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Ephesians 1:17 – Seekers of Revelation

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Will

Ephesians 1:17 – Seekers of Revelation

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

Truth to Learn

Christians should actively seek greater knowledge of God.

Behind the Words

The word “God” is translated from the Greek word theos. It was originally used by the Greeks to refer to any of their gods. In the New Testament, however, it is used in reference to the one true God. The word theos is probably derived from the Greek theteres (a placer of things) because the Greeks believed that their gods were the placers and disposers of things (thus, they had a god of fire, a god of wind, etc.).

The word “wisdom” is translated from sophia, which refers to “the ability to think and act, utilizing knowledge, insight, understanding, and experience.”

“Revelation” is from apokalupsis, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of kaluptō, meaning “to cover” or “to conceal.” Therefore, apokalupsis refers to “the result of removing a cover.”

Meaning Explained

In the current verse Paul is expressing some of his prayers for the members of the church in Ephesus. By extension, these are his prayers for all saints. The first thing that he petitions God for is that they (and we) might receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation. Now, we have to stop here for a moment and ask ourselves whether or not this spirit that Paul is talking about is the Holy Spirit or not. The Greek text does not include the definite article the here. Therefore, some would say that Paul is not specifically referring to “the” spirit; that is, the Holy Spirit.

If we look at some of the attributes of the Holy Spirit, however, we may come to a different conclusion. In Isaiah 11:2, as the prophet is describing the Messiah, he says, “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding.” This, clearly, is a reference to the Holy Spirit. And in 1Corinthians 2:10 where Paul is talking about the mystery of the wisdom of God, he says, “God has revealed them to us through His Spirit,” which is another clear reference to the Holy Spirit. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that Paul is referring to the Holy Spirit in this verse.

But, if that is so, why does Paul not refer to Him as “the” Spirit in the Greek text? Perhaps, the answer is that Paul just finished teaching that all Christians have been given the Holy Spirit as a seal and a guarantee at the time of salvation and did not want to introduce confusion on that point. In referring to “a spirit of wisdom and revelation” he is implying that these are characteristics which the Holy Spirit imparts. Therefore, Paul is asking God the Father to have the Holy Spirit give wisdom and revelation to all saints. The wisdom and revelation he is referring to are in reference to Jesus Christ our Lord. In other words, Paul is asking that we, through the Holy Spirit, might know and understand more about our Lord Jesus Christ.

Application

Do you know all there is to know about Jesus Christ? Of course not, none of us does. Do you want to know more about your Lord and Savior? Of course, all Christians do. Be assured that Paul also wants you to, but it doesn’t happen without actively seeking it from God’s Word. As you seek to know Christ better, the Holy Spirit will reveal Him to you.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 16:27 – To God Be The Glory!

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Will

Romans 16:27 – To God Be The Glory!

to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

Truth to Learn

God deserves all the glory and all of our praise.

Behind the Words

“God” is from the Greek noun theos. This is probably derived from the Greek theteres (a placer of things) because the Greeks believed that their gods were the placers and disposers of things (thus, they had a god of fire, a god of wind, etc.) In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) the title of God (elohim) is always translated as theos, even though elohim is plural and theos is singular.

“Alone” is translated from monos, meaning “unaccompanied, alone, only, or single.”

The word translated “wise” is sophos, meaning “the ability to skillfully apply the knowledge that one posesses.” The meaning of sophos in the New Testament, like its Hebrew equivalent chōkmah, differs from the classical meaning in at least two ways. First of all, the biblical concept of wisdom is God-centered rather than man-centered. It refers to a fear of God and an understanding of His ways. Secondly, Biblical wisdom implies the possession of a certain adeptness or practical ability in applying knowledge.

“Glory” is from the word doxa, which is derived from the verb dokeō, meaning “to think or suppose.” Doxa primarily means “thought or opinion, especially favorable opinion.” In a secondary sense it means “reputation, praise, honor, or splendor.”

Meaning Explained

Paul’s closing benediction to his letter to the Christians in the church at Rome is the longest benediction contained in any of his letters.

In this final verse, he is proclaiming, first of all, the fact that only God is wise. In Greek, word order is significant, with the most important word being first. The Greek text for this verse reads, “only wise God.” Thus, his emphasis is on the fact that only God is truly wise. To our singularly wise God belongs “great reputation, honor, and splendor” because of the fact that He alone is wise.

This honor that God so richly deserves is earned in and through the person of Jesus Christ. Only a God of infinite wisdom could have developed a plan whereby we, God’s created race made filthy by the stain of our sin, could be so perfectly cleansed by the sacrificial blood of the Lamb of God.

Because of this salvation plan which reconciles God’s moral righteousness with the brilliance of His wondrous mercy, He will receive all the glory from all of creation for all of eternity. Truly, He is worthy!

Application

Throughout eternity we will give God the glorious expression of our praise. In order to be fully prepared for that experience, we should be practicing every day by proclaiming His glory and declaring His praise. To God be the glory!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 8:14 – Heavenly Guide Service

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Will

Romans 8:14 – Heavenly Guide Service

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Truth to Learn

The Spirit of God is our “life coach” and guide.

Behind the Words

The word translated “led” is agō, which means “to lead” or “to bring.” This is expressed here in the present tense and indicative mood. This can mean a single, one-time action in the present, but more often it refers to current, continual action. This is the sense in which it is used here. It is also expressed here in the passive voice indicating action that is being done to someone.

Meaning Explained

In chapter eight Paul talked about how a person who tries to obtain righteousness by obeying laws and rules will never achieve his or her objective. This is because the law actually causes us to sin. He then went on to proclaim his own frustration with the fact that even though he wants to do what is right all the time, he doesn’t always do it. He even proclaimed:

For the good that I have determined to do, I do not do; but the evil I have determined not to do, that I continually do. (Romans 7:19) [my translation]

This tendency in all mankind is the result of our sin nature. Paul starts off the current chapter with the proclamation, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” He then describes a characteristic of those who are in Christ Jesus: “who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” We who have been saved by the grace of God have been declared as righteous in God’s record book, so we are free from the penalty of our sin. We also have been given the Holy Spirit of God as our guarantee and as our guide. If we are saved, then we should be walking “according to the Spirit.”

In the current verse Paul says something very similar: “For as many (of us) as are being continually led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” We see, then, that this is another characteristic of a true child of God. If you are a son (or daughter) of God, then you are continually, every day, in the present, being led by His Spirit. The picture is of a guide who is leading the way through a wilderness, showing the proper paths to take so that the follower won’t get lost.

Note, though, that it is difficult to lead someone who won’t follow. And, it is difficult to follow someone with whom you have very little communication. In fact, the closer the relationship you have to the guide, the easier it is for the guide to direct you and the easier it is for you to hear and trust the advice of the guide. Sometimes the choices of paths are obvious and sometimes they aren’t. Sometimes, what appears to be the obvious path is not the way to go at all. That’s why we need a guide.

Application

We have a Guide who knows all, and He wants to lead us in the paths that will bring Him the most glory and praise.

Are you willing to follow your Guide? Do you talk to your Guide? Do you listen to Him and obey Him when He talks to you?

Are you daily being led by the Holy Spirit of God?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 6:23 – The Free Gift

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Will

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Truth to Learn

God offers all of us a free gift of inestimable value.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “wages” is opsonia, which is the plural form of opsonion. This word is a compound word made up of opson, which means “meat” and a form of oneomai, which means “to buy.” According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary, “It primarily signifies whatever is bought to be eaten with bread, provisions, or supplies from a soldier’s pay. Metaphorically, it means general wages, recompense.” It is what a soldier has earned for being a soldier.

“Gift” is translated from charisma, which means “a gift of grace or an undeserved benefit.” In the New Testament, this word is only used in reference to an undeserved gift or favor from God.

The Greek for the gift that God gives us is, dzoe aionios. Dzoe is the word for “life” and aionios means “belonging to the continuance of time.” In other words, it means “perpetual, everlasting, or eternal.”

Meaning Explained

This verse is one of the pinnacles of Paul’s teaching in the Book of Romans. It is the second step in what has been called “The Romans Road,” the road to salvation. The first is found in Romans 3:23:

for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Now, after having talked at length about the fact that we used to be slaves to sin, Paul has just taught us that we are now the slaves of God. We learned that when we were slaves to sin, we were dead (separated from God).

In this verse Paul tells us why we were dead when we were the slaves to sin. He says:

For the wages of sin is death,

Paul is saying that death is what we earned for our sin (and we worked hard for it!). But, Paul says, God does not pay us what we have earned if we have received His gracious gift through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Instead of giving us what we deserve (what we’ve earned), God gives us a free gift that we don’t deserve (and didn’t earn).

If you stop to think about it, there is no greater gift that God could possibly give to us than an eternal existence with Him. The one constant in this earthly existence is the fact that we all will die physically some day and we will be separated from our earthly body. But because of this marvelous gift that God has given us, we will continue our existence in His presence in a heavenly body. We will join with all of our loved ones who have likewise received God’s gift, and together we will glorify God for eternity.

Application

God offers a free gift to all who will believe and that gift is eternal life! Wow!

Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the price for your sins? I certainly hope so!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 6:22 – Set-apart to Him

Posted on March 29, 2010 by Will

Romans 6:22

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Truth to Learn

God has set Christians apart and has given them eternal life.

Behind the Words

Throughout this chapter Paul has been making a play on words between “death” and “holiness.” Have you noticed? It’s not so obvious in English, but it is in Greek. The Greek word for “death” is thanatos, which, as we’ve mentioned before, carries with it the idea of separation. Separation of our soul from our mortal body is physical death, whereas separation of our soul from God is spiritual death.

The Greek word for “holiness” is hagios, which means “to be set apart from common use to or for a special purpose.” This is the same word that is also translated “sanctified.” Do you see the subtle difference? Death is separation from something while holiness is being set apart to something. Spiritual death is separation from God; holiness is being set apart to God.

Meaning Explained

This verse is Paul’s answer to the previous two verses and all three taken together are a summary of what Paul has been saying for this entire chapter. In verse twenty Paul said:

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Before we were saved we had no choice but to obey sin because we were its slaves. In answer to that he now says:

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God …

As born again Christians we are free from the bondage of sin and have become the slaves (the personal property) of God himself. We are no longer owned by sin, but we’re not free to just do as we please either because we are now owned by God; He is our master and we are to submit to His will.

In verse twenty-one Paul said:

What fruit did you have … For the end of those things is death.

The fruit of the sin of our former way of life was death (separation from God.) In this verse he says:

But now … you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

The fruit of our salvation now is holiness (being set apart to God for His use), which results in eternal life.

Now let me tie this all together. Throughout this chapter Paul has been saying that before we were saved, we were slaves to sin and we were separated from God (we were spiritually dead.) Now that we have received His gracious gift of salvation we are set apart to God (we are spiritually alive for eternity).

Application

When we fully comprehend what Paul is saying in these verses. it should produce in us the greatest praise for Him because of what He has done. Hallelujah!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 6:13 – Stand Beside God

Posted on March 16, 2010 by Will

Romans 6:13

And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Truth to Learn

We have a choice to use bodies as weapons of unrighteousness or as weapons of righteousness.

Behind the Words

The word “present” is the Greek word paristanō, which literally means “to stand alongside.” The image is of a leader who is challenging his people to step forward and stand beside him. Standing alongside is a sign of unity with the leader and a sign of submission to the leader.

The word translated “members” is the Greek word melē, which literally means “the limbs or other parts of the body.”

“Instruments” is the Greek word hoplon, which means “an implement or a tool.” It is often applied to an implement of war such as armor or an offensive weapon.

The word “dead” is from the Greek nekros, which refers to a dead body. The interesting thing is that it is expressed here as a plural, so it should probably be translated as “dead ones.” Throughout this chapter Paul uses this word as a plural noun.

Meaning Explained

When we submit ourselves to our own lusts we are yielding ourselves to them and they become our masters. That’s what Paul is telling us NOT to do. In the second half of the verse, He tells what we should do.

When Paul uses the word “members,” he could be talking about members of our physical body or members of the body of Christ, that is, the church. Based on the context it’s obvious that he is referring to the members of our bodies. However, this does not simply mean the physical parts. It includes the emotional and psychological parts as well. Paul is telling us that we should not yield even part of ourselves, physical or otherwise, to the control of our lusts. When we yield a part of ourselves to our lusts, that part is then used as a weapon of unrighteousness, causing us to sin.

When he tells us that we should not “present” the members of our body, he is telling us that we should not “stand beside” or “join in with” our lusts, not even with part of our being. When we do, that part of us which is surrendered is used as a weapon against us driving us further into sin.

Instead, Paul commands us to stand beside God, as if we were already alive from among the dead ones (which, spiritually we are). Then we are to yield our members as weapons, or tools, of righteousness. When we are fully yielded (submitted) to Him, we will not succumb to our lusts, and God can use us for acts of righteousness and as witnesses for Himself.

Application

Because of our sin nature (our old man), we will never be able to live without sin, but that doesn’t mean that we have to remain in sin and continue our sinful habits. We have a choice to allow our desires to control us or to exercise control over them. It all comes down to this. Who are you submitted to, your selfish desires or God’s will?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 6:11 – What’s Your Choice?

Posted on March 14, 2010 by Will

Romans 6:11

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Truth to Learn

We don’t have to live in sin. We can choose to live to God.

Behind the Words

“Likewise” is from the Greek word houtōs which is from the pronoun houtos, meaning “this thing.” Houtōs connects what follows with “this thing” which has just been talked about. It is most often translated as “likewise” or “in this manner.”

“Reckon” is a word that Paul has used repeatedly. It is from logidzomai, meaning “to put together with one’s mind.” It is usually translated as “to consider, to reckon, or to impute.”

The word translated “alive” is zaō, meaning “to live.” It is expressed here as a participle so it should be translated as “living.” So this verse should say “… reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but living to God …”

Meaning Explained

Just as Jesus is now dead to sin, Paul says we ought to also consider ourselves dead to sin. Because of His death we are no longer under the bondage of sin; we have been freed from that master. But, we still have our sin nature to battle and it gives us the propensity to sin. We are still inclined to sin because our sin nature tempts us to act on our desires, which then become sins (see James 1:14-15).

But Paul says that we should consider ourselves dead to sin and to the uncontrollable desires that produce sin. Since we are no longer under the bondage of that slave master, we now have a choice of whether to sin or not to sin. Before we were saved we didn’t have that choice, but since we now have that choice, Paul says “make that choice!” Determine not to let your sin nature control your life.

Have you ever had someone say to you, “Don’t think about an elephant!”? As soon as someone says that, we immediately think about an elephant. That’s the way our minds work. We can intentionally think about something but we can’t intentionally “not think” about something. God knows this, which is why whenever He tells us to quit doing something, He also tells us what to replace it with. He tells us what to think about so that we can avoid thinking about the elephant.

In this case, Paul tells us that the way to consider ourselves dead to sin is by living to God through Jesus Christ. That is, we should endeavor to emulate Jesus; we should try to follow His example. We should be humble, unassuming, committed to the glory of God, and morally pure. The trouble is, we can’t be just like Him because our sin nature and the devil still exist. But they don’t stop us from trying to live the way we should. And when we stumble, when we do sin, “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one!” (see 1 John 2:1) He’s ever pleading our case in the court of heaven and he shows our innocence with His blood; therefore, when “we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (see 1 John 1:9)

Application

Since we now have the choice, let us commit ourselves daily to be living to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 6:10 – Identity Crisis?

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Will

Romans 6:10

For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Truth to Learn

We have identified ourselves with Jesus Christ in His death to sin. We should also identify ourselves with Him in living for God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “once for all” is ephapax, which means “once and only once.” Though the translation above seems to indicate that Christ died once for everyone, it really says that He died once for all of time and eternity.

Meaning Explained

Paul makes a couple of key points in this verse that we all need to learn. The first is contained in the expression, “For the death that He died, He died to sin.” Paul is explaining the meaning and purpose for Christ’s death. The purpose of His death is that he died to sin. That is, he died paying the penalty for sin so that sin should no longer have dominion over any of us. His death paid for all our sins so, even though sin used to be our slave master, that bond has been destroyed and we are now free from the dominion of sin.

But his death means more than just that we are freed from sin. Paul says that He died once and only once. In other words, He will never have to die again because the sin penalty has been taken care of forever by His onetime death. Since the sin penalty has been taken care of once and for all, we will never have to die after we leave these mortal bodies. We will have to die physically (unless we are raptured) in order to shed these mortal bodies, but we will never have to die spiritually because our sins have been completely paid for.

Remember that death means separation, so we will never again be separated from God – for all eternity. This is not true for those who will be cast into the Lake of Fire. They will be eternally separated from God. That, in fact, is one of the worst torments that they will face in Hell, being eternally separated from God (eternally dead!).

The second half of this verse now tells us what’s on the other side of the coin. Since Jesus Christ will never die again, He lives with respect to God the Father who raised Him from the dead. That is, His life is a testimony to the power of God the Father. Likewise, we who have had our sin penalty paid once and for all (which, incidentally, becomes a problem for those who think they can lose their salvation since it was taken care of once for all time, not just until the next big sin). We now owe this eternal life that we possess to the one who paid our penalty for us.

Paul’s point is that when we were baptized we were identifying with Christ’s death, which He died to sin. And our baptism also identifies us with His life which we should now live to God.

We are indebted to Christ for paying our penalty and we are indebted to God the Father for graciously declaring us righteous. In gratitude and in debt we should now be living our life for God and not for ourselves.

Application

Now that you have identified yourself with Christ in dying to sin, are you being identified with Him in the way you live? Or, put another way, whom are you living your life for now? And, how thankful are you for the eternal life that you now possess?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:8 – Death for Sinners

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Truth to Learn

Christ died for sinners. That means you and me!

Behind the Words

The word translated, “demonstrates” is from the Greek word sunistēmi, which is a compound word made up of sun, meaning “together” or “with” and histēmi, meaning “to set or place something.” Therefore, in its root meaning, sunistēmi means “to place things together.” But figuratively it means “to set something before someone.” That is to say, “to declare, show, or to make known and conspicuous.” Hence, we see the translation here being “demonstrates.”

There are two different words translated “love” in the New Testament. The first is phileō and the other is agapaō. The verb phileō is based on the word philos, meaning “a friend or someone you are endeared to.” Therefore, phileō refers to a feeling of endearment as you would feel toward a special friend. Agapaō, the word used in the current verse, refers to an act of the will in which one places the welfare of another of greater importance than one’s one welfare. It is a self-sacrificing love like God showed to us.

The words “we were still sinners” are translated from the Greek expression eti hamartōlōn ontōn hēmōn, which literally translates to, “we still being sinners.” The verb tense indicates that it is present continuous action. It is not something that ceased happening in the past.

Meaning Explained

In the last verse Paul said that it is unlikely that anyone would be willing to die for a person who is outwardly religious. But, he said that it is possible that someone would be willing to die for someone else who in not only outwardly religious but kind, benevolent, and generous. However, he implied that it is highly unlikely that anyone would be willing to die for unrighteous and undeserving sinners like you and me. Now he tells us how God’s love operates.

God, with His agape love, is willing to sacrifice for us. No one else would be willing to die for sinners like you and me. But God demonstrates how marvelous his self-sacrificing love for us is; even though we are still sinners, Christ died for us! He didn’t wait for us to become righteous by ourselves because we are without the ability to do so! And though we may have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, we are still sinners. However because of our faith, as we saw in the previous chapter, God has declared us righteous. We didn’t actually stop being sinners when we got saved, but God stopped seeing us as sinners. He now sees us having the righteousness of Jesus Christ because the death of His Son paid the penalty for our sins, and He credited righteousness to us in His record book.

The Apostle John puts the capstone on this and offers up a challenge to us:

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:11)

Application

Thank you God, for loving a sinner like me and for giving the precious life of your only begotten Son to pay for my sinfulness! Because I am undeserving, I am eternally grateful!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:5 – Unimaginable Love

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:5

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Truth to Learn

God has abundantly shown His love for us.

Behind the Words

The word translated “disappoint” is kataischunō, which is a compound word made up of kata, meaning “down” but often denoting “badness” and a form of aischuno, which means “to cause shame.” Hence the word means “abundant shame, extreme dishonor, or utter disgrace.”

“Poured out” is from the Greek word ekcheō, which is a compound word made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and the verb cheō, meaning “to pour.” Hence, this word means “to pour out.”

The words “was given” are from the verb didōmi, which means “to give of one’s own accord.” It’s not just a passive handing over of something, but an action that is voluntarily initiated through the giver’s own good will.

Meaning Explained

We have been learning from Paul some of the wonderful benefits of salvation by faith: peace, access to God’s grace, patience in trials, assurance of God’s trustworthiness, and confident expectation. He now tells us that this hope (confident expectation) does not make us ashamed. Paul says that because we have this confident expectation, God will surely fulfill His promises to us; we will not be “embarrassingly ashamed” with regard to our faith and our God.

Some day everyone will stand before the Creator of the universe. Those who have rejected Christ, who have not believed the promises of God, and have not humbled themselves before Him to receive his gracious gift of salvation, will stand before the Judge of the Universe. They will be ashamed of what they have done and of what they have believed. Then they will be cast into the lake of fire where they will experience eternal torment! We who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, however, will stand before Him and we will receive rewards for all that we have done in His behalf. We will not be ashamed. We will then be ushered into heaven to be eternally in His presence and to experience the wonders He has created for us!

And Paul says the reason that we will not be ashamed is because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts. This is not the love that we have for God, rather it is the love that God has for us. Do you see? God did not simply give us a sip or a taste of his love; He poured it out in abundance directly from His heart to ours. And He has done this through the Holy Spirit whom he has given to us as a guarantee and a seal of our salvation, never to be taken away. Both the Apostle John and the Apostle Paul describe this love God has for us:

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us … (Ephesians 2:4)

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

Without this unimaginable love we are lost forever.

Application

Let us give our praise to God for the great love with which He loves us even though we are so unlovely!+

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –