Should We Expect Grace If We Do Not Love?
Good Morning Friends,
The question today as I prepare to spend a week at Laity Lodge in Texas contemplating the issue of scarcity and abundance in the world, is whether we have forsaken God in the experience of our life by not being fully committed to trust. Oh, our love does need perfecting. We still fear. Therefor I do hope God is reflected in me and you with a bolder love that prompts us to act in a way to produce results that glorify God. So then, Should We Expect Grace If We Do Not Love?
Scripture:
36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
Matthew 25:36 (NRSV)
16So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. 19We love* because he first loved us. 20Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters,* are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister* whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 21The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters* also.
1 John 4:16-21 (NRSV)
Message: From time to time, I find myself wanting to control the flow of love in this world and the love of others, making a judgment call about its distribution. This is of course crazy thinking. Perhaps it is not my natural inclination to release love, especially when, as I look around I see so many people, and even people of faith, looking to self-interests first. But that perspective is not the love spoken about in today’s scripture from 1 John. The message here is not about a commodity but our attitude in the relationship. The law of the Kingdom calls us to learn to love one another sincerely, deeply from the heart in conjunction with His servant-like love that is to abide in us. Yes… God so loved the world that He sent His son. And the Son has determined that we too should have this heart of a servant and where we go, so goes His love. This message is repeated time and time again in the New Testament and too often we miss it. But sometimes we get it and when we do it is wonderful. So today I am wondering how we can look more like Jesus.
Pray we have the love of a Jesus for a Lazarus. Pray we love without shame or anger. Pray we appreciate how little we deserve to be called children of God. Pray we learn to love. Pray we mature in the faith. Pray we joyously recognize Jesus in the lives of others, especially the poor and sick and suffering. Pray we learn that being loved by God and God abiding in us to love others all go together. Pray we love so well that our fear is not more.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Next Devotional will be scheduled for this Saturday, April 25.
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