Matchless Love

March 19, 2017 Background Scripture: John 15:1 – 17 Lesson Passage: John 15:1 – 17 John’s account of the gospel includes one of the most informative passages in the Bible relative to the teachings of Jesus within hours of his crucifixion. It covers five chapters and most of the writing is in red for those with a red letter edition of the Bible. Of course the red letters indicate that those words were spoken by Jesus. The passage covers the time between Jesus’ final Passover Supper and his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus dismissed Judas from the meeting near the beginning of the passage prior to instituting the Lord’s Supper that is detailed in the synoptic accounts of the gospel. Then Jesus poured out his heart to the eleven disciples prior to his crucifixion and death. He discussed and demonstrated what was expected of them in terms of their relationship to each other and their future relationship with him. Today’s lesson text is part of that discourse. There are several major points to be noted in the text of our lesson. Perhaps the last point is most important for understanding the subject of God’s matchless love. Jesus told them that they did not make choice of him but he made choice of them. That point is significant for everything else that he said. He chose them for a unique and very special purpose. Other than their mission assignment, his death would also make available eternal salvation for them and others. As Jesus told them, there were many things he was going to share with them but they could not bear it at that time. Jesus was preparing to demonstrate a love that is truly matchless. He was going to die a sinner’s death so that sinners could live a godly life in eternity. He died to save us when we did not know that we needed to be saved. He did not choose us because we deserved it but rather in spite of us. He chose us for a very specific purpose and that is to become witnesses for him to others who have been chosen and won’t know it until they hear and heed the gospel message even as we did. We can only do this by depending on Jesus to guide us. We must abide in him. He gives us his instructions to guide us. We must allow his words to abide in us. We receive the word of God so that we can have the instructions we need. The Holy Ghost brings to our remembrance Jesus’ instructions at the time when we need it. It is this mutual abiding that displays the matchless love of Christ operating in and through us. Because of the mutual abiding, we are used as instruments of God to be fruitful but it is Jesus who does the work. We are able to bring forth spiritual fruit because Christ is the source from whom we draw life. Each obedient Christian becomes a fruitful branch connected to the life giving true vine, Jesus Christ. Collectively, we are able to do greater works than Jesus accomplished in his three-year ministry because each branch is being sustained and supplied by Jesus. Rather than work through one human body as he did during the three years, he now works through the many bodies which are branches connected to and emanating out of him. Robert C. Hudson February 18, 2017

Great Love

March 12, 2017 Background Scripture: Ephesians 2:1 – 10 Lesson Passage: Ephesians 2:1 – 10 God has an endless supply of mercy for anyone who turns to Him by putting their faith in Jesus Christ. There is no one beyond the reach of God’s grace. This is the heart of the gospel message that Jesus preached. Another poignant message taught by Jesus is that he did not come into this sinful world to call the righteous but the unrighteous to repentance. Put another way, Jesus was born into this sinful world to save sinners from the eternal consequences of their sin. Let’s face it, many of us did not know that we were headed for destruction and yet we were cruising along and enjoying the trip. As we reflect on our lives when we were without Christ, we can clearly see sin and evil controlling us and causing us to become instruments of cruelty and sin. We were slaves to sin and somehow we thought we were in control and free to do as we wanted to do. One of the reasons sin is so deceptive is because Satan is transformed into an angel of light. Satan knows how to control us while making us think that we are in control. He also knows how to make us feel okay even with bad outcomes. We celebrate bad outcomes by having “pity parties”. Satan’s mission in this world is to steal, kill, and destroy. He has been doing it since man lived in the Garden of Eden. God pulled us from that world and delivered us into an eternal kingdom with a bright future. We were spiritually dead and not sensitive to God but God made us spiritually alive in Christ. Now we can see sin as sin because we are spiritually alive in Christ. We see others who are still spiritually dead and trapped in a life that is leading to eternal destruction. They are being controlled by the same spiritual forces that once controlled us. They are just as comfortable with sin as we were once. It is only because of the grace of God that we are not still destined for eternal damnation. God has given us heavenly positions in Christ where we will reign with him throughout eternity. None of this is a result of anything we have done or anything we deserve. I know that it is only the grace of God received through faith in Jesus Christ that has changed our eternal outcome. This is all a demonstration of God’s great love towards us. Throughout eternity, Christians will be the visible demonstration of God’s exceeding riches of grace. We must be careful to never forget that we were delivered from an eternal damnation that we deserved by a loving God who loved us far more than our finite minds can comprehend. With such a great love demonstrated by God in our lives, we ought to be concerned for others and pray that God will change their situation as He did ours. We should also be willing to affirm our love for God by allowing Him to use us to reach others with the message of hope that is embodied in the gospel. God showed great love towards us. We should respond by reflecting that love into the lives of those who are still being controlled by the spiritual forces that once controlled us and caused us to walk in disobedience. Isn’t it time that others learn of God’s great love? Robert C. Hudson February 18, 2017