One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as “those evil people” or “those poor people who need our help.” Nor must we search for signs of “loveworthiness.” Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are. ~ Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace?
Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear, Amen to that last little sentence from Philip Yancey when he said, “Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are.” Where in the world would we be if God’s love was based on who we were? I don’t know about you but that makes me want to cry thinking about it.
Tainted by sin, distorted by the world, corroded by our own selfishness and disobedience we don’t paint a very pretty picture of someone worthy of love. Praise the Lord God doesn’t go off some picture board. One where He picks the ones He is going to love by their appearance like a mail order bride destined for the West.
He loves us because of who He is. He is our Creator, our Father, the author and perfector of our faith. Our shield, our rock, our strength, our hope and the list goes on and on. Read them in the Bible, the Bible is full of them.
He’s not out there to look down His nose at the sheep but to love each one and to make sure none are lost. Unfortunately we are the ones who get our hands on the canvas and make something out of the picture that isn’t true. We think because God loves for who He is then I can do whatever I want and get away with it. Yeah right, try that on your kids and see how far you get.
Part of love is discipline, tough love, and not being afraid to give directions when choices need to be made. God is able to love us as He does because love is a choice not a feeling. It’s a decision we make on how we are going to treat others. He had to of known from the very beginning that we weren’t going to be easy to love at times but He chose to anyway.
We need to follow His lead and make that choice to love not based on appearance, wealth, wisdom, or wittiness but because we choose to apply God’s type of love in our own ability to do so. It doesn’t matter if it’s the love of a spouse, the love of our job, the love of family, friends, or strangers the type of love we apply should never change.
Loving someone as God loves isn’t giving them permission to be whoever they want to be no matter how evil, good, selfish, or excellent. It’s loving them because of who you are in Christ and what they mean to the Lord as well. Love needs to be the string that is attached to those who have gone astray that brings them back. Back not to condemnation or “I told you so” but to open arms and hearts willing to love and serve one another.
Oh, what a beautiful love we have in Christ. Share it don’t distort it. Model your life after it, don’t abuse it. Wrap yourself in it don’t run from it. Find it, don’t hide from it. We’re never going to get the picture of our lives right but God’s love is always right. Once again not because of who we are but because of who He is. Amen? Amen!
Don’t delay, get to know God today. Hey I made a rhyme for the very first time. Oh I did it again. I love Jesus, I better leave it at that and not quit my day job to write poems!!! Tee Hee
Oh dear, Oh dear, Oh dear, Amen to that last little sentence from Philip Yancey when he said, “Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are.” Where in the world would we be if God’s love was based on who we were? I don’t know about you but that makes me want to cry thinking about it.
Tainted by sin, distorted by the world, corroded by our own selfishness and disobedience we don’t paint a very pretty picture of someone worthy of love. Praise the Lord God doesn’t go off some picture board. One where He picks the ones He is going to love by their appearance like a mail order bride destined for the West.
He loves us because of who He is. He is our Creator, our Father, the author and perfector of our faith. Our shield, our rock, our strength, our hope and the list goes on and on. Read them in the Bible, the Bible is full of them.
He’s not out there to look down His nose at the sheep but to love each one and to make sure none are lost. Unfortunately we are the ones who get our hands on the canvas and make something out of the picture that isn’t true. We think because God loves for who He is then I can do whatever I want and get away with it. Yeah right, try that on your kids and see how far you get.
Part of love is discipline, tough love, and not being afraid to give directions when choices need to be made. God is able to love us as He does because love is a choice not a feeling. It’s a decision we make on how we are going to treat others. He had to of known from the very beginning that we weren’t going to be easy to love at times but He chose to anyway.
We need to follow His lead and make that choice to love not based on appearance, wealth, wisdom, or wittiness but because we choose to apply God’s type of love in our own ability to do so. It doesn’t matter if it’s the love of a spouse, the love of our job, the love of family, friends, or strangers the type of love we apply should never change.
Loving someone as God loves isn’t giving them permission to be whoever they want to be no matter how evil, good, selfish, or excellent. It’s loving them because of who you are in Christ and what they mean to the Lord as well. Love needs to be the string that is attached to those who have gone astray that brings them back. Back not to condemnation or “I told you so” but to open arms and hearts willing to love and serve one another.
Oh, what a beautiful love we have in Christ. Share it don’t distort it. Model your life after it, don’t abuse it. Wrap yourself in it don’t run from it. Find it, don’t hide from it. We’re never going to get the picture of our lives right but God’s love is always right. Once again not because of who we are but because of who He is. Amen? Amen!
Don’t delay, get to know God today. Hey I made a rhyme for the very first time. Oh I did it again. I love Jesus, I better leave it at that and not quit my day job to write poems!!! Tee Hee
© 2010 Karen J Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing
3 comments:
Alll because of who He is; amen to this Karen.
Great post as always.
Blessings,
Debbie
Absolutely great when you said,He’s not out there to look down His nose at the sheep but to love each one and to make sure none are lost. Unfortunately we are the ones who get our hands on the canvas and make something out of the picture that isn’t true. We think because God loves for who He is then I can do whatever I want and get away with it. Yeah right, try that on your kids and see how far you get. That is so true and often the very people who need our love and prayers the most are the very ones we go out of our way to avoid, ignore or look down on.
Love your post.
Amen, honey! I agree 100%!
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