’s sanctification.
This kind of fellowship with God is much more important than how I may be treated in this lifetime. It’s the kind of fellowship with God that makes me desire to love people the way God loves people. This, my friends, is the greatest joy to be found in life. Of course it doesn’t mean letting people take advantage of you either. Love is not always quiet or acquiescent, but sometimes comes in the form of challenging. But that’s a topic for another day.
I’ll leave you with an inspiring thought: Every person in your life is God’s gift to you for the working out of your salvation. Yes, even that person that annoys you the most. It’s easy to love the people who love you back, but not so much the ones that spit in your face.
God, please help me to become perfect in love. I have a long way to go. Come to my assistance.
What is sanctification? It’s how the Spirit makes you holy. So it must mean that you stop having the desires to cuss, drink, smoke, and have sex, right? Not exactly. How can we boil down sanctification to such disgustingly legalistic matters? It is so much richer and fuller than that. I see God’s sanctifying grace at work in my life right now gradually helping me to learn to love. I feel as though God has made us for the highest purpose of all: to love and be loved. Love with a Godly love. That does sum up the Ten Commandments, right?
When I am tempted to curse the people around me for treating me so rotten, I think about how Jesus endured flogging, beating, and mocking and still forgave the people who did it to Him. His fellowship with the Father overshadowed everything else so much so that the only thing he could think to do was to plead to the Father on behalf of these people. The same is true of Stephen. While he was having stones thrown at him, he cried that familiar cry, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Wow. Now that’s sanctification.
This kind of fellowship with God is much more important than how I may be treated in this lifetime. It’s the kind of fellowship with God that makes me desire to love people the way God loves people. This, my friends, is the greatest joy to be found in life. Of course it doesn’t mean letting people take advantage of you either. Love is not always quiet or acquiescent, but sometimes comes in the form of challenging. But that’s a topic for another day.
I’ll leave you with an inspiring thought: Every person in your life is God’s gift to you for the working out of your salvation. Yes, even that person that annoys you the most. It’s easy to love the people who love you back, but not so much the ones that spit in your face.
God, please help me to become perfect in love. I have a long way to go. Come to my assistance.
posted by Jackie | 2:47 PM
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