Ephesians 2:1-8 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Continuing Michael’s message, he writes that the love of God is the love of hope. It is the assurance of our future in our eternal relationship with Him. The Apostle John said in 1 John 5:11-13 “This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. God’s spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are sons and daughters of God.
We can’t love others with the love of God until we love Him above all. When we love the Lord, we can love those around us rightly. Jesus loved the unlovable because he loved with the unconditional love of God. If we are to love our spouses rightly, we must meet each other at the foot of the cross. We were dead in sin until we came to Christ. For in Him is the love of God made perfect. For we who were dead in trespasses and sins has he reconciled through the sacrifice of His beloved Son on our behalf. God loved us so much that even while we were yet sinners, He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him would not perish but have everlasting life. God’s nature is to love the undeserving.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 says, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one God. And thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” To love God, we must die to self. To be set free, we must die to the sinful nature we inherited from Adam. For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
There is no pure love in my human soul that I inherited from Adam. I cannot love until I’ve been set free by the unconditional spiritual love of God. God never gave up on us because of His great love wherewith he loved us. As David prayed, “have mercy on me O Lord. Not according to my transgressions but according to your loving kindness and tender mercy. I am undeserving, for against thee and thee alone have I sinned. Restore me to an upright condition so that I may return to fellowship. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me and draw me nearer to thee. Order my ways according to thy holy word. Make thy commandment the joy of my heart that by them I might have happy conversation with you O Lord.” When I fail, when I fall from the narrow way, O Lord, may I fall into your net of mercy and grace. Forgive me, restore me, return me to an upright position according to your unconditional love and mercy.
Thank you Lord for your remarkable love. That I may love you with the spirit of Christ in me to the praise of the glory of your grace. May our lives be an example of the remarkable unconditional love of our Lord that we may continually offer unto him the sacrifice of praise!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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