The Love of God manifested in the Word of God made flesh, Jesus the Christ, covers a multitude of sins. God chose the simplicity of the Cross for salvation to put invalid the philosophy of man. All people are offered restoration to God and eternal life with Him in His birth, death and resurrection.
The Old Testament and the first 8 chapters of the New Testament were written by and for the Jewish believers, and those gentiles that accepted Judaism. Until Paul the mystery was hidden that the Gentiles would be offered this same gift of salvation in Jesus. With Jesus meeting Paul on the road to Damascus the mystery was revealed that all of humanity in Jesus could be saved. salvation in Him was God’s plan from the beginning. For there was no one righteous but Jesus, no not one!
1 Corinthians 3:7-11 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Maturity is taught to us, precept by precept, by Holy Spirit. It is found in a lifelong relationship with God. We start as newborns and are on a journey to understanding the Word of God made flesh.
Romans 8:9-11 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
The things of the Spirit can only be understood in the Spirit and not in the flesh. We are kept by the power of God through faith!
1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
John 12:23-33 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. 27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” 29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
Jesus died and was raised to fulfill all of the Scriptures. He died for the sins of all of His creation (John 3:16-17) He came to cast out the ruler of this world. In holding Him up in the work of His Cross all people could be saved. In Jesus we die to the old Adam and the sin that ruled the world and now we live in His Spirit. It is finished! Carla
Prior to this, Jesus had stated that His hour had not yet come. Now the time had come for Christ to die and be raised from the dead.
When a seed dies, it produces fruit. Life comes by death. This principle is true not only in nature, but it is also true spiritually. Jesus was speaking first and foremost of Himself. He is the grain of wheat. His death would produce much fruit and would result in many living for God.
The phrase loves his life describes those who serve only themselves. In a very short time, Jesus was going to give the disciples an opportunity to identify this problem in their lives (13:1–7). Hating his life involves serving Christ. Each believer must establish his or her priorities. We cannot give ourselves fully to this life and yet be committed to the life to come.
Follow Me in this context means to follow Jesus’ example of self-sacrifice (13:15). Jesus set the example of “hating” His life in this world so that He could accomplish eternal purposes (Philippians 2:5–8).
Jesus’ agony over His impending death was not confined to Gethsemane, where He prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39). He felt the agony and expressed it almost a week before Gethsemane. The NKJV Study Bible
A grain of wheat is not valuable unless it becomes something else. Jesus is willing to suffer for the cause God has set before Him. He suggests that His value is substantially less if He is unwilling to follow through on God’s will. If people decide that their lives are more important than God’s will, then they will forfeit the type of life God wants to give them—a life of relationship with Him now and in eternity. Jesus is not speaking about people who are already part of the faith (though He commands them to fully love Him and others); instead, He is speaking about people who are presented with an opportunity to believe but choose not to because they value their lives, possessions, or desires more than they value a relationship with the living God. Jesus asks people to forfeit their usual wants and desires for the sake of God’s will.
Those who choose to believe in Jesus will receive life forever, in communion with God the Father, because of their relationship with Jesus. Jesus calls His followers to be His servants—people completely devoted to His work. Faithlife Study Bible
Matthew 10:39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
John 16:11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
1 Corinthians 15:36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.
John 11:42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me
Let us place love at the center.
To “place love at the center, the center that holds solid as all around it breaks, the solid place that becomes the fort of what is unbreakable in us and the fulcrum of change.” (Dana Brown)
Gratefully, this we know: Fear is not the final answer.
And I talked about another one of my heroes, John Lewis and the light he spilled in our world.
“Anchor the eternity of love in your own soul and embed this planet with goodness,” Lewis wrote. “Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates. Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don’t be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself.” Sabbath Moments
Holy Father, Your Word tells us that each of us is "fearfully and wonderfully made" and that every one of our days is written in Your book (Psalm 139:14-16). We are so grateful that You see us, You know us, and You love us as our Creator who has a specific purpose and plan for our lives. As we seek to draw closer to You every day, give us the courage, strength, faith and endurance to follow Your will so You may be glorified. In Jesus' name, amen. First5
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