Trust in God’s Love

April 19, 2015 Background Scripture: 1 John 4, 5 Lesson Passage: 1 John 4:13 – 21; 5:1 – 5 “Now that we found love, what are we gonna do with it?” That’s the question asked in a popular R&B song in the 1970’s. This question was asked concerning the attitude of a couple experiencing a romantic relationship. It is a reminder that sometimes we engage in pursuit without purpose. Too often we are geared up to go and get what we want and yet we are not always prepared to have it. This can be true for material things as well as people. We are living during a time when many are consumed with materialistic thinking and hoarding. Hoarding is a great example of this problem. We get something we did not need so we choose to store it. Christianity does not yield itself to the behavior of conquer and store. Christianity demands a lifestyle change among its practitioners. We live our faith. The bible admonishes us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Through sanctification we grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is possible because of God’s love for us. Jesus’ suffering and death on Calvary shows the depths of God’s love for mankind. He gave everything when he gave himself as a ransom for many. If we accept Jesus’ sacrifice as a substitute for the suffering and eternal death that we deserve, then we become the recipients of the love of God. That brings me back to the question: “Now that we found love, what are we gonna do with it?” I believe that John gives us directions we can use to answer the question. When we take a close look at John’s first letter, it is very much a description of love in action. John teaches us that the life of a Christian is a life of love. Just as we grow and mature in life, we also grow and mature in love. Mature love causes us to live in this world even as Jesus lived. When our love is mature, we look forward to being face to face with our Savior. When we share in his suffering in this world we look forward to reigning with him throughout eternity. Practical love gives us boldness in this world. Our love of God is a reaction to God’s love of us. As we walk in God’s love we share God’s love of us by loving the people of God. This love causes us to live out God’s desire for us in this life. Our standing in God through Jesus Christ gives us the confidence and assurance we need to overcome in this world. It is not our abilities but God’s power flowing through us that comes through faith. Once a person finds God’s love, they will know what to do with it. They will walk in it and allow the outworking of it to touch the lives of others. Jesus said it best when he said that he is the true vine and we are the branches. We cannot do anything without Jesus because spiritual life flows from him through us. We should trust God’s guidance in our lives. This does not imply obedience to commandments but the submissive compliance to the leading of the Spirit of Christ in us. Jesus always causes us to look at life and the circumstances in life through the lens of love. Mature Christians have learned to trust in God’s love. Robert C. Hudson March 11, 2015