***The
Lord has led us to spend the next several posts focusing on
relationships beginning with our most important relationship, the one we
have with God***
Recovery Christian Center Daily Meditation - 5/10/12 - God's Perfect Love
"And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love." 1 John 4:13-18 NLT
Like any relationship, our relationship with God is based in love and respect. The difference is God's love is perfect and ours can only begin to be perfect if we are in relationship with Him. Real love isn't possible unless its based in a spiritual connection with God. All we have to do is look at our relationship prior to coming to Christ and into recovery and see how this is true. Prior to a relationship with God, our relationships were mostly selfish and self serving but our relationship with God is not about us its about loving Him for Who He is.
When we were new to Christ and recovery our relationship with Him was probably more selfish either being motivated by what He could do for us or as the text says, "fear of judgement", but as we grow and our love becomes more Christ like we begin to see that our relationship with God changes to so hat we get to know God for Who He is and not what He can do. We also be come more secure in who we are in Him so that we are less consumed with the fear of His judgement.
As this relationship grows and His love grows in us our lives become more like Jesus and our ability to love becomes more more like God's we will no longer be ruled by anger, self centeredness and fear because those things can't abide in perfect love. We will see all of our relationships around us change as well because we've been changed by God's very real, perfect love.
***Tomorrow we will look at relationships with other believers***
Recovery Christian Center Daily Meditation - 5/10/12 - God's Perfect Love
"And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love." 1 John 4:13-18 NLT
Like any relationship, our relationship with God is based in love and respect. The difference is God's love is perfect and ours can only begin to be perfect if we are in relationship with Him. Real love isn't possible unless its based in a spiritual connection with God. All we have to do is look at our relationship prior to coming to Christ and into recovery and see how this is true. Prior to a relationship with God, our relationships were mostly selfish and self serving but our relationship with God is not about us its about loving Him for Who He is.
When we were new to Christ and recovery our relationship with Him was probably more selfish either being motivated by what He could do for us or as the text says, "fear of judgement", but as we grow and our love becomes more Christ like we begin to see that our relationship with God changes to so hat we get to know God for Who He is and not what He can do. We also be come more secure in who we are in Him so that we are less consumed with the fear of His judgement.
As this relationship grows and His love grows in us our lives become more like Jesus and our ability to love becomes more more like God's we will no longer be ruled by anger, self centeredness and fear because those things can't abide in perfect love. We will see all of our relationships around us change as well because we've been changed by God's very real, perfect love.
***Tomorrow we will look at relationships with other believers***
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