OCTOBER 27
WE LOVE BECAUSE...
1 John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us. (WEB)
This is one of my favorite verses in Scripture! Though it only contains 8 words, this one small verse describes the Christian life in its entirety. The only reason we have the capability to love God is that He first loved us! God initiates, and we respond. James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Lights.
When we recognize that He is the origin of all good things and we are merely recipients of His kindness, it will transform our view of the Christian life. We won't be 'trying' to earn His favor anymore. We won't depend on our distorted version of self-righteousness to justify ourselves in His sight. We won't compete with other brothers and sisters to get His attention.
The more we realize that the Christian life is simply about us receiving what our Papa freely gives us, the less we will strive to earn what already belongs to us—His unconditional love and acceptance! My prayer today is that the Holy Spirit would give us more revelation about the profound power found in today's Daily Reading.
We love because He first loved us. The only reason we can keep loving is because He keeps pouring His love into our hearts! May we all stop relying on our own efforts and sink deeper into the extravagant, eternal love that God has for us... right now.
1 John 4:9-10
9 By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. (WEB)
We love him, because he first loved us. (WEB)
This is one of my favorite verses in Scripture! Though it only contains 8 words, this one small verse describes the Christian life in its entirety. The only reason we have the capability to love God is that He first loved us! God initiates, and we respond. James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of Lights.
When we recognize that He is the origin of all good things and we are merely recipients of His kindness, it will transform our view of the Christian life. We won't be 'trying' to earn His favor anymore. We won't depend on our distorted version of self-righteousness to justify ourselves in His sight. We won't compete with other brothers and sisters to get His attention.
The more we realize that the Christian life is simply about us receiving what our Papa freely gives us, the less we will strive to earn what already belongs to us—His unconditional love and acceptance! My prayer today is that the Holy Spirit would give us more revelation about the profound power found in today's Daily Reading.
We love because He first loved us. The only reason we can keep loving is because He keeps pouring His love into our hearts! May we all stop relying on our own efforts and sink deeper into the extravagant, eternal love that God has for us... right now.
1 John 4:9-10
9 By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. (WEB)