Grace and Peace

  

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

—Philippians 1:2

 

There can be no true peace without the grace of God. 

 

Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

 

Peace is the first benefit of being justified by faith instead of works. We can only have peace when we relate to God based on faith in what He did for us instead of what we do for Him. Those who think we must perform up to some standard to be accepted by God will have no peace. That puts the burden of salvation on us, and we can’t bear that load.

 

We could not live holy enough to please God before we were saved, and we can’t live holy enough to please God now that we are saved. We were saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8). We must also continually walk with God by faith (Colossians 2:6). Not understanding this has caused many Christians not to enjoy the peace provided for them through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus, we were saved, and through faith in Jesus, we have peace. Jesus Christ is the Gospel of peace (Luke 2:14, Romans 10:15, Ephesians 6:15).

 

2 Peter 1:2 says, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” 

 

True grace and peace only come through the accurate knowledge of what God has done for us. Grace and peace will increase in our lives as we grow to understand who we are in Christ.

 

The only way we can experience true peace is through being reconciled to God by grace. Grace and peace always go together.

 

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I Am Who God Says I Am

 

 

 

And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

—Romans 8:30 (NLT)

 

 

You were chosen to be God’s child and receive all the inherent blessings in that relationship. Jesus gave His life for you to have this relationship with God. God called you to come to Himself, and when you came to Him, you received right standing with Him. You now stand blameless and without guilt before God. When Jesus gave you right standing with His Father, you received God’s glory (Ephesians 1:3-8). He became your Abba Father (Galatians 4:6). Christ, the hope of glory, is in you (Colossians 1:27). His glorious power lives within you (Ephesians 1:19). 

 

This is how God sees you and wants you to see these truths in yourself. But we become frustrated when we try to prove to ourselves that they are true. We work hard in our own strength. However, only the Holy Spirit can reveal the truths of who we are to God. We believe these truths by faith. We must allow the Word to transform our understanding to know the righteousness that is ours in Christ. We haven’t called ourselves. We can’t forgive ourselves and make ourselves right with God. We can’t earn His righteousness. It became ours the moment we believed in our hearts in Him. Your life in Christ is a gift you can never earn. Just as you believed by faith for salvation, you also believe His righteousness is yours by faith.

 

“Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” What then shall we say to these things?” (Romans 8:30-31a, NKJV). 

 

When those who the Lord knew would accept Jesus as the sacrificial atonement for their sins believed in Him, they were all called, justified, and glorified. After declaring these truths, Paul asks a crucial question. “Do you believe who God says you are—that God chose you and having accepted Him, you are called, justified, and glorified?” The Word can declare these truths about you. But they do not make a difference in your life until you take ownership of what God says about you. 

 

When you have His power in your life that you are not utilizing, you are not receiving the benefits of your inheritance in Christ. But when you believe what God declares about you in His Word, you receive what His truth declares (Hebrews 4:2). You believe what God says about you by faith (Romans 10:17). You may not always “feel” what God says is true. You have to know what is true and exercise by faith what His Word says is true. And when you believe His Word in your heart, His power is alive in you.

 

What is your response to who Jesus says you are? This is where who you are in Christ comes down to your personal relationship with Him. No one else can answer the question Romans 8:31 asks you, “What do you say to these things?” It is your personal question. You might answer, “God saved me, but for me to believe I’m chosen, called, justified, glorified, and filled with the power of God, I don’t know about that.” And with this response, you close the door to believing who you are in Christ. 

 

It is truthful for you to say, “God chose me. I am called by God. I am justified in Christ. I have the shed blood of my Savior living in me. I have the righteousness of God in me. The Spirit of God is within me, and I have His power to live the life I have received in Jesus.” So what do I say to these things that God says about me? "I have right standing with God. I am forgiven. I am whole. I am healed. I am delivered. I am blessed. Jesus is alive in me. I see myself as God sees me. These are true for me.”

 

 What do you say to these things about yourself? God sees the image of His Son in you. You are new in Christ. All the old is gone. God is for you and not against you. Nothing has any power to stand against you when you believe in who God says you are. You are chosen, called, justified, and glorified.

 

"I am who God says I am!"

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/09/i-am-who-god-says-I-am.html

The Fear of God or the Fear of Man

 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

—Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV)

 

 

The fear of man and what others think can keep us from receiving wisdom from God. The choice we make to follow the Lord or yield to the opinion of others governs the amount of wisdom we receive. We forfeit God’s wisdom whenever we yield to our human need for acceptance and recognition. Anything that feeds selfishness and pride keeps us from the wisdom that comes from an intimate relationship with God. 

 

If we want God’s wisdom in our lives, Proverbs 9:10 says the starting place is the fear of the Lord. This fear of the Lord is not being afraid of God. Instead, it is placing a higher importance on God and His Word than on the judgments, requirements, and opinions of others. We humble ourselves to receive wisdom from God. He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). We cannot walk in the wisdom of God until our respect for the Lord is a higher priority than what other people think and believe is best for us. 

 

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

—Proverbs 29:25 (NKJV)

 

Trusting God’s will for your life is being spiritually minded. Trusting His wisdom over the opinions of others brings life and peace (Romans 8:6). But yielding to the opinions of others for your life instead of yielding to God’s purpose traps you in emotional bondage and restricts your potential. 

 

The fear of man will cost us God’s wisdom and, eventually, the respect of those we have tried to please. Look at Saul. He told Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I have feared the people and obeyed their voice” (1 Samuel 15:24, NKJV). Saul humbly began as king and ended his reign in pride and destruction.

 

David, however, responded to Nathan the prophet when confronted about his sin with Bathsheba. He knew God’s truth was best for his life. He repented immediately and said of God, “You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you will make me to know wisdom” (Psalm 51:6, NKJV).  He realized that an open heart to God would bring His wisdom.

 

Jesus only listened to His Father. He ignored the religious leaders and had no desire to appease them or seek their good opinion. He also chose to honor His Father’s will over the occasional advice of those He had called to follow Him. The emotional pressures of others did not move Jesus. His delight was in the fear of the Lord. He did not respond to what his eyes saw or his ears heard from others (Isaiah 11:3). Jesus walked completely in the wisdom of His Father.

 

Do I walk in the fear of the Lord or the fear of man? Do I esteem the Word, which is Jesus—full of grace and truth—as my highest priority (John 1:14)? Or do I think more of what others think, trying to win their approval? Yes, we all desire to be accepted by others—especially those we care about and think highly of. But when we desire God’s wisdom above all else, putting Him first is always the beginning.

 

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom” Solomon wrote. “And in all your getting, get understanding” (Proverbs 4:7, NKJV).  God’s wisdom is the most important thing. So, ask God for wisdom. He gives it generously (James 1:5) and seek to understand how to apply and exercise His wisdom in your life.

 

“We do not cease to pray for you,” Paul said, “and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9, (NKJV).

 

Fear of the opinions of others will pull you out of the will of God and His plans for your life. The wisdom of God is always found in placing God’s desires above what others think. When you are filled with God’s wisdom and spiritual understanding, the opinions of others take second place to God’s opinion. You trust God’s truth over the opinions of others. And you continually choose Him.

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/09/the-fear-of-god-or-fear-of-man.html      

Doubt or Faith

 

 

 

 

Doubt hinders us from receiving God’s promises. If we could understand the source of doubt, walking by faith and not sight would be easier.

 

Doubt has nothing to do with the spiritual. It comes from the flesh. Doubt relates to our senses, natural reasoning, and memory. God’s kind of faith is spiritual. It surpasses what we feel or reason. When we struggle with faith to believe God’s promises, we are actually struggling with our senses and feelings. Faith can be quickly extinguished when we give our senses and emotions power. 

 

When Jesus called to Peter to walk on the water, Peter initially believed in Jesus’ word to “come” (Matthew 14:29). If Peter had remained focused on Jesus’ word, he would not have begun to sink. But Peter became aware of his circumstances. The spiritual promise of Jesus’ word was lost when Peter lost his focus. His senses overpowered him, and faith vanished.

 

“And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt’” (Matthew 14:31)?

 

God instructs us to live by and in the Spirit (Romans 8:13, Galatians 5:25). He tells us that all things are possible to those who believe (Mark 9:23). But many don’t live in the Spirit. Many are too aware of their circumstances, feelings, and reasoning. Many think they believe God’s Word, but, in reality, they are just “hoping” faith will work for them. They don’t trust faith to work. 

 

What is the answer? 

 

“….Purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8). 

 

The heart is the source of faith or doubt. It chooses to believe God’s Word or the circumstances.

 

We will remain in doubt as long as we live by our senses, nourish our feelings, continually dwell on our circumstances, and allow our natural minds to reason God’s Word. James 1:7-8 says a double-minded man is unstable. He doesn’t know what he believes. He can’t expect to receive from the Lord. We can hinder the promises of God in our lives.

 

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

 

Guard your heart. You must nourish your spirit man daily and starve your senses, feelings, negativity, and unbelief. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen in your natural circumstances (Hebrews 11:1). Faith sees God’s truth in the spiritual realm. It sees things that aren’t as though they are. 

 

Don’t doubt. Believe by faith. God’s Word is enough. 

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/09/doubt-or-faith.html

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

God’s Grace for You

 

 

Who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9).

.

 

God’s grace comes into our lives with a purpose. We are prepared to fulfill His purpose when we understand God loves and accepts us unconditionally. 

 

God’s grace came into Paul’s life with a purpose.

 

“But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you” (Acts 26:16)

 

God’s grace works for good to those who are called according to His purpose.

 

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

 

God has a purpose for you. His grace is available for you to walk in that purpose. He has endowed you with gifts and talents that must be utilized and developed. The degree to which you understand your purpose is the degree to which you will realize true peace and joy.

 

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God . . . For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8,10).

 

Grace through faith saves us. But there is more! That same grace leads us to the good works God has prepared for us. 

 

You won't fulfill your purpose if you only understand the grace through faith that saves you and not the grace through faith that changes you. The purpose God has designed for you is unique to you. You should go after it with God’s grace! 

 

God’s purpose for all of us includes all our relationships: marriage and children, job and vocation, and reaching others with the Gospel of grace. We are to be Jesus’ light, making a difference in the lives of the lost and those struggling to believe in God's promises. 

 

You are God’s workmanship created in Jesus Christ! You are one of a kind and have immeasurable value in His Kingdom.

 

Grace is God's power for your whole life to save, heal, deliver, provide, and change you!

 

God’s grace was available when you were saved, and it is available now. Look at Paul. He calls and uses imperfect people. 

 

“Rise!” God declares. “Stand on your feet! I have a purpose for you!”

 

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/06/gods-grace-for-you.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lay Hold of God’s Promises

 

 

Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

—Hebrews 6:18

 

 

God cannot lie. We can trust every Word God has ever said. Hebrews 1:3 says all things are held together by the power of God’s Words. If God were to break His Word, creation would collapse. Since creation is still intact, we can be assured every promise of God has been kept absolutely perfectly.

The very fact that God cannot lie should have been enough to prove Himself to us. But because of His incredible love and mercy, He also gave us something more: His oath that His Word is true. The fact that God cannot lie and His oath that His Word is true are two immutable, absolute, indisputable, unchangeable, irreversible things we can totally put our faith in. 

The Greek word “krateo,” which was translated as “to lay hold” in this verse, means “to use strength, i.e., seize or retain (literally or figuratively)” (Strong’s Concordance). We must seize and hold on to this hope God has given us with all our strength (Mark 12:30).

 

If God tells us to hold on to the hope He has given us, why do some people advise us to just “let go and let God” when we are faced with a difficult situation? 

 

What does the Word of God say?

 

“Lay hold of the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18). “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:12). “I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12).

 

Does “letting go and letting God” really press on to lay hold of what Christ has done for us?

 

When we attempt to make sense of our problems in our own strength and do what we know to do, we ultimately end up defeated. That isn’t faith. Instead of fighting the good fight of faith, we have let go and surrendered to our circumstances when we should be “laying hold” of God’s promises.

 

Faith is not passive acquiescence. It does not yield to circumstances. Faith brings God's power to overcome circumstances that do not reflect His will. 

 

Faith is not a human determination to bring about change. Faith is the conviction that comes from hearing God and knowing that your circumstances will change if you remain “fully convinced” that whatever God has promised, He can perform (Romans 4:21). How many have lost out on what God promised them because they let go of holding on?

 

Peace does come from trusting God, yet trusting God is not passive. Trust is an action verb. It is exercising your faith. Trust doesn’t yield to your problem. It is believing God has overcome it. When a person is outwardly unconcerned about his circumstances, you can be sure God’s peace is very active deep within his heart.

 

God’s peace is His righteous power to stand against the enemy and overcome in your life.

 

“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:20).

 

The believer who has a “fully convinced” attitude of faith will continually “see” the victory, declare the Word, and never let go of the promises of God. 

 

God is faithful to His Word and what He has promised. Stir up your faith. Seize and hold on to the victory He has given you with all your strength.

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/09/lay-hold-of-gods-promises.html

 

A Trustworthy Messenger

 

Many people don’t trust God to fulfill His Word by providing for their needs. They strive to prove their worthiness, and in the process, they look to themselves to fulfill their needs.

 

A genuinely humble person finds joy in recognizing that God is the source of everything good in his life (James 1:17). He may have worked hard for his money, but it is God who gave him the ability to earn it (Deuteronomy 8:18). You may work hard to be healthy, but it is God who fearfully and wonderfully made you (Psalm 139:14). You may be skillful in music, but God gave you that talent to bless and serve others (1 Peter 4:10). The world may encourage you to be a “self-made” man or woman, but you aren’t. God created you. When you allow Him to create through your life, He achieves His best in and through you. 

 

However, if you take credit for the best God accomplishes through you, you steal His glory and set yourself up for humiliation.

 

“I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images” (Isaiah 42:8).

 

You can steal God’s glory by taking credit for what He has done, but you can also steal His glory by not humbly receiving the honor given to you for what He has done through you. Never downplay what you have done for the Lord. Just give Him honor and praise. Jesus never took God’s glory for Himself. He always stated His dependence on God and honored His Father. Jesus said God spoke through Him, and He only spoke His Father’s words.

 

“My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me,” Jesus said. ^“If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him”

John 7:16-18

 

Jesus didn’t speak His own message. He didn’t seek His own glory. There was no unrighteousness in Jesus. He gave God the credit. But He also didn’t deny what God did through Him—the dead were raised, the blind received sight, and the lame walked. He even cited those miracles as evidence of who He was (Matthew 11:4-6). You don’t need to discredit your accomplishments. But do you give God credit for them and acknowledge Him as your source?

 

Taking credit is pride, but so is downplaying what God has done. You basically steal His glory. Jesus never downplayed the miracles God did through Him. People asked Him where He got His authority, and He faithfully gave the glory to God. He was a faithful and trustworthy messenger of God’s message.

 

In Proverbs, you discover what is meant by being a trustworthy messenger (Proverbs 13:17; 14:5, 25;  25:13). A faithful and trustworthy messenger is true to the one who sent him. He doesn’t honor and glorify himself but represents correctly and reliably the one who sent him. An untrustworthy messenger is more concerned with his or her own reputation. If the message to be delivered will cause him hurt or discomfort, an untrustworthy messenger will revise the message to be sure it is well received. That is pride. He shouldn’t concern himself with how people will respond. A trustworthy messenger will just do what God says. He is concerned with God’s response and whether He is pleased. Praise the Lord for those who share God’s message correctly and reliably and aren't worried about how it is received.

 

What about you?  Are you a faithful and trustworthy messenger? Are you more concerned about God’s opinion than the opinion of men?  Do you seek God’s approval instead of the approval of others? Do you glorify God for His accomplishments and not downplay what He has accomplished through you?  Do you refresh your Master's soul?

 

Humility is balanced. It doesn’t elevate or deflate you. A trustworthy messenger is a person whose life is totally and utterly dependent on God. God is his source. He relies only on the One who created him.

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/08/a-trustworthy-messenger.html

 

Depending on God

 

 

 

 

Have you been serving the Lord for years? I’m talking about everyone who ministers in the calling the Lord has given us. If God asked you, would you walk away from what you have built or have always done for Him?  Or are you dependent on its security?  Is He your desire or what you do for Him?

 

“One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple” (Psalm 27:4).

 

When you get right down to it, God should be your desire—not what you do for Him. He should be what you seek. Would just dwelling in Him be enough for you? 

 

True humility means being willing to leave everything behind if that pleases God. Humility exalts God’s wishes above its own and has no plans of its own. It is totally dependent on God. 

 

In Exodus 33, Moses asked God to see His glory. The Lord answered him: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14).  In the next verse, Moses revealed his complete dependence on God by essentially saying, “Lord, if you don’t go with me, I’m not going anywhere!”  

 

God is humility’s source. Humility seeks Him. It recognizes it can’t do anything without Him. Pride, though, refuses to recognize its dependence on God.

 

“The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts: Psalm 10:4).

 

Many aren’t arrogant and boastful. They may think about God, but yet still don’t seek Him. They only seek Him when they have a problem or need. After exhausting all their options, they finally go to God. Most people do what they can and then depend on God to do what they can’t. While most people may think and function this way, it is not the Lord’s way. 

 

Where pride trusts only in self, humility trusts only in God. True humility depends on God and trusts Him to be who He says He is. 

 

In the fifth chapter of John, Jesus voiced His dependence on God: “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner’” (John 5:19).“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30).

 

These two statements reveal Jesus’ unity with the Father. Jesus was so dependent on God that He could not function independently of Him. If Jesus was this dependent on God, why should we think we can do things on our own? Pride, whether from high or low self-esteem, keeps us from trusting Him. High self-esteem keeps us from seeking Him because we have the answer. Low self-esteem keeps us from seeking Him because we don’t feel worthy of His answer. Jesus knew who He was in God. Do you? 

 

You may be a born-again Christian and love God, but are you living without depending on Him? Are you a person who trusts yourself more than God or are you someone who has trouble trusting God because you believe He sees you as lowly and undesirable? Perhaps, you only go to Him when you have used up your last option or utterly fail. God is not a safety net. He is God. 

 

Is what you are hearing from the Lord? Be sure the voice telling you to do something is the Lord’s. If it doesn’t agree with the Word, it is not God. It is either the enemy stroking a puffed-up ego or your conscience condemning you. God is greater than the enemy stroking your high self-esteem or your conscience, reminding you how unworthy you are. Remember, high and low self-esteem are both forms of pride.

 

If the Lord has told you to do something, do it. Don’t ask for someone else’s opinion. Even if it looks like things may not work out in your favor, trust the Lord. Don’t be prideful and lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Trust God to be God and to work things out for your good (Isaiah 46:10, Romans 8:28).

 

When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and Peter said, “Lord, if it’s You, bid me come,” it was humility for Peter to obey (Matthew 28:29). It was humility for Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water. Perhaps, you don’t see that as humility. But true humility is dependent on God and trusts His Word. Peter trusted Jesus’ Word. If God tells you to stay where you are, stay. But if God says, “come,” doubting His Word and not trusting His ability would be pride. It wasn’t Peter’s ability that allowed him to walk on water. He walked on water because He stepped out of the boat, trusting Jesus’ ability to perform His Word. It is humility for you to step out of your boat of false security and trust God.

 

Were you raised with a wrong understanding of humility? Was it wrong to ever stand out or draw attention to yourself?  If something good happened in your life, were you expected to deny it as a person who didn’t deserve it? Humility isn’t denying what God is doing in your life. Humility is acknowledging it. Humility is living a balanced life of dependence on God.

 

If you were taught to believe that humility is a self-condemning attitude and, as a result, rejected the things God called you to do, you need to repent. Humble yourself and allow God’s grace to change you. If you have been fearful and not stepping out and speaking your vision because of someone’s opinion, repent. The only One you have to please is God. 

 

God has asked you to do something beyond your natural inclination and ability. He has something that will bless those you love. Don’t allow pride to deprive those you love of their blessings. If God’s will is for you to be a janitor in a company, humbly accept it. If God’s will is for you to be the CEO of that same company, humbly accept that position. That is being a servant. That is humility.

 

You never acquire humility once and then maintain it for the rest of your life. Humility is a constant process of self-examination and fine-tuning your life. Always assess your life. You can be in pride and not even know it.

 

“And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8:2).

 

We cannot get rid of pride without completely dying. We must deal with ourselves as long as we live in a body. We have to manage our tendency to live independently of God.

 

“For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge. He puts down one, and exalts another” (Psalm 75:6-7).

 

God exalts us. He instructs us to humble ourselves so that He can exalt us (1 Peter 5:6). When we exalt ourselves, we don’t trust God’s promise to reward those who serve “as to the Lord” or who first seek His kingdom (Ephesians 6:7-8, Colossians 3:23-24, Matthew 6:33). When we devalue ourselves, we don’t trust God’s promise that He loves us enough to use us. Both these attitudes reveal a false belief that God is indifferent, that we cannot depend on Him, and that He won’t reward our humility. 

 

God is not indifferent to you! You can depend on Him! Know your value to God. There is no reason to prove yourself when you have nothing to prove. Daily, humble yourself and assess your thoughts. Do they agree with God’s Word and His assessment of you?  Trust His assessment and walk in the assurance of your salvation. 

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/08/depending-on-god.html

 

When I Lay Me Down

 

 

Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.

—John 15:13

  

God’s kind of love is different from the world’s kind of love. The world's kind of love is selfish. It seeks someone to fulfill its needs. That is not God’s kind of love, which lays its life down for another.

 

“And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3).

 

What matters is the reason behind an act of love. You can give everything you have to help those in need, but it means nothing if you are helping them because it gratifies you. If your reason is not love, it profits you nothing.

 

God is love. Love is the reason God gives. Love is the reason He corrects us. Paul describes God’s kind of love: 

 

^“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a).

 

What many people consider “love” is void of the qualities listed in 1 Corinthians. God’s love is humble. Theirs is self-seeking and easily angered. It keeps a record of offenses. It is envious and arrogant. This is not God’s kind of love at all. If we love with God’s kind of love, we place others ahead of ourselves, and they don’t easily upset or provoke us (1 Corinthians 13:5). 

 

Proverbs 13:10 says that “by pride comes nothing but strife.” The only reason a person gives in to anger is pride. Strife doesn’t come because of what others do to us. It is the pride inside of us that makes us angry. You may be praying for God to remove someone who upsets you from your life, but God wants you to be salt and light in this world (Matthew 5:13-14). We must connect with others and unselfishly love like God.

 

God has given each person an intuitive knowledge of his Creator (Romans 1:18-20. He draws each person with His love. Since creation, Satan has tried to keep man from God’s goodness. He has caused some people to deny God’s existence and harden their hearts until they no longer recognize His goodness or His reprimand (Romans 1:28). Those who do acknowledge God, Satan tries to corrupt them with selfishness and pride.

 

This is what Satan did with Eve when he tempted her to eat the fruit of the tree in the garden. First, he told her a lie, “You will not surely die’” (Genesis 3:4). Then he got Eve to question God’s reason to keep her from eating the fruit of the tree. ^“For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).

 

“You can be like God,” Satan tempted. Scripture says Eve looked at the tree and saw it was “pleasant to the eye and a tree desirable to make one wise” so she surrendered and ate the fruit (Genesis 3:6). In a way, Eve’s desire was to be God, which is the ultimate pride. 

 

God’s love keeps Him from forcing His will upon us. He gave Adam and Eve the free will to choose Him, and we have the same choice. We can either humbly surrender to God’s love or live without Him. But if we remain independent of God, we forfeit the security of His blessings and grace. 

 

Pride controls the lives of those who believe God’s Word and standards have no merit. One day everyone who has upheld values opposed to God’s Word will stand before God and realize their folly. Those who have pridefully ridiculed the Word of God and His grace will be humiliated, admitting their wrong and realizing He is the Lord. 

 

All of us will come before God one day. If we respond humbly now to God’s love, we won’t face shame when that day arrives. Instead of disgrace, God will pour out His grace. We will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21)! We won’t receive God’s grace because of what we have done. God doesn’t bestow grace because of our holiness. He gives grace in proportion to our humility. If we have humbled ourselves and put our faith in Jesus, we will enter into the joy of the Lord.

 

God loves humility and hates pride (Proverbs 6:16-19). Humility submits to God’s standard and depends on Him. And God’s standard is love. 

 

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’” (Matthew 22:37-40).

 

When you love God and others, you do as Jesus commanded. But “loving your neighbor as yourself” does not mean overlooking their sin. You care enough about yourself to take care of yourself. You are to care for others in the same way. When you know that the Word of God is truth, and you don’t share it with others, they will receive the consequences of their sin. That is not love.

 

Never beat someone up with the Word of God! God’s love does not demand obedience. It offers a new life. When you have God’s love, you hate what evil does to people so much that you are willing to experience discomfort and speak God’s truth. If I don’t alert someone to danger I know is coming, I love myself more than I love them. I am more concerned about being at ease with them than their life.

Love “does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:6-7).

 

God’s kind of love speaks the truth, protects, endures, and goes the second mile. There is no greater love than to lay down our lives for others. 

 “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:11).

The Word of God stands forever. The plans of His heart are for everyone. They just have to believe in Him. We are Jesus’ hands and feet. When I lay me down—when I humble myself to share God’s love in word and deed, His love never fails. 

 

 

 

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