"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19
The love of God is a wondrous thing. Before the very foundation of the earth He loved us. What's more wondrous is that His love is not predicated upon some good thing we have done, or ever will do. All our good works are like filthy rags before our holy God (Isaiah 64:6).
Our service to Christ should flow out of our love for Him and out of our gratitude for what He has done for us. When we meditate on His goodness, His obedience to the Father in offering His own life as a sacrifice for our sins, so that we may claim the blood He shed as payment for our sins, denying any righteousness of our own, then our hearts will be stirred to love Him more. We love Him because He first loved us, and gave His life for us.
"Our love for God is always in response to His love for us; He initiates love, and we respond. . .We love Him because He first loved us: This verse tells us where our love for Jesus comes from. It comes from Him. Our love for God is always in response to His love for us; He initiates, and we respond. We never have to draw God to us; instead, He draws us to Himself." (David Gruzik)
Addressing our love for Christ, Charles Spurgeon said:
“Yet we must not try to make ourselves love our Lord, but look to Christ’s love first, for his love to us will beget in us love to him. I know that some of you are greatly distressed because you cannot love Christ as much as you would like to do, and you keep on fretting because it is so. Now, just forget your own love to him, and think of his great love to you; and then, immediately, your love will come to something more like that which you would desire it to be."
We need not make loving Jesus more a complex thing. Let's forget our own love for Jesus, and think of His great love to us. Doing so we will discover deeper love for Him. "God initiates, we respond."
Today's music video All I Have Is Christ featuring Paul Baloche, music and words by Jordan Kauflin, is one that so clearly speaks to the message presented here. I hope you will take time to listen to it. I know it will bless you.
I love you, I'm thinking of you, and I'm praying for you.
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