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Tuesday, February
19, 2008
No
Comparison
Romans 5:5-8 And hope maketh
not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the
Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (6) For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. (8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (KJV)
Mankind bases love on a ‘what
have you done for me lately’ mindset. A love based on conditions, a
conditional love. God’s love is an unconditional love based on who you are;
that unique one of a kind creation that only you are and only you could be.
People compare themselves many times with others, thinking that they answer
the call of God so much better and that I could never be that pleasing to
God. The truth be known, no one could ever answer the call better than what
the Lord is asking of you, the unique person in Christ He created and
didn’t make a mistake with despite what you may think. Our Father’s realm
is not like the world where they play favorites and give preferential
treatment to those that can give them back something in return, but rather it
is based on an unconditional love for ones willingness and obedience to His
word. Christ loved us and died for us when we were still in sin and even
died for those that He knew would choose to stay in sin and unbelief. So
before you down play your calling or think the love of God is based on works
understand the fact that the Lord loves you and created you for His own
purpose, only you can carry out the calling He chose and selected for you
personally.
Luke 6:31-35 And as ye would
that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. (32) For if ye love
them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that
love them. (33) And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank
have ye? for sinners also do even the same. (34) And if ye lend to them of
whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to
sinners, to receive as much again. (35) But love ye your enemies, and do
good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great,
and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the
unthankful and to the evil. (KJV)
As we would like people to
treat us is the standard we need to live by. It doesn’t say they will
reciprocate the love of God we show to them, but we still need to hold to
our same standard. Many today still try to compare the love of God with how
they had been taught all of their lives, a conditional love based on the ‘what
have you done for me lately’ attitude. Greater love has no man than to lay
down His life so that the life and love of God can be shed abroad in their
hearts and be a light to those that are around them. Sometimes we think God
loves us less because maybe we are not dealing with large numbers or
because we haven’t been called to pastor a big congregation; but your
calling and your obedience to what the Lord is asking does not diminish the
love of God one bit in your life. You may have had people come and go in
your life and walk out on you for whatever reason or blame you because they
are unhappy and unfulfilled, but the love of God is eternal and is no
comparison to the love of man which is conditional.
Ephesians 3:17-19 That Christ
may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in
love, (18) May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth,
and length, and depth, and height; (19) And to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of
God. (KJV)
To know the love of Christ is
not something we can comprehend with the mind; it passes our knowledge and
doesn’t make sense. So the more one can stay out of their head and not lean
to their own understanding the more they will become rooted and grounded in
this unconditional love of Christ which is shed abroad in the heart. When
watching TV there will be advertisements that promote websites where one
can go find their soul mate in life. For many of these people that are
looking for love they will compare pictures and base their choices on
outward appearances as well as their financial status, which basically
means that if there is a change in any of these situations then the love
that was there in the beginning will be like a flame that flickers and
burns out. All of us have experienced the heartache of a breakup or lost
love at some point in our lives which was painful at the time because we
wondered what we did wrong or how we could have kept the flame burning.
Many times it wasn’t anything you did wrong it’s just that it wasn’t right
in the first place and didn’t have a solid foundation. At the time you may
have been devastated not realizing that God had something or someone better
suited for you, something that would be long lasting based on a real love
with a solid foundation. Once you truly experience the love of God you
realize that everything God does on your behalf is for your benefit so that
you could have life and have it more abundantly.
1 John 4:16-19 And we have
known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (17) Herein is our love
made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as
he is, so are we in this world. (18) There is no fear in love; but perfect
love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not
made perfect in love. (19) We love him, because he first loved us. (KJV)
Our love for the Lord is made
perfect as we mature in Him and realize everything He has done on our
behalf is so that we could have fellowship with Him and walk in the realm
of the Spirit. The fear is eliminated when you realize that you are
trusting more in what the Lord has done on your behalf and not in what you
think you should be doing on His behalf. We realize that God loves us for
the unique individual that we are and that no one else could carry out the
calling and the place in the body of Christ He has set us in. While some
preach only fire and brimstone, and portray a God of anger and vengeance, it’s
because they still hold to the letter of the law which kills and keeps the
love of God from flowing to their heart.
Psalms 45:1-2 My heart is
inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching
the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. (2) Thou art fairer than
the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath
blessed thee for ever. (KJV)
Inditing means to gush;
letting the love of God that has been shed in the heart flow through you
and water those around you. Out of the abundance of our heart the mouth
will speak, our tongue being an extension of it. Have you experienced the
love of God? Are you able to give an
accurate account of how that love is shed abroad in the heart which will
gush out of you like a fire hydrant and douse the fiery darts of the enemy?
There is no comparison.
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