Perfect Love and Perfect Justice - Possible With God

God is totally just and totally loving.
His sense of justice requires that we are punished for every sin.
Yet, his totally loving nature stops him from punishing us.

How can he be totally loving and just? -  and be GOD!!


The only solution was to take the punishment on himself.

When Christ died on the cross, he took the sins of the whole world.
Christ's death on the cross fulfils God's requirement for justice and allows us to be united back with him in love.



The only criteria for accessing the love of God, is honesty and repentance.
This gift of grace is available only to those who are honest with God about their sins and are willing to work with him to become better.

Let not guilt stop us from going back to God.
However big our sins our, he is inviting us with open hands and is willing to hug us - he loves us so much.



GOD DOES NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SINNERS - HE ONLY HAS A PROBLEM WITH HYPOCITES.



The greatest tragedy is not physical death - it is spiritual death.
All of us will die one day or the other - but we need to take care of our spirit because it lives forever.

All I Need Is God's Love

It is not the end of the world if I did not get a career of my choice;
It is not the end of the world if I never got married;
It is not the end of the world if I never had children;
It is not the end of the world if everyone thinks I am a looser;
It is not the end of the world if I had made a million mistakes;

However, it is the end of the world if I failed to realize how much God loves me.
God's love is all that we need to endure any type of hardship that life puts across.

God loves us so much that he gave himself up on the cross to make a way for all those who seek him.

When Jesus died on the cross, he bore the sins of the world so that we would be justified to receive the love of God (sin blocks our relationship with God).

So, the gate is open - all those who want to receive God's love is welcome into his family through Christ Jesus.

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

"The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love" 1 John 4:8

"So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." - Romans 8:1

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him." 1 John 4:9

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" Romans 8:35

Why Do We Live In Fear - The Great Divide

God designed us to live in a love relationship with him.
Our emotional and intellectual systems are fashioned to be motivated by the impulse of his love - unconditional love.
We are not designed to live independently.

When God created us, he intended our body, mind and emotions to take directions from his spirit - because his spirit was united with our spirit through the bond of love. In this setup, we lived in total harmony with God, ourselves and his entire creation.

When man sinned, God's spirit could no longer have fellowship with our spirit -when the spirit of God left man, man was left only with his spirit.

The problem with man's spirit was that it knew what was right and wrong but was not motivated to do the right thing because:

• Righteousness was not a priority; instead self-glorification was.
• Man's spirit became a slave to his emotions, desires and Godless reasoning. The spirit was neither motivated nor had the power to overcome this self-gratification.

So, began the great divide between man and God.

After God's spirit left man, man started to live in fear because he was never designed to be by himself- he was designed for a love relationship.

Man knows he is sinful, he knows God does not approve of him, he knows he is incapable of being perfect, he also knows he cannot go alone through life and beyond, he thinks he can't ask God for help because he has unsettled matters in his relationship with God - in short, he is lost and confused.

MAN IS DESIGNED THRIVE ON GOD'S LOVE. TILL HE SENSES GOD'S LOVE, HE WILL LIVE IN FEAR.

Knowing man's helplessness, God sent his only begotten son to bridge the gap between man and God. Christ's death on the cross, provides the justification that allows us to receive the holy spirit while we are still sinners and be transformed (coming out of sin and darkness) by love - and live in boldness and courage. This is the Gospel.

Also Read: God is not angry with us

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."  - 1 John 4:18

"The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.  For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot." Romans 8: 6,7

"He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit." - Titus 3:5



 

We Don't Have To Work For Our Self-Worth

Why do we compete with each other for self-worth and value?
God loves each of us as if there is only one of us to love.
Shouldn't that make us realize how valuable each one of us is in the eyes of God.

We don't need to work hard to earn our worth.
The fact that we are the handiwork of God is good enough to show us our value.

We are never meant to earn our value.
God loves us too dearly to put us into a performance test to accept us.

All we need to do is allow him to show us how much he cares for us.
The only thing he is asking of us is to be totally honest about our sins with him and be willing to surrender our life to him in love.

We don't need to shy away from his majestic righteousness and perfectness... No.. Not at all
We have a picture of an strict God who is waiting to spot every error or sin - because we are like that to ourselves and others.
We should remember - God is not man whose love is conditional.
God is ever understanding to those who are consistently trying to please him but are falling back.
Nevertheless, God loves us as we are.

GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR A SINLESS PERSON; HE IS LOOKING FOR A PERSON WHO IS TOTALLY HONEST ABOUT HIS SINS AND IS WILLING TO WORK WITH GOD TO OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM.

RELATED BIBLE VERSES

"Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5: 7,8

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." - 1 John 3:1
 

God Wants Us To Choose What Is Good For Us

God wants us to have love; we choose power.
God wants us to have joy; we choose pleasure.
God wants  us to have peace; we choose excitement.

What God wants for us is good for our soul, mind and body.

What we want for ourselves good for our ego and desires.

I cannot choose to have what God wants for me without denying myself (ego and desires).

I cannot deny myself when I am a slave to my pride and desires.
I cannot come out of my slavery without the power of God's spirit working from inside me.
I cannot have the spirit of God inside me when I am full of sin.
I cannot have sin justified without paying the price.

And God out of his great love has sent his dearest son to pay the price, so that we might be justified to receive the spirit that will give us the power to overcome the flesh that is stopping us from having what God wants us to have.

Even when I receive the holy spirit, I can only experience the power of the spirit if I let the spirit take control over the self and not vice versa. - This is a struggle for many of us still.

RELEVANT VERSES

"I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate." Romans 7:15

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." Galatians 5:24

 

God's Goodness Should Not Be Challenged By What We See

We should not doubt the goodness of God when we see an unexpected death of loved ones, innocent children or good people.

God allows death to good people and children who he knows will not be able to handle what lies in store for them if they lived.

If we are alive today, it is because he knows we are strong to handle and overcome what lies ahead of us.

God is a good father - he knows what each child can handle. He loves all and is always tying to protect.

The world is evil because of our sins - not because of him. Yet, he will never let evil have its way ultimately.

WE SHOULD NEVER LET WHAT WE SEE DOUBT THE GOODNESS OF GOD.

 

If we just knew where innocent children and good people went when they died, we will be nothing but happy for them.

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSE

"The righteous perish,
 and no one takes it to heart;
 the devout are taken away,
 and no one understands

 that the righteous are taken away
 to be spared from evil.
Those who walk uprightly
 enter into peace;
 they find rest as they lie in death." -." -ISAIAH 57: 1,2

God Is Not Against Enjoyment

When Christ calls us to deny ourselves and follow him, he is not trying to spoil our fun and enjoyment. NEVER!!!!

If he has created all good things for us to enjoy, why would he do that?

That is the lie told by the enemy to keep us away from God the father – who loves us so dearly.

The truth is, the self is marked by sin, is cut off from the spiritual source, does not know the truth and is taking the person towards destruction.

Every reasoning that is done by the self (without God) is done in darkness. The self has no clue of the light and makes all wrong decisions.

The self has a will but does not know how to use it. In addition, the self will never choose God if there were no consequences or pain.

How could a loving God allow us to self-destruct by following self?

Hence, he has asked us to deny self and follow Christ for our own good. This is painful for us in the beginning but produces everlasting joy, happiness and peace in the long run.

Sometimes, for some of us who want to follow God but are unable to deny self, God out of his great love will allow suffering that will cause brokenness – that will force us into denying self and following Christ.

Also Read: God Wants Us To Choose What Is Good For Us
 

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

"Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit." - Galatians 6:8

"For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will." - Romans 8:7

"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." - Galatians 2:20

"Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." - Luke 9:23

God Does Not Love Us Based On How Good We Are

God doesn't love us based on how good we are.
We can never be good enough for him.

The truth is, God's love (despite our imperfectness) drives us to be good.

God loves us so much that he gave himself for us on the cross even though we do not deserve it.

This is grace.

GRACE CANNOT BE EARNED BY GOOD DEEDS. IT CAN ONLY BE RECEIVED WITH HUMILITY.
 

Also Read: God does not show favouritism

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

""For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5:8

God Does Not Show Favouritism

God does not show favouritism.
God's grace, mercy and favour are available to all.

But, only the humble are able to receive it.

A humble man's prayer is something like this: "Lord, I am struggling with my sins. Please love me as I am and help me to become more like you".

As God is light and there is no falsehood in him, he will not be able to pour out his mercy on a person (or make his dwelling in the heart of a person) who is not honest about his sinful condition.

Also Read: God is not against enjoyment
 
RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

"People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy." - Proverbs 28:13

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." - Romans 3:23

"These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word." Isaiah 66:2

"Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud." - Psalm 138:6

God Is Not Angry With Us

God is not angry with our struggle in following the law (or the conscience) - not at all;

He understands too well that it is extremely difficult - almost impossible.
He knows that sin comes more naturally to us than holiness.
If it were easy, he would not have sent his dearest son to the cruel death on the cross.

However, it makes him sad that many of us think that there is no way out because we can never be good enough to earn his love.

This is not true.

He welcomes all those who come to him with a humble and repentant heart because he no more see us as we are - he sees us excused, atoned or purified by the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.

When we accept this gift of grace, Jesus will send his holy spirit who will work with us to transform us into his likeness- over a period of time.

Also Read: Heaven or Hell - We make the choice and God Calls - Come Just As You Are
 

 

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

"There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

"This High Priest (Jesus) of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin." - Hebrews 4:15

"He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins--and not only our sins but the sins of all the world." 1 John 2:2

God Calls - Come As You Are

We think we need to be clean (blameless) in order to enter into God's presence.
That's not true.

If that was the case, we can never be worthy enough to enter his presence our entire life time.

On the other hand, we enter his presence to become clean and blameless.
We can boldly enter his presence through the knowledge of what Christ accomplished in the cross for us.

 

ONLY THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF CHIRST'S LOVE CAN ENTICE US OUT OF OUR SIN INTO PEACE, JOY AND HOLINESS.

THERE IS NOT OTHER WAY WE CAN DO IT!!!
 

 We can only experience this love after we come into his presence.

Let not guilt keep us away from God's presence. This is the plan of the evil one.

Also Read: God does not love us based on how good we are

 

RELEVANT BIBLE VERSES

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." - Isaiah 1:18

 

"All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." - John 6:37

Meaning - What is my life worth?

Ever wondered about the meaning of life - what is it worth - is it worth at all to pull through all the troubles in life - what do I get in the end? for what? You and I are not the first ones to feel that way. King Solomon felt it centuries before:

"“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
   says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
   Everything is meaningless.”"  Ecclesiastes 1:2

How would you and I know? You and I never choose to be born. We were here even before we realized what had happened.

Going one step back. Why are we all here - all us human beings. Is this some big joke to be born and die meaninglessly - still worse is to be consious of it. Many of us believe that God created us - but to what end. Why did he create us?

Probably, this is where human knowledge ends and spiritual knowlege begins. Having searched with all human intelligence for an answer for many years, I could not find a good reason. To aknowledge this costed my pride - but yes, that it was it costed to know God. It was leaving my conceit and trusing him like a small child - no wonder he says that unless we become like children we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

When he showed me the reason, it all sounded so right. 'Love' is the simple and yet profound reason why he created man. He wants to share his love with us in all its intensity and expects the same for us.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God" - 1 John 4:7

This a love that is in nowhere finite or conditional. All of us are designed to experience this love that flows from the creator. The emptiness that most of us feel is because this place that is created by our creator in us is empty. The true joy in life comes from living in the knowlege of his love - under his presence and the beauty of his face. As C.S. Lewis beautifully puts it:

"A car is made to run on gasoline, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on."

If human love that is wavering can cause us so much of ecstacy or pain, imagine the power that love has - even at a finite and human level. Imagine how much more lost we are if we are away from God's love. No wonder we feel meaningless and empty!!!

If love is what that made us, all we need to do is open our heart to receive it. I will discuss the things that kept me from connecting with him in one of my later articles.

I have come to the conclusion, the main purpose of my life is to live in communion with God and to do his will in my life. There is nothing that gives greater satisfaction that living close to him and doing what he asks me to do - after all we will do anything for someone who loves us so greatly.

"You were born by his purpose and for his purpose" - Rick Warren