September 13th, 2014. GODS INTRINSIC LOVE As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. John 15:9 We are not just hoping that God will feel a certain way. He intrinsically feels a certain way toward us. And His intrinsic feeling of love is eternally flowing because of the finality of the cross. Because of the finality of what happened on our behalf at Calvary with the shedding of the Lords blood, the Father has once and for all received us fallen, sinful people. God so intrinsically loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16). And He demonstrated that love:while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). Because of Christ, God betrothed us to Himself in righteousness and justice (Hosea 2:19). He entered into a love relationship in righteousness, making Christ our imputed, legal righteousness, and taking us out of our own standing. Now we are clothed with Christ Himself as our righteousness. So our love relationship with the Lord is based upon Him being our righteousness. God has betrothed us in justice. He judged our sins once and for all. On the cross, all our sins-- past, present, and future-- were laid on Christ. The sin question has been answered conclusively at Calvary. This is all tied in to Gods unconditional love. This is how I am related to Him. My relationship is characterized by that love based upon blood-- based upon righteousness and justice. God betrothed us not only in righteousness and in justice, but also in lovingkindness and mercy (Hosea 2:19). Now Gods intrinsic feeling toward us can only be love because of Jesus, because of blood. Our whole relationship with Him is characterized by this-- God loves me. Just stay in His love. Do not leave it. Abide there. Remain there. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love [John 15:9]. AS THE FATHER HATH LOVED ME. He intended to express something far greater than is commonly supposed; for they who think that he now speaks of the sacred love of God the Father, which he always had towards the Son, philosophize away from the subject; for it was rather the design of Christ to lay, as it were, in our bosom a sure pledge of Gods love towards us. That abstruse inquiry, as to the manner in which the Father always loved himself in the Son, has nothing to do with the present passage. But the love which is here mentioned must be understood as referring to us, because Christ testifies that the Father loves him, as he is the Head of the Church. And this is highly necessary for us; for he who without a Mediator, inquires how he is loved by God, involves him in a labyrinth, in which he will neither discover the entrance, nor the means of extricating himself. We ought therefore to cast our eyes on Christ, in whom will be found the testimony and pledge of the love of God; for the love of God was fully poured out on him, that from him it might flow to his members. He is distinguished by this title, that he is the beloved Son, in whom the will of the Father is satisfied, (Matthew 3:17.) But we ought to observe the end, which is, that God may accept us in him. So, then, we may contemplate in him, as in a mirror, Gods paternal love towards us all; because he is not loved apart, or for his own private advantage, but that he may unite us with him to the Father. ABIDE IN MY LOVE. Some explain this to mean, that Christ demands from his disciples mutual love; but others explain it better, who understand it to mean the love of Christ towards us. He means that we should continually enjoy that love with which he once loved us, and, therefore, that we ought to take care not to deprive ourselves of it; for many reject the grace which is offered to them, and many throw away what they once had in their hands. So, then, since we have been once received into the grace of Christ, we must see that we do not fall from it through our own fault. The conclusion which some draw from these words, that there is no efficacy in the grace of God. unless it be aided by our steadfastness, is frivolous. For I do not admit that the Spirit demands from us no more than what is in our own power, but he shows us what we ought to do, that, if our strength be deficient, we may seek it from some other quarter. In like manner, when Christ exhorts us, in this passage, to perseverance, we must; not rely on our own strength and industry, but we ought to pray to him who commands us, that he would confirm us in his love. September 13 MORNING IF ANY MAN THIRST, LET HIM COME UNTO ME, AND DRINK. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.-- O God, thou [art] my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so [as] I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.-- The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.-- Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.-- My blood is drink indeed. Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. JOHN 7:37. Ps 84:2.-- Ps 63:1, 2. Is 55:1.-- Re 22:17.-- Jn 4:14.-- Jn 6:55. Ca 5:1. September 13 EVENING YE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH. That which is not corruptible.-- Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.-- He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.-- The children of God, being the children of the resurrection.-- The uncorruptible God. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ [be] in you, the body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.-- It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption. Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another-- Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. MAT 5:13. 1 Pe 3:4-- 1 Pe 1:23.-- Jn 11:25.-- Lu 20:36.-- Ro 1:23. Ro 8:9- 11-- 1 Co 15:42. Mar 9:50.-- Ep 4:29.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 15:14:10 +0000
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