Welcome to Hank’s Place
Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Advent means the arrival of a notable person – no wonder all of December leading up to Christmas is called the ‘Advent Season.’ Of course, many shoppers call it the ‘Amazon Season!’
‘For God SO LOVED the WORLD – that He gave His only begotten Son…,’ John 3:16 as most of us know. God loves you – He loves me – His love envelopes saints – and sinners – extends to the most wicked of people. Jesus came and died for the sins of everyone ever born and yet to be born.
This doesn’t mean eternal life with God is automatically guaranteed; our part, our only ‘work’ Jesus said, is that we must BELIEVE in the One Whom He has sent. John 6:29.
When I stepped out from the church pew that frigid January morning in 1976, to come forward to declare Jesus as my Savior, an unimaginable ocean of love engulfed me. I knew, suddenly, that Almighty God loved ME – I cried and cried like a little boy – for the joy of experiencing total forgiveness and all that existed between God and I was a love relationship. Perhaps you have experienced something similar?
Soon I confused the truth that God loved me because of WHO HE IS, with thinking God loved me because I ‘got things right.’ It was performance mentality, what I’d lived in before Jesus, and made this Christian life a struggle. Filled with disappointment. Perhaps you have experienced something similar?
So here’s the word for you. Jude verse 21, “keep yourselves in the love of God….” The Advent season is particularly depressing for many – but not for you if you KEEP YOURSELF in the love of God.
Remember, 1 John 2:7 begins, “Beloved.” John refers to us believers as “beloved OF God,” and not as “lovers of God.” “Lovers of God” is based on – us. Once we settle in our hearts that we TRULY ARE beloved of God, THEN we’ll be able to love God and others – not out of performance or commandment – we’ll be able to love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19.
The original word for beloved (agapetos) means dearly loved, esteemed, and favorite and is closely related to a verb (agapao) that means to be well pleased or fond of or contented. Our heavenly Father is fond of us. We are His esteemed favorite and He is well pleased with us. He looks at us with a feeling of deep contentment knowing that we are His dearly loved children. He loves us as much as He loves Jesus! Again, He loves us as much as He loves Jesus!
It’s so important that we see ourselves as beloved that John uses this word 10 times in his letters.
Today, dearly beloved of God – keep yourself in this love —you’ll COME ALIVE!
NEW BLOG NOTIFICATION
Be notified when a new blog posts