His amazing love

 

Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him.

John 14:21

Love is something that everyone talks about as needful for one’s well-being. But love isn’t a product that one can just obtain in a grocery store or have because it’s advertised over the internet or something you deserve to have because you’re entitled to it.

If that were the case, someone has said that then, we’d be “looking for love in all the wrong places.” But then again, if one is looking for love, assuming that it is to be found in the right place because it’s talked about in Holy Scripture, Scripture tells us: “God is love” (see I John 4:16) and love describes God to a “T.”

God loved us to the nth degree by giving His Son to be mankind’s Savior— to take upon Himself our sins and die in our place, therefore not counting our sins for loss. This is the common message heard every Sunday in the church of your choice. God the Son loved us and died for our sins in our stead in order to redeem us and bestow on us His righteousness. And, God the Holy Spirit moves us to know this and to respond to God’s love thankfully—to live that love out in our lives.

The Bible commands us to believe in Jesus alone as our Savior. The Holy Spirit moves us to do that, even though our sinful pride calls us to rely on our own works. The Bible commands us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do that, even though our sinful hearts rebel. The Bible commands us to believe in all that God’s done from creation in the beginning to the coming of the new heaven and earth at the end of time. The Holy Spirit guides us to do that, even though our “enlightened age” scoffs at it and human reason denies it.

The point is that the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh will use many tactics to separate us from the commands of Christ and the love of God. But the Holy Spirit, contrarily will use only one way to keep us obedient to the commands of Scripture— to the fulfillment of God’s righteous Law: love!

Yes, dear friends, it was love that moved God to send His beloved Son to us as the Son of man. It was love that motivated and compelled Jesus to suffer and die for us on the accused cross. And, “Christ’s love compels us” (see 2 Corinthians 5:14). We love because He first loved us.

As we live our lives of Spirit-given, Spiritenabled, and Spiritpowered love, we have our Savior’s promise that we will enjoy the love of the Father and of the Son. His love brings us forgiving comfort and joy every day that wants to respond back in loving ways that forgives “those who have sinned against us” and that does good unto others in loving ways. There isn’t enough space in this reading to mention all the blessings and benefits of Christ’s forgiveness that abounds for all who believe in Him for life and salvation. And the Holy Spirit gives us purpose and direction to fear, love, and trust in God above all things; to love our neighbor as ourselves that we in turn declare the Good News of God’s salvation in Christ to all people—for Christ’s love compels us.

As a pastor I’m ever amazed at how God’s love is evident every week in every sermon message. It’s always exciting to hear and see how He will touch us with His amazing love through Christ Jesus our Savior.

And, it’s encouraging to see how He moves those who hear His Word to keep it. Let it be known “the kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God” (see I John 3:1). And may the Holy Spirit move you to enjoy the love of Christ and respond thankfully in service to God and mankind. God grant it to you for Jesus’ sake.

Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This week our contributor is Reverend Dean Rudloff, Life In Christ Lutheran Church in Grand Marais.