The Security of God’s Love

It seems that there is nothing that is absolutely secure in this world. That is, there is nothing but God’s wondrous love for those who belong to Him. When this love becomes ours through a saving relationship with Jesus, receiving Him as our Lord and Savior, we become absolutely secure. Paul tells us in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A careful examination of this passage will make abundantly clear that nothing will separate us from God’s love. However, this security is in “Christ Jesus our Lord.” Far too many today are led to believe that by simply believing that some basic Bible facts are true and praying “the sinner’s prayer” makes them saved and secure. These things are only part of the picture. To come to Christ means that based on those facts, the sinner is handing over the control of his or her life to Jesus’ Lordship. This is done with no thought of “trying it out!” In other words, a true commitment allows for no mind changing when God doesn’t do things our way. We are His for life and forever. We may stumble and fall, even backtrack sometimes, but through His love and discipline, restoration will come and we will resume our walk in the Light. To put it another way, when we are born again, this is an unconditional surrender of our lives to His Lordship and saving work. We are led by the Spirit, being submissive to His sanctifying work. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). These are secure in His love and will never be separated from that love! Selah! It is obvious that having paid such a price to purchase a sinner and save that sinner that God will not ever lose him or her. It is a keeping love!    Ron

The Dimensions of God’s Love

Paul helps advance our thinking on the subject of God’s love. In Ephesians 3:16-19, Paul prayed, “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ 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 the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Christ, dwelling in our hearts by faith, produces stability in our lives. This is because “we are rooted and grounded in love.” This brings comprehension about the dimensions of Christ’s love. It gives us some ideas. First, the breadth: It reaches back to our being chosen in Him before the world began. It stretches on through time and into eternity future. Next, it’s length: It lasts and lasts throughout our lifetime and beyond. Third, the depth: It reaches into our spiritual grave and quickens us, enabling us to respond to His grace. Finally, it’s height: It “catches us up” to spend eternity with Him. The next part of the passage speaks about knowing the love of Christ but then adds that His love surpasses knowledge. How can this be? The first “knowing” means to know His love by being sensitive to the daily manifestations of that love in our lives. That “knowing” which surpasses knowledge is ours to learn more of, forever. Selah! This love is for those who know Him in a saving relationship. “Behold,what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” (From I John 3:1). Only in time can we settle the matter of our final and eternal destination. Read carefully Romans 10:9-10. If you don’t know Him, this will tell you how to receive His salvation.    Ron

The Magnitude of God’s Love

Today’s title is somewhat misleading, since we cannot possibly comprehend the magnitude of His love. Nevertheless, we can explore some thoughts that will give us a limited idea of the vastness of the love of God. To begin with, since God is infinite, His love is infinite. It is without boundaries or limits for those who are His or will become His, by receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). No man can love more than to sacrifice his life for a friend. Jesus went much further! Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The extent of His forgiveness (and what He had to go through to offer it to sinners) is another insight into the fathomless love He has for mankind. “Let him know, that he (He?) which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins” (James 5:20). Isn’t this what God is telling us in Psalm 103:12? The Psalmist says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.” How far is the east from the west? Think that through! Preachers, poets and hymnwriters have tried to give us some grasp of His amazing love. One of the best examples is found in the last stanza of that wonderful hymn: “The Love of God,” (attributed to Meir Ben Isaac Nehoral). “Could 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; nor could the scroll contain the whole, tho’ stretched from sky to sky.” Selah! We are very limited in understanding God’s love but not in our being objects of that love. To have a personal relationship with Him, through His Son, is to bask in that love!    Ron

An Overlooked Major Doctrine?

Have we failed to include a very fundamental doctrine in our statements of major doctines? The Deity of Christ, the Trinity, the Virgin Birth and the other fundamental doctrines are all absolutely essential. Is the love of God any less essential as a major doctrine? How can it be? It is so important that there is a vast amount of space given to it in God’s Word. God places it central in I John 4:16 where He equates it with Himself. “….God is love….” He is (or most certainly should be) highly esteemed. Love is the essence of His nature. He took the initiative in reaching out to us in love. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He highly esteems (loves the world) of mankind. He tells us that, in what is perhaps the central truth of the Bible. John 3:16 informs us that. “….God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He loves His own in a special sense: “….having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.” (From John 13:1). This has moved us, we who are His, to give Him our love. I John 4:19 explains, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” Hymns, books and poems have been written and multitudes of sermons have been preached on God’s fathomless love. There are facets to God’s love. I hope to examine some more aspects of God’s love. Surely, it is a major doctrine. Selah! Think on this: if no love; no Calvary, no forgiveness, no salvation, no Heaven, no hope!   Ron

Israel as a Nation Vs. “Saved” Israel

It is obvious even to a casual observer that most of the Nation of Israel is not saved. (There are many Jewish people coming to Christ but they are a minority). Nevertheless, God has an ultimate plan for Israel. He tells us about it through Paul in Romans 11:26. Writing under inspiration Paul declares,“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn awayungodliness from Jacob.” We are seeing movement toward this, even in our days. However, as end time events accelerate toward God’s appointed climax (and new beginning), it seems like more extreme action is going to be required. Consider Ezekiel 20:38 which says, “And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.”All Israel shaill be saved as a result of the purging. Jews and Gentiles both will experience a separation of those who reject Christ from those who receive Him. Incidentally, most in all Gentile nations are not saved either. ” Matthew 25:32 addresses this in these words: “And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.” Selah! For any who have never received God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as their personal Savior and Lord, the only time one can be sure of the opportunity to do this is now. Act before you find yourself on the wrong side of a separation.    Ron

The New Legalism

Neither the old or new legalism is how the Bible explains legalism. However, what is called legalism today is a problem. I’ve dealt with legalism, as we hear about it today, in previous articles. At a recent Pastors’ Conference, a fellow pastor mentioned the new legalism: success. There’s nothing wrong with success. But what is called success can be, and too often is not, how the Bible explains success. It is not how many people become part of a fellowship. It is not meeting the budget. It is not good programs and publicity, etc. These may be all right if they are subservient to the real mission of a church. Paul speaks of that mission in Ephesians 4:11-14, “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” The means to execute this mission successfully is found in Joshua 1:8. It tells us, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” As the Word takes root in the lives of God’s servants and they study, apply and obey God’s principles, they develop into examples, teachers, pastors, evangelists, etc. who can be used of God to motivate, train, love and encourage the flock(s). Selah! A church with these kinds of leaders is blessed indeed. Oh, yes! and successful.    Ron

What A Future!!

“For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them he also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30). We have explored each link in this golden chain of God’s working in and for us who are His, right up to this last one. “….them He also glorified.” Keep the tense in view. All who have experienced a genuine conversion are already glorified. This blessing is ours in our exalted position as His children and is guaranteed to be ours in our actual future. In God’s mind and plan, it is already settled and only awaits our time to be there. To be glorified is to be honored and exalted. What does that mean to us? “….we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is….” (From I John 3:2). “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (I Corinthians 15:53 & 52). “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself” (Philippians 3:21). To tie it altogether, God, before time began, foreknew our choice in life. If it was or is to truly receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God has underaken to bring us every step of the way to beyond time (eternity future). We have already, positionally, arrived and will actually arrive in Heaven. We will be exalted (glorified) in His image. We were predestined for this! Selah!  What an amazing God of grace and love that we serve! All praise to Him Who reigns above!    Ron