April 13th 2014
God’s Will for You Is to Look like Jesus to Him, Even In This Cursed World!
1 John 4:15-17 (NIV)
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
Every follower of Jesus is supposed to be working on becoming more Christ-like every day. At least, that is what I believe! Is that what you believe too? So, how is your work going on this mission? Is this task really possible in this current world? Of course, this statement is somewhat meaningless, as there are many worlds, or more accurately, there are many societies of which we chose to participate in which are available to us. In other words, our choices of who we associate with, and what impact we allow our associates to have on our lives dictates whether we are really able to work on becoming more Christ-like, or not.
In the selected verses, John wrote that we must have love as our cornerstone of life, before we can actually make the statement that, “in this world we are like him.” I do not see this kind of loving attitude around me as I walk this earth in my lifetime, how about you, is love obvious everywhere you turn? A harder question for you (us), is do you love everyone you associate with? If not, why not, is the problem with them, or is it a problem within you (us)? It seems important to get us, the proclaimed followers of Jesus, to start becoming more Christ-like from the inside-out, not the outside-out. As a human being, I do not believe we can be perfect in anything, but especially in true love.
We no longer live in a perfect world, as Adam and Eve failed in having a complete trust in God, and we now live in a cursed world, however, because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we, His followers can aspire to overcoming this evil world through taking on the love God offers us, and channeling that love to others. This is an everyday miracle that we are offered through Jesus’ sacrifice, and the fact the Holy Spirit is available to all of Jesus’ followers. With all of this, please remember we will still have a daily struggle with our sinful nature. However, please let me reiterate that, as the selected verses have stated, “Love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.”
As followers of Jesus this week we get to celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and celebrate Palm Sunday. So this Sunday go celebrate at the church of your choice this memorable event in the life of Christ. Matthew wrote about this event for us to relive and celebrate. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matthew 21:7-11)
In this account the people there are trying to identify who this Jesus is, and the world is still questioning this every day. What about you do you know who Jesus is and how He should affect your life? We are left to wonder who Jesus really is; hopefully, you know that He was not just a prophet, as the people then answered! Paul wrote the love chapter, as it is sometimes called, 1 Corinthians 13. Some people say the greatest of the Christian virtues is love. Paul ends this chapter 13 with this verse. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) This week make it a point to read this inspiring chapter.
We are actually commanded by Jesus to love each other, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus replied: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40) Please note in this commandment Jesus starts out with first loving our self. The first and second commandments of the law are love for God and love for one’s neighbor. Christ’s new commandment, however, gives us a definition of love! To love as He loved, we must observe how Christ loved. Only a good study of the Bible will tell us how Jesus loved all people.
Next week on Good Friday we will once again relive how Jesus died for our sins, so that we may be as John wrote in the verses selected for this commentary. If we live in love, then we can live in God, and He in us. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him! In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. In this world we can look like Jesus only if Jesus is in us!
Celebrate that statement this week, and remember it, this coming Good Friday. Paul wrote about how we can always be happy in Jesus. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:15-18, NLT)
God’s will for you is to look like Jesus to Him, even in this cursed world! Now that is something to celebrate every day and to, “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
1 John 4:15-17 (NIV)
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
Every follower of Jesus is supposed to be working on becoming more Christ-like every day. At least, that is what I believe! Is that what you believe too? So, how is your work going on this mission? Is this task really possible in this current world? Of course, this statement is somewhat meaningless, as there are many worlds, or more accurately, there are many societies of which we chose to participate in which are available to us. In other words, our choices of who we associate with, and what impact we allow our associates to have on our lives dictates whether we are really able to work on becoming more Christ-like, or not.
In the selected verses, John wrote that we must have love as our cornerstone of life, before we can actually make the statement that, “in this world we are like him.” I do not see this kind of loving attitude around me as I walk this earth in my lifetime, how about you, is love obvious everywhere you turn? A harder question for you (us), is do you love everyone you associate with? If not, why not, is the problem with them, or is it a problem within you (us)? It seems important to get us, the proclaimed followers of Jesus, to start becoming more Christ-like from the inside-out, not the outside-out. As a human being, I do not believe we can be perfect in anything, but especially in true love.
We no longer live in a perfect world, as Adam and Eve failed in having a complete trust in God, and we now live in a cursed world, however, because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, we, His followers can aspire to overcoming this evil world through taking on the love God offers us, and channeling that love to others. This is an everyday miracle that we are offered through Jesus’ sacrifice, and the fact the Holy Spirit is available to all of Jesus’ followers. With all of this, please remember we will still have a daily struggle with our sinful nature. However, please let me reiterate that, as the selected verses have stated, “Love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.”
As followers of Jesus this week we get to celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and celebrate Palm Sunday. So this Sunday go celebrate at the church of your choice this memorable event in the life of Christ. Matthew wrote about this event for us to relive and celebrate. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matthew 21:7-11)
In this account the people there are trying to identify who this Jesus is, and the world is still questioning this every day. What about you do you know who Jesus is and how He should affect your life? We are left to wonder who Jesus really is; hopefully, you know that He was not just a prophet, as the people then answered! Paul wrote the love chapter, as it is sometimes called, 1 Corinthians 13. Some people say the greatest of the Christian virtues is love. Paul ends this chapter 13 with this verse. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13) This week make it a point to read this inspiring chapter.
We are actually commanded by Jesus to love each other, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus replied: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:37-40) Please note in this commandment Jesus starts out with first loving our self. The first and second commandments of the law are love for God and love for one’s neighbor. Christ’s new commandment, however, gives us a definition of love! To love as He loved, we must observe how Christ loved. Only a good study of the Bible will tell us how Jesus loved all people.
Next week on Good Friday we will once again relive how Jesus died for our sins, so that we may be as John wrote in the verses selected for this commentary. If we live in love, then we can live in God, and He in us. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him! In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. In this world we can look like Jesus only if Jesus is in us!
Celebrate that statement this week, and remember it, this coming Good Friday. Paul wrote about how we can always be happy in Jesus. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:15-18, NLT)
God’s will for you is to look like Jesus to Him, even in this cursed world! Now that is something to celebrate every day and to, “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak