{"id":142,"date":"2014-02-20T16:35:30","date_gmt":"2014-02-20T21:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pibcny.com\/blog\/?p=142"},"modified":"2016-08-04T07:46:51","modified_gmt":"2016-08-04T11:46:51","slug":"the-most-precious-truth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pibcny.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/20\/the-most-precious-truth\/","title":{"rendered":"The Most Precious Truth"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you think of \u201cPrecious Truths\u201d which is the greatest of them all? \u00a0For me the answer is simply God\u2019s love.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consider this\u2026without the love of God, would He have sent His Son to pay our penalty of sin?\u00a0Without the love of God could we enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ?\u00a0Without the love of God could we have hope of eternal life?<\/p>\n

It is the love of God which sent Christ to the manger.\u00a0 It is the love of God which sent Christ to the cross. \u00a0It is the love of God which gives the gift of eternal life.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor God<\/b> SO loved the world, that He<\/b> gave His<\/b> only begotten Son<\/b> [Jesus<\/i>], that whosoever believeth in Him<\/b> should not perish, but have everlasting life.\u201d (John 3:16)<\/span><\/p>\n

It shows us that God loves us enough that He would send His beloved Son into this lost world in order to reconcile us to Himself through His Son\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

The Bible tells us that \u201call have sinned, and come short of the glory of God<\/strong>;\u201d<\/span> (Romans 3:23). We are also told that our sin separates us from God as we earn the penalty of death (Romans 6:23).<\/p>\n

\u201cBut God<\/strong>, Who<\/strong> is rich in mercy, for His<\/strong> great love wherewith He<\/strong> loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened [made us alive<\/em>] us together with Christ<\/strong>, (by grace ye are saved;)\u201d (Ephesians 2:4-5)<\/span><\/p>\n

This is an amazing reality…this is amazing love!\u00a0\u201cBehold, what manner of love the Father<\/b> hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God<\/b>:\u2026\u201d (1 John 3:1)<\/span><\/p>\n

I picture the apostle John writing these words and saying, \u201cWow! This is amazing! God loves me so much that He made a way possible for me to become His child!\u201d\u00a0 It still shook John to the very core, even at the end of his life, as he considered what his Savior did for him.<\/p>\n

In the Gospel of John the apostle is only mentioned as \u201cthe disciple whom Jesus loved.\u201d\u00a0 This title was what he wanted to be remembered by because of the precious truth that it displayed.\u00a0What title do you and I want to be called? What do we want to be known for?<\/p>\n

The Bible further explains how God\u2019s love was displayed in Christ\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this was manifested the love of God<\/b> toward us, because that God<\/b> sent His<\/b> only begotten Son<\/b> into the world, that we might live through Him<\/b>.\u00a0 Herein is love, not that we loved God<\/b>, but that He<\/b> loved us, and sent His Son <\/b>to be<\/i> the propitiation [the atoning sacrifice<\/i>] for our sins.\u201d (1 John 4:9-10)<\/span><\/p>\n

God \u201cmanifested<\/em>\u201d or displayed His love to us by sending His Son into this world to pay the penalty for our sin.\u00a0 God poured out His just and divine wrath upon His beloved Son in the place of all of us sinners.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut God<\/b>\u00a0[demonstrated<\/i>] His<\/b> love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ <\/b>died for us.\u201d\u00a0 (Romans 5:8)<\/span><\/p>\n

Christ said to us in His actions, \u201cI love you this much\u201d as He willingly spread out His arms upon the cross and died in our place.<\/p>\n

One of the ways the Bible defines love is found in John 15:13 where it says,\u00a0\u201cGreater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Christ Jesus laid down His life for us.\u00a0 He sacrificed His own life so that we could have a relationship with the Father as our Father.\u00a0 In John 17, Christ prays\u00a0\u201cfor them also which shall be believe on Me\u201d<\/span> (v. 20).\u00a0 His desire was for us to have the same relationship that He has with the Father. \u00a0He says,\u00a0\u201cThat they [those who believe<\/em>] all may be one; as Thou<\/b>, Father<\/b>, art<\/i> in Me<\/b>, and I<\/b> in Thee<\/b>, that they also may be one in Us<\/strong>:\u2026\u201d<\/span>\u00a0(v. 21) He goes on to say in verse 23 that He desires that we would be loved by the Father just as He is loved by the Father.\u00a0 This self-sacrificing love was expressed\u00a0upon the cross\u2014it was done so that we could live\u2014truly live.<\/p>\n

As I consider the extent of the love of God I realize that these words only begin to scratch the surface, if even that.\u00a0 I pray that as you read these words that you would stop and meditate upon God’s love. What does it mean for you?<\/p>\n

The apostle Paul\u2019s prayer was \u201cThat Christ<\/strong> may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is<\/em> the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ<\/strong>, which [transcends<\/em>]\u00a0knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God<\/strong>.\u201d (Ephesians 3:17-19)<\/span><\/p>\n

This prayer of Paul is for his audience to \u201cknow the love of Christ<\/em>\u201d which transcends human understanding. Knowing the \u201clove of God<\/em>\u201d brings change. To be \u201cfilled<\/em>\u201d is to be controlled. Being \u201cfilled with the fullness of God<\/em>\u201d is to be controlled by God as He transforms us into the image of His Son. This speaks of becoming more like Jesus Christ. Knowing the \u201clove of Christ<\/em>\u201d leads to the likeness of Christ. The more we rest in God\u2019s love the more we are changed by it.<\/p>\n

Do you know the love of God? Have you entered into this wonderful relationship with God by placing your faith and trust in Him alone for salvation?<\/p>\n

The Bible clearly says, \u201cFor whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord<\/strong> shall<\/span> be saved.\u201d (Romans 10:13)\u00a0\u201cNeither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.\u201d (Acts 4:12)<\/span><\/p>\n

I close with words from a favorite hymn of mine called, \u201cThe Love of God.\u201d\u00a0 Consider the third verse and chorus\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cCould we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry.\u00a0 Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky<\/em>.<\/p>\n

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure the saints\u2019 and angels\u2019 song.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 \u2013 (hymn by Fred\u00ader\u00adick Leh\u00adman, lyr\u00adics are based on the Jew\u00adish poem Haddamut<\/i>)<\/p>\n