The more we grow, the better we should understand grace; because we realize that we're still sinning and that He's still shapping us to look more like Him.
I'm still sinning and I'm still growing and I'm blown away by this.
It's what makes my heart beat fast for Him.
The fact the He has given me His love in FULL through His only Son's death despite knowing that I would throw His free gift of salvation back in His face when I try and earn by my own rights, on my own strength, His grace; astounds me.
His love has never changed and never will change even though I will still sometimes continue to choose other things over Him. Though I sometimes forget who created my heart and let it beat faster for something other than Him; He still loves me fully. Though I forget who created my longings and desires and try and find my meaning/purpose, fulfillment and self-worth in created things; He still loves me fully.
Though I repeatedly take control of my life and live it like I think I own myself; He still loves me fully.
Though most days I'm just plain terrible at loving Him back; He still loves me fully. God doesn't wait on reciprocity.
1 John 4:19 says "We love because he first loved us."
His love is without condition. He loves us fully whether we love Him or not.
It's been said that His love is folly. It's beyond reason. It's beyond understanding. It's beyond measure. It's limitless. It's infinite. It's endless. It's relentless. It's always. It outshines everything. There's nothing like it. Nothing compares. It's perfect.
I used to think that in order for God to "be right with" me, I had to "be right with" Him. When it's just my choosing selfishness that makes Him blurry and makes me forget He's all I need. The truth is that He's always right with me.
One of my favorite verses is Romans 5:8 (NIV) - "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
And in the Message version: "Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him."
And get this:
There is no mistake, no sin too great, too far beyond the reach of His grace, His love.
"..But where sin increased, grace increased all the more." - Romans 5:20
Though our sin may be so great, His grace is always so much greater, His love is always so much bigger.
The difference in a life of someone who knows that they are loved by God no matter what is indescribable.
Are you seeking to grow in the depth and understanding of His love?..that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." -Ephesians 3:16-19
I'm still sinning and I'm still growing and I'm blown away by this.
It's what makes my heart beat fast for Him.
The fact the He has given me His love in FULL through His only Son's death despite knowing that I would throw His free gift of salvation back in His face when I try and earn by my own rights, on my own strength, His grace; astounds me.
His love has never changed and never will change even though I will still sometimes continue to choose other things over Him. Though I sometimes forget who created my heart and let it beat faster for something other than Him; He still loves me fully. Though I forget who created my longings and desires and try and find my meaning/purpose, fulfillment and self-worth in created things; He still loves me fully.
Though I repeatedly take control of my life and live it like I think I own myself; He still loves me fully.
Though most days I'm just plain terrible at loving Him back; He still loves me fully. God doesn't wait on reciprocity.
1 John 4:19 says "We love because he first loved us."
His love is without condition. He loves us fully whether we love Him or not.
It's been said that His love is folly. It's beyond reason. It's beyond understanding. It's beyond measure. It's limitless. It's infinite. It's endless. It's relentless. It's always. It outshines everything. There's nothing like it. Nothing compares. It's perfect.
I used to think that in order for God to "be right with" me, I had to "be right with" Him. When it's just my choosing selfishness that makes Him blurry and makes me forget He's all I need. The truth is that He's always right with me.
One of my favorite verses is Romans 5:8 (NIV) - "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
And in the Message version: "Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him."
And get this:
There is no mistake, no sin too great, too far beyond the reach of His grace, His love.
"..But where sin increased, grace increased all the more." - Romans 5:20
Though our sin may be so great, His grace is always so much greater, His love is always so much bigger.
The difference in a life of someone who knows that they are loved by God no matter what is indescribable.
Are you seeking to grow in the depth and understanding of His love?..that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." -Ephesians 3:16-19
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