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Birdwell Lane Church of Christ Big Spring, TX |
Weekly Thoughts - November 2009
| <---- October 2009 | -- | December 2009 ----> |
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01 - ASK YOURSELF SERIOUSLY 08 - THE SCOPE OF GOD’S LOVE, Part 1 15 - THE SCOPE OF GOD’S LOVE, Part 2 22 - THE SCOPE OF GOD’S LOVE, Part 3 29 - THE DEMANDS OF GOD’S LOVE |
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ASK YOURSELF SERIOUSLY Does my life please God? Am I studying the Bible daily? Am I enjoying my Christian life? Have I ever won a soul to Christ? How much time do I spend in prayer? Am I trying to bring my friends and family to Christ? Am I really giving as the Lord prospers me? How does my life look to those who are not members of the church? How many things do I put before Christ? Where am I making my worst mistake? Is the world being made better by my living in it? Great questions to ask self as I take inventory of my Christian life. Please think on these things. Change those that are not up to par and without any hesitation, it is a matter of life or death! See Ya Sunday, Ralph |
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THE SCOPE OF GOD’S LOVE, Part 1 How wide is the love of god? How far does the love of God reach? How deep and how high is the love of God” It is impossible that the finite intelligence of the creature could measure the infinite boundlessness of Him who is love. Men, in trying to understand the scope of God’s love have made two serious mistakes. The first mistake is made in trying to limit the love of God to a certain class of men. Whether the class be social, economic, racial or other, men who would limit God’s love to some would limit God’s love to the elect and exclude the so-called non-elect. This error is just as serious as any other. The second mistake is to misunderstand the nature of God’s love. Some suppose that because God loves a person that person is automatically saved. Some think that because God “so loved the world” (John 3:16) that the world is thereby saved. Some term it “universal salvation.” People who hold this latter view of God’s love cannot reconcile the love of God and the judgment of God. So in the next 2 lessons we will examine “the scope of God’s love” from two sides. Ephesians 3:18-19 and Philippians 4:8. Grab your Bibles read both passages and let us reason together. See Ya Sunday, Ralph |
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THE SCOPE OF GOD’S LOVE, Part 2 What is the scope of God’s love? Paul writes of the love of God “that passes understanding,” (Philippians 4:8) but he also prays that the Ephesian Christians, “May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge…” (Ephesians 3:18-19). Does Paul contradict himself? To affirm that he does is to affirm that the Holy Spirit who inspired Paul contradicts himself. Can we grasp the significance of a love that passes knowledge? It would seem that we could for the knowledge spoken of must certainly mean human wisdom or knowledge apart from the divine wisdom gained through God’s revelation of the scriptures. The Ephesian Christian could know this love by reading the Holy Spirit inspired scriptures and so can we. The scope of God’s love is beyond human understanding but within the realm of God’s revelation. What is the scope of God’s love? First of all, it is world wide. “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16). Second, the love of God is to each individual for the writer to the Hebrew Christians said that “Jesus tasted death for every man.” (Hebrews 2:9). Does that mean that all men will be saved? Not at all, because the same scriptures that reveals the love of God also reveal the judgment of God upon the unrighteous. (Romans 1:17-18). Is love a synonym for salvation? The answer again is no! Love produced the mercy that brought the grace of God in the person of Jesus Christ who provides through His blood a satisfaction for sin through “faith in His blood,” (Romans 3:25). Next week part 3. See Ya Sunday, Ralph |
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THE SCOPE OF GOD’S LOVE, Part 3 The love of God is the foundation of God’s acts on behalf of sinful man. Sinful man must respond in love and faith toward him who alone if the forgiver of sins – Almighty God. God is the source of love because He is love. John wrote these simple words, “Love is of God.” ( 1 Jon 3:7). Love proceeds from God Himself. Love is so much the personality of God, that ALL His actions and works are motivated by love. C.H. Dodd said, “All God’s activity is loving activity. If He creates, He creates in love; if He rules, He rules in love, if He judges, He judges in love.” “God is love.” (1 John 4:8). God is the foundation for love and its divine source. Love cannot be separated from the personality of God. Love is not a created object; it is the divine property and divine affection of the God of the universe. Love begins and centers in His divine nature. The extent of God’s love can be seen in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” We then, must conclude that the giving of His Son to save man was a result of not just love, but of overwhelming love. Truly such love cannot be measured in human terms or understood by finite mind. See Ya Sunday, Ralph |
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THE DEMANDS OF GOD’S LOVE Paul writing to the Corinthians said, “Now abides faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13). There can be no doubt that love is the greatest gift to man, the greatest grace in the heart of God, and the greatest thing on earth. Love can mold a man and a woman into one; nothing else can do that. Love can lift a man out of the pitfalls of life and make him a son of God, (1 John 3:1). God loved us enough to send His Son to die that we might have life, (Jn. 3:16). Paul states that, “God commends His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s love has been demonstrated in historical fact. There is no limit to God’s love for mankind. In finding the limit of God’s love, it would be like looking over the horizon and seeing the place where earth and sky meet; it is just an optical illusion. You may go and look but you will never find the place where they meet. The love of God for the human race is like that. God has desired that we love Him. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment,” (Matt. 22:37). God is to be loved with all our being, and above all else. Jesus also said, “He that loves father or mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me, (Matt. 10:37). Christ demands that we love Him more than the physical ties we have in this world. Austin said, “He loves not Christ at all who does not love Christ above all.” Are you fulfilling this demand? See Ya Sunday, Ralph |
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