WORTHY OF LOVE

You are worthy of love. 

Every human being is worthy of God's love and the love of His people.  Every human being is born with intrinsic value given to them by God.  One does not need to "qualify" for this love because each person on the earth is already qualified because we are all born with a God identity and purpose inside of us.  That identity and purpose is found when we find true love. True love is found in the love that comes from God; it is unconditional acceptance and unconditional love.

This God-kind of love is called "agapē" love in the Greek. This is a love without conditions.  It is the kind of love that Jesus ministered to people while living on the earth, and it is the love that He showed by going to the cross.

It is the kind of love that Jesus conveyed in John chapter eight, when He spoke to the woman that was "…caught in the very act…" of adultery (the accusation of sin doesn't get much more specific than that). 

Question: Was Jesus offended by her sin?  Did He tell her she needed to get her life right and then He would show her love or mercy?  Did He tell her that she was on her way to hell if she didn't repent?  Did He do anything else but love her and help her?  Even his admonition to her to go and sin no more was an expression of His love.  He was expressing that her true self, her God-given identity was not found by continuing in sin, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." John 8:11

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter four, He had a simple conversation with her about water which led Him to reveal who He was to her.  In the context of the conversation He speaks out a word of knowledge telling her that she had five husbands and was living with a man who was not her husband.  Did He condemn her?  Did she feel condemned?  No, in fact, He gives her a revelation that He had never spoken to anyone before- "God is a spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth."  And then He plainly tells her that He is the Messiah. 

She then goes into the city and tells the men to come and meet Jesus. The bible says that many of the people believed in Him because of her words.  You could say that she was the first evangelist of Jesus!

 

What about Zacchaeus?  He was a notoriously rich chief tax collector (perhaps even a crook).  The people all complained that Jesus went to his house because they saw Zacchaeus as a big sinner (see Luke 19). When Jesus called him out of that tree and told him He was going to his house, did Jesus demand satisfaction and proof of repentance?  No in fact, Jesus went to his house first and then the man declared his contrition, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.”

Jesus was almost constantly accused by the very pious and religious people of his day that He was a friend of sinners.

Immediately after He called him to follow Him, Levi (Matthew) threw a big party for Jesus.  "Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them.  And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, 'Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?'  Jesus answered and said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.'”  Luke 5:29-32

It seemed the religious leaders went and stood outside of the party simply to accuse Jesus.  Jesus went to Matthew's house because He was invited, and while He was there, He expressed God's love to the people. 

Jesus was so full of love that He spent time with people that no one else wanted to be around.  But masses were drawn to Him because of His love.  They did not always follow Him just because He fed them.  It was not only because they were healed of their diseases.  People were drawn to Jesus and felt at ease with Him because He did not judge them.  Rather, He loved them.

The love of God was so powerful in Jesus that He could speak truth to a person (even revealing their sin), and never make them feel condemned or rejected by God.  Author Wayne Jacobs in "Jake's Story" (AKA – "So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore") says it like this:

“I’m not talking about namby-pamby sentimentalism either.  He loved, really loved. It didn’t matter if you were Pharisee or prostitute, disciple or blind beggar, Jew, Samaritan or Gentile.  His love held itself out for any to embrace.   Most did, too, when they saw Him. Though so few ended up following Him, for the few moments His presence passed by them, they tasted a freshness and power they could never deny even years later.   Somehow He seemed to know everything about them, but loved them deeply all the same. ”

Powerful thought isn't it?  To have someone love you so much that even on your worst day in the depths of the most horrible sin you can imagine, you never felt condemned!  That is the kind of love that every human being is searching for.  Jesus spoke John 3:16 and most of us can quote it well, but He also spoke John 3:17, which declares that God did not send Him into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world.  Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

We in the church have often heard the saying we have to love the sinner, but hate the sin.  Perhaps, if we were honest with ourselves, we would recognize that have done a bang up job of hating sin, but not a great job of loving the sinner.  Loving people whose sin offends us is difficult.  But as followers of Jesus, that is what we are called to do. 

As followers of Jesus, we have not always expressed God's agapē love.  We more than often have expressed our disapproval and even our offense at people.  We call for protests on companies who express what we consider non-Christian values, we gnash our teeth and stomp our feet when government does not comply with our worldview. 

We become offended due to someone's sinful lifestyle, or because people believe differently than we do, but it is very difficult to love people when you are offended by them.  Way too often, we as the church have harbored offenses in our hearts against people that God really, really loves!  When we are offended by someone, we will not love them the way that Jesus loves them.  By the way, as followers of Jesus, do we even have a right to become offended at people?  I dare say not!

We become easily offended by someone else's sin as we too easily forget that we were cleansed from our sins.  I've said this before, but we tend to excuse ourselves as we accuse others.  We judge people by what they say and do, and judge ourselves by our good intentions!

As an experiment, think of the latest news you have heard about someone famous.  Perhaps it was a politician, an athlete, singer or an actor.  Was your reaction to that news report loving toward the person or judgmental?  Were you offended by their behavior or their words?  Maybe they were arrested for drug possession; maybe they left their spouse for someone else.  Maybe they left the church, and are now living less than God's best for them.  Maybe that person believes they are in the wrong body, or they want to love someone in their same gender.  Can we love them or just be offended by them?

Again, sin is not justified, but I am not talking about right or wrong.  I'm talking about love, not morality.  They are two very different things.  Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary defines morality as, "Beliefs about what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior; and the degree to which something is right and good: the moral goodness or badness of something."  Morality is not love. 

Sin is never a good choice, it is never to be promoted or blessed.  Sin is evil and will lead people into destroyed lives.  But unless we share the love of God with people without condemnation, judgment or offense, how will they know about the One who loves them, gave His life for them, and has a life for them free from the bondage of sin?  Sin is never right, but is sin really the issue?  Jesus died for the sins of the whole world.  Was His sacrifice enough for us to lay down our offenses and love people?

If you saw a young woman trapped in her car in the middle of a flood, you would do everything you could to save her life. You wouldn't first ask her if she agreed with your morals, and you certainly would not try to convince her that she shouldn't have driven into the flood.  You would do absolutely everything in your power to save her.  Why?  You would save her because she is a human being.  She has incredible God-given value.  Isn't it the same principle when it comes to loving people? 

The bible says in Romans 2:4 it is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance.  We don't need to convince people that they are sinners; we need to convince them that they are loved.  God's love transforms people's lives, and every person is worth of love. 

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!

"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: King of kings and Lord of Lords." Revelation 19:11-16

"I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years."  Revelation 20:4-6 NIV

I believe that the Lord is coming back, and it is sooner than any of us think.

I do not have proof of course; it's just my personal belief. It is also the belief of millions of Christians throughout the world. I don't have a timetable, nor would I venture a guess, but I believe it is sooner than we think…

Frankly, though, I don't believe most of the eschatological experts have figured it out either. But we should not let that divide us, or cause us to give up in our belief of Christ's return.

In my study bible before the book of, (as the apostle John called it), The Revelation of Jesus Christ, there is an introduction which includes a section that breaks down eight different historical eschatological beliefs:

·         Premillennial Pre Tribulation view, 

·         Premillennial Post Tribulation view, 

·         Premillennial Mid Tribulation view, 

·         Premillennial Pre Tribulation Partial Rapture view, 

·         Premillennial Pre Wrath Rapture view,

·         Evangelical Post Millennial view,

·         St. Augustine's Amillennial view,

·         A Second Amillennial view.

Every one of these scholarly believers who proposed these theories believed they were correct, but obviously, they cannot all be right.  They could all be wrong, but they couldn't all be right. I find it fascinating that believers who study the same scriptures can conclude such opposing views. Regardless, God's timetable and His plan are for an appointed time that will not disappoint.

I tell people that I'm a "pan eschatologist."   That is, I believe all of the end time things are going to "pan out" just like God has planned!  

I have always believed that Jesus will come back in my lifetime, and that this will be the last generation. However, all through church history, Christians have believed the same way.  

Throughout church history many believed that Jesus' return would happen in their lifetime because rampant sin had never been worse. Unfortunately, with each succeeding generation, evil does seem to wax worse than ever before.

The good news is that even though evil does seem to wax worse and worse, where sin abounds, grace much more abounds! 

In church history there have been extreme cases of believers who were so convinced of God's timetable that they did things like dressing up in white robes and waiting on a mountain top for the rapture.  Can you imagine the disappointment when it did not happen?

Personally, I remember in 1988 there was a book that sold millions of copies that predicted that Jesus would return and rapture the church sometime near September 13th, 14th, or 15th in 1988.  When that didn't happen, the author revised the book for 1989.  I'm guessing the author was sincere, but sincerely wrong, and of course twenty-eight years later we can say his "guesstimations" were way off.

During that time, I heard stories of people that sold everything they had or gave it away; and I heard other stories of people running up their credit cards to the maximum because "they would be raptured and not have to pay it back." (I think that is called stealing).

People can become foolish when they believe they are leaving the earth. I think that is why Jesus gave the parable of the master leaving and telling his servants to occupy until he came back. In other words, keep doing what is needed until the Master returns. 

Whether He comes back in a rapture, or for a millennial reign, or to fight at Armageddon, Jesus will return to the earth. Whether He returns to earth in my generation, or He waits for another, He is coming back.   We should occupy until He does come back.

All of us only get one generation to live, so this is our last generation, our one and only. So what should we be doing with the time we have left on the earth?

Well, one thought is to ask what was important to Jesus when He was preparing to leave the earth.  It was important to Him to tell His apostles and disciples that they should share the message of the gospel with this world.

I believe we should use every opportunity we have to share the love of Jesus Christ with this generation.  Every believer has a God-given love inside them to share with the people of their generation (1 Thessalonians 4:9). It is the love of God that compels us to share the gospel.

Another personal belief of mine (and many, many other Christians) is that there will be an incredible wave of harvest before Christ returns.  Multitudes of people will come to faith in Christ because of the work of the Holy Spirit in the earth. 

In our American history alone, we have seen many revivals…  We had the Great Awakening under the powerful preaching of George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards and others.  We had other Great Awakenings and moves of the Holy Spirit that drew multitudes into the kingdom of God.

In the past 125 years we have seen the Azusa Street Revival, the Voice of Healing Revival, the Charismatic Renewal, the Toronto Blessing, Brownsville revival, and many others that have touched millions and brought them to faith.

Crossing over generations and borders, God used people like Charles Finney, the Wesley brothers, Dwight L. Moody, Evan Roberts, Smith Wigglesworth, Billy Sunday, Billy Graham, Reinhard Bonnke, and many others to bring in millions all over the world.

But as the Bachman Turner Overdrive song goes, "You ain't seen nothing yet!"  This next move of God will be the so-called "regular people," not just famous people.  There is a new wave coming very soon that will be like a tsunami of God's love and grace to sweep a billion souls into the kingdom.

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.   Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming..." 2 Peter 3:8-12 NIV (emphasis mine).

Come Lord Jesus! Maranatha 

Is Sin Just "Covered by the Blood?"

Which is more powerful; the blood of bulls and goats, or the blood of Jesus?

What seems like an obvious answer, for many Christians is not. Many believers still live under the power of sin as if the blood of Jesus had no more power than the blood of an animal.

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."  Hebrews 10:1‭-‬4 NIV.

So the writer of Hebrews tells us that the sacrifices of the law could never make the worshipers perfect.  Why?  Because every time there was a sacrifice, there was a reminder of their sins. Those sacrifices could only cover sin for a time but could never completely take sin away.  Those sacrifices could never cleanse, "...once for all..."  However, the blood of Jesus did not cover sins, it took them away.  

Jesus did not hide your sin - He removed your sin!

"But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:1‭-‬4‭, ‬12‭-‬14 NIV.  By one sacrifice for all time, Jesus made the way for the complete (not just partial or temporary - but complete) forgiveness and removal of sin.  

The blood of Jesus is so powerful it makes worshipers perfectly cleansed, forgiven, righteous, and holy.

Why would anyone want to be reminded of their sins?

 

Under the New Covenant, there is no longer a reminder of sins from year to year. Jesus' blood paid for it all.  If a believer sins, he doesn't need to sacrifice an animal, and Jesus certainly does not need to go back on the cross.  The bible says in Hebrews 8:12, that God has chosen to remember our sins no more.

As believers, we sometimes need to be reminded that we are no longer slaves of sin. Before you were in Christ, you were in bondage to sin, but as a believer, you are no longer bound to sin.  "...Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."  Romans 6:6  Why are you no longer bound to sin? "...Because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." Romans 6:7

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace."  Romans 6:11‭-‬14 [Emphasis mine].

Because of the blood of Jesus, sin is no longer your master!

Ephesians 1:7 says, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace..."  In Christ, we have been redeemed and forgiven because of God's grace.

Past tense.  Done deal.  Microphone dropped.  Elvis has left the building.

This was accomplished at the cross long before you or I were born and certainly long before any of us had sinned. Jesus did all the work that was necessary through His shed blood.

"For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:13‭-‬14.

Again, past tense. No more need for a new sacrifice or for fresh redemption. 

You were rescued. You were redeemed. You were forgiven. 

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:1‭-‬2.

Many people today live under the shadow of performance-based religion that keeps them in bondage to sin. 

Why does it keep them bound?  Because they are not told about the sin-destroying, bondage-breaking and delivering power of the precious blood of Jesus.  They are not told who they really are.  Instead, they are often told that they are just "old sinners saved by grace," and not the truth of what the bible says.  
 

I doubt there could be a bigger lie in the church today than that phrase!  I know it sounds spiritual and humble, but it is not true.  Before you were in Christ, you were a sinner.  In Christ, however, you are not!  You are a saint.  You are righteous, you are holy!  People may repeat that phrase because they have been taught it, or because they think it sounds humble.  But to say that you are still a sinner once you are in Christ is antithetical to the gospel.

It may sound prideful to say you are righteous or holy and a saint, especially when religion says you are a sinner.  But the bible tells us our true identity.  If you are a believer in Jesus, saved by His grace, you are no longer an "old sinner."  

If you are a believer in Jesus, then you are:

• A saint of God, not a sinner.  
• A blood-bought overcoming son or daughter of the Most High God!
• Alive together with Christ
• Seated with Christ in heavenly places
• Accepted in the beloved
• Justified freely by His grace
• Righteous 
• Completely and uncompromisingly forgiven...    

It is the blood of Jesus plus nothing that delivered us from sin.  It's not Jesus' blood plus your performance, your confession of sin, or any other thing that redeemed you or keeps you.  

The blood is that powerful!

Sin loses its appeal

 

When a person begins to realize who they are in Christ and what the blood of Jesus did for them, then sin begins to lose its appeal. 

Sin revives again as people are given a command not to do something.  

Don't believe me?  Try this on for size...

"I command you not to think about a purple elephant with pink hair!"

So what is the first thing that came into your mind?  Be honest.  Dare I say, that you immediately began to imagine what a purple elephant with pink hair would look like?  The very thing that you are told not to do is the very thing the flesh wants to do!  

That is the exact problem with trying to keep people from sinning by putting them under the law.  The purpose of the law was to point out that everyone was a sinner and could not help themselves from sinning. The law did not have the power to prevent sin.  In fact, the strength of sin is the law! (1 Corinthians 15:56)  Every year the law brought an ongoing reminder of sin.  

The law was good, but it was weak because it could never take away sin.  The sacrifices demanded by the law could only cover sin.  But again, the blood of Jesus did not cover your sin, it removed your sin.

As you believe the good news that the blood of Jesus has set you free from sin, you will begin to experience the joy that is found in knowing Him, and knowing that you are in Him, and accepted by Him just the way you are.  There is no longer trepidation of entering into His presence, but a new confidence and boldness of knowing that nothing stands between you and the Lord.
  

The blood of Jesus is powerful enough to take care of your past, present and future sin. 

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light." Ephesians 5:8.  You were darkness, but not in Christ!

"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."  Hebrews 10:19‭-‬23 [Emphasis mine]

"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.."  Hebrews 4:14-16

God, who has already forgiven you in Christ, is faithful.