Love Elevates!

Dear Readers in the many countries of God’s Created World!

This week I share with you a wonderful letter from Pastor Orval Wirkkala. You are probably becoming familiar with his writings as I have shared them with you several times.
I also want you to know that we are ramping up the numbers of sermons that the Foreign Mission is able to deliver around the world via your cell phone. Please let me know if you are interested in this, and I will arrange for you to be included in these sermons if at all possible. Please Email me at foreignmission@comcast.net May God Bless your week! John

Love Elevates the Other!

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Philippians 2:1-4

A couple of weeks ago, I heard a pastor make this comment concerning the above portion of Scripture:

"If we consider our spouse more imporant than ourselves, they will know that they are important to us." This is how he explained the last part of the third verse, in which it is written, "but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves."

As I thought of what he had said and of its significance in our relationships with one another, the words of Apostle John came to mind as to the definition and foundation of love:

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. (1 John 4:8-11)

Our Creator sent His Son into the world to reveal His seeking, forgiving and accepting heart of love toward us. He wishes through His Son for us to know and experience this forgiving and accepting love toward us as it was revealed through the Christ on the cross. God views His new creation through Christ and desires that all would come to this knowledge of acceptance in Christ. As it is written:

to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 2 Cor 5:19

Do we understand what this means for us today and for all the peoples of the earth? Have we come to experience the full impact of the meaning of how God has received us in Christ? That He is fully satisfied in us because of the work of His Son in doing the will of His Father through the cross? Do we know how pleased He is in us through His Son? He is waiting for us to accept this gift through repentance toward Him (turning away from and turning toward Him) and faith in Christ. (acceptance of forgiveness through Christ's offering of Himself)

When we come to know, understand and experience the love of God in His forgiveness and acceptance, we come to experience our true worth in the sight of God. Because we know that we are important to Him, we live in the experience of that relationship of being accepted in Christ, but even more so, we are received/welcomed by Him on a continual basis. For God always looks upon us who we are in His Son, of whom He testified: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17

And if God welcomes us into this fellowship, how can we than not welcome/accept all even as we have been welcomed/accepted? Therefore, when we are in Christ, we consider others more important than ourselves and we exhibit this through our desires, motives and actions.

May God bless you in Christ today and always!

Pastor Orval Wirkkala