Chris Rock used to comment on a certain group of people that were prouder than usual that they were actually doing what was expecting of them. In other words, they considered what they were supposed to do as an accomplishment. If you've heard his actual piece on this subject, you'll probably notice that I'm trying to make it sound as clean as possible.
Clearly God makes all things work for good, even if they involve comedy skits with unfortunate explicit language. Anyway, I bring that up because I have to confess that I've been the same way, and it is just this Easter Sunday that I've learned it. The Bible tells us that the first commandment is to love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Jesus said it Himself, and this is shown in Matthew 22:36-37. I liken a commandment to a law, to something that I should be doing.
Now I understand that we shouldn't keep our love to the Lord private, but on the other hand, we shouldn't consider that as a foundation for us. We remember that before Christ made a final visit to the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter clearly and confidently exclaimed that he would lay his life down for Him (John 13:37). Christ replied by saying that he would deny Him (John 13:38). He would verbally advise that he was not friends with Christ, nor did he ever know Him. Now remember, Christ said He would acknowledge anyone who acknowledges Him before men to God, and He would deny anyone who denied Him to God (Matthew 10:32). Peter did not just deny Christ before men once, but three times. Pastor Joseph Prince used all this as an example of how our human love would ultimately fail us.
I am in full agreement of Pastor Prince's statement: We should proud of God's love for us, not our love for God. The distinct difference between those two struck me today, seeing as for the most part I've been praying and saying that I love God, more than I would actually thank God for His love for me. It's not my love that saves me, but it is through HIS Love that HE sent His only Son as a sacrifice for the salvation of the whole world. People, it is His love that saved us, and before we say that we are saved, before we say that we love Him or anyone else, we have to remember that it is His love that started everything.
Let us remember that love today, as we contemplate on the empty tomb that Christ left behind. He died the most painful death imaginable, and conquered death and the grave by coming back to life, all because He loved us, even we were never aware that we needed His love. May His name continue to be glorified, even as the Holy Week ends, and as the year continues.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."
- 1 Peter 1:3
God bless us all.
Clearly God makes all things work for good, even if they involve comedy skits with unfortunate explicit language. Anyway, I bring that up because I have to confess that I've been the same way, and it is just this Easter Sunday that I've learned it. The Bible tells us that the first commandment is to love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. Jesus said it Himself, and this is shown in Matthew 22:36-37. I liken a commandment to a law, to something that I should be doing.
Now I understand that we shouldn't keep our love to the Lord private, but on the other hand, we shouldn't consider that as a foundation for us. We remember that before Christ made a final visit to the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter clearly and confidently exclaimed that he would lay his life down for Him (John 13:37). Christ replied by saying that he would deny Him (John 13:38). He would verbally advise that he was not friends with Christ, nor did he ever know Him. Now remember, Christ said He would acknowledge anyone who acknowledges Him before men to God, and He would deny anyone who denied Him to God (Matthew 10:32). Peter did not just deny Christ before men once, but three times. Pastor Joseph Prince used all this as an example of how our human love would ultimately fail us.
I am in full agreement of Pastor Prince's statement: We should proud of God's love for us, not our love for God. The distinct difference between those two struck me today, seeing as for the most part I've been praying and saying that I love God, more than I would actually thank God for His love for me. It's not my love that saves me, but it is through HIS Love that HE sent His only Son as a sacrifice for the salvation of the whole world. People, it is His love that saved us, and before we say that we are saved, before we say that we love Him or anyone else, we have to remember that it is His love that started everything.
Let us remember that love today, as we contemplate on the empty tomb that Christ left behind. He died the most painful death imaginable, and conquered death and the grave by coming back to life, all because He loved us, even we were never aware that we needed His love. May His name continue to be glorified, even as the Holy Week ends, and as the year continues.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."
- 1 Peter 1:3
God bless us all.