Love

Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace!

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 1 John 3:11

Our message today is about the perfect love of Christ! It is in only when we know the love of God that we can truly love one another. Please enjoy learning today from Pastor Orval Wirkkala. May God Bless your week! John R.
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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 important 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 we are no longer his enemies, but He has become friendly toward us because of the work of His Son in doing the will of His Father through the cross? 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 extemely important to Him, we live in the experience of that relationship of being accepted in Christ, and this is on a continual basis. For God looks upon us through 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 Do I believe this? Do you believe this?

And if God welcomes us into this fellowship, how can we than not welcome all even as we have been welcomed? Therefore, when we are in Christ, we consider others more important than ourselves and we exhibit this through our desires, motives and actions. May the life of Christ in us be evident to all that we come in contact with in our daily lives.

May God bless you in Christ today and always!

Pastor Orval Wirkkala