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“God is Love”
by Brian McMichan

1 John 4:8 …………….. God is love!
Early this morning I read a chapter of Andrew Murray’s book … “Like Christ: In Forgiving.” (a free download is available off the web .. “World Invisible”). I reflected on it and did further reading and prayer …..
John 3:16 For God so greatly loved {and} dearly prized the world (everyone) that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son … [Who gave His life as full payment of all sin … past, present and future] (so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. Acts 10:43 …. everyone who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him, giving himself up to Him] receives forgiveness of sins through His name. [Sin is anything done, in thought, word or deed that is contrary to God’s love. Sin separates man from God … but Christ Jesus paid for, canceled all sin by His death on the cross … thus, freedom from sin is available to anyone who accepts what Christ Jesus did through belief in Him.]

Repent and be Baptised

Acts 2:38 …. Repent (change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves, instead of rejecting it) and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of {and} release from your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit … Father’s Spirit … the Spirit of love!.
Baptism … follow Jesus’ example … full immersion. …. When He came up out of the water, Father anointed Him with His Spirit ... He became Jesus Christ ... Jesus the Anointed One ... a new spiritual creation ... He left the carpenter (His previous self) behind in the water. Baptism is a step of faith, being washed clean of the old self so as to receive Lord Jesus’ free gift … His canceling of all sin …. This can be done in a river, a lake, a pond … or even under a shower.

A New Creation

Christ Jesus wants all mankind to be with Him for eternity and He commanded … John 3:3… I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.
Any person that makes a deep commitment to Lord Jesus will, as Jesus was, be made a new (spiritual) creation ... 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any person is [ingrafted ... attached spiritually] in Christ (the Messiah), he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh {and} new has come! … when a person is spiritually ingrafted into Lord Jesus, He starts to supply, moment by moment, all that He is and has …love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23) ….

God is Love

Because He is love and … 1 Cor 13:4 Love endures long {and} is patient and kind; love never is envious {nor} boils over with jealousy, is not boastful {or} vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
1 Cor 13:5 Love is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) {and} does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights {or} its own way, {for} it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy {or} fretful {or} resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
1 Cor 13:6 Love does not rejoice at injustice {and} unrighteousness, but rejoices when right {and} truth prevail.
1 Cor 13:7 Love bears up under anything {and} everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

Love Never Fails

1 Cor 13:8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled {and} pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed {and} cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].
John 3:17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation {and} be made safe {and} sound through Him.
John 3:18 He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation--he incurs no damnation];

Forgiveness

His love and Father’s Spirit in us empowers us to forgive all ..everyone (including ourselves) for any wrongdoing. This enables His love to be conveyed to others. Just as Christ Jesus did when He had been whipped, badly treated and crucified. He appealed to Father, “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do!” Luke 23:34
Christ Jesus knew Father’s basic rule … Matt 6:15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.
We are to follow His example and forgive and express love to all …. As you do this, more love flows into you to keep you filled and overflowing with His love.

Love attains Perfection

1 John 4:17 In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion {and} attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world. …..Note: “in union and communion with Him” … spiritually joined … like a branch grafted into a grapevine … as soon as a person believes what Christ Jesus achieved on the cross.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love [dread does not exist – fear is the expectation of punishment/suffering], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors {and} expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity [the belief in and expectation] of [receiving God’s] love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection]….which overcomes ALL things.

You are of God

1 John 4:19 We love {Him,} because He first loved us.[His love flowing into us from Lord Jesus (the Vine) enables us to love Him.]
1 John 4:4 Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated {and} overcome them [the agents of the antichrist, evil spiritual forces], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he {Satan and all evil spirits] who is in the world.
As soon as any person is “grafted in” to Lord Jesus (the Vine), all the qualities and attributes of Him flows and keeps flowing into us. So … we can have a consciousness of … Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ … [cut off the old worldly vine] …[in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith [which He supplies] in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
God is love, and because the qualities of love [God] (1 Cor 13), are being imparted to us, we are able to forgive all who do wrong. Thus, His love will be seen by the world … we are vessels to carry and display His love …. As He is, so are we in this world.
In a quiet time with Father, ask Him, “Father, let me know who I have yet to forgive!” ... have a pad and pen ready.
Love overcomes all things …… plus it wants to comply with all Father and Lord Jesus’ teaching … They want man to receive what Christ Jesus proclaimed soon after His baptism and returning from 40 days in the wilderness …

The Good News

Luke 4:18: The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity] Luke 4:19 To proclaim the accepted {and} acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favours of God profusely abound].
His sacrifice of His earthly life on the cross paid for the sins of all mankind … 1 John 2:2 And He [that same Jesus Himself] is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours alone but also for [the sins of] the whole world. ….His purpose of coming to earth was accomplished ….. with His dying breath he said … It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (John 19:30) ……all of Luke 4:18-19 (above) is available to anyone who accepts and believes what Christ Jesus achieved.
He wants all mankind to receive what is available through Him … including “wellness” ….. Matt 8:17 ……….. He Himself took [in order to carry away] our weaknesses {and} infirmities and bore away our diseases.
I found a very powerful way to develop a consciousness of the above. I put a spot (a permanent marker, or paint/lacquer) on my thumbnail so that whenever I notice it throughout the day, I speak out key “reminders”.

Brian McMichan
14 November, 2017
Email: mcmichanco@aussiebroadband.com.au

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