Jesus Christ has called us all to live a life of full devotion to Him. 1st John 2:6 says "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." He longs for us to live a life w/ the highest standards, such an incredible life beyond our imaginations, one with such a high calling that it can't possibly lived without grace. For 2 reasons I can think of right now. 1 because the fact is we are gonna mess up, we aren't gonna always keep the main focus on Him. We are human and we get off track. And reason 2 is because we don't really deserve the incredible life that He calls us to, yet because He is God and God is love, He lets us choose a life lived for Him.
Grace leads us to responsive living. We love because He loved. John 4:19 says "We love because He first loved us." And real love is never out of obligation. There is no hope for full devotion, for continual falling in love without grace because trying to live a life for Christ out of obligation is not a relationship, it's just religion. Real love leads to obedience because it's your natural response in return for what He's done. It's just like a relationship with a girl that you're head over heals for. Because you think she is so amazing you'll do anything for her. Jesus gave up His life for us and so our response is to give up ours for Him. 1st John 2:1-5 sums up pretty much everything I just said. It's flippin amazing.
"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected By this we know that we are in Him"
No comments:
Post a Comment