How do we know God Loves us?
“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)
Jesus Christ is the only hope for humanity and has showed us real love. Jesus had to die so that we might live through Him. God sacrificed the most precious thing to Him, His son Jesus Christ, so that we could experience eternal life.
The sovereignty of God means that He has total control of all things past, present and future. Nothing happens that is out of His knowledge and control. All things are either caused by Him or allowed by Him for His own purposes and through His perfect will and timing, according to 1 Corinthians 8:6.
What is God’s sovereign purpose for us?
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“He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:4)
God’s love sometimes can never fully be understood.
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
“God is love, and we should love each other” has been preached for a very long time. But honestly, many people have not experienced real love in their lives. Love has been called many things throughout generations.
God is still in control and has taken care of us all everywhere. He has turned our situations around and for that we give Him honor and glory!
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” (Psalm 133: 1-3)
Growth can occur at times when we begin to question ourselves when someone is sharing parts of their lives with us. Conviction needs to happen, not condemnation.
Romans 8:1 says “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Unity is strength and essential for effective collaboration within the body of Christ. The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body as it is with the body of Christ. How do we have unity among people? Acceptance is vital in the process to achieve unity among the people. Do you really accept people for who they are in life or do you seek to change them into something different?
Seeing people means seeing them for who they are in life and loving them is accomplished through loving someone as you love yourself.
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knows God. He that loveth not knows not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:7-9)
Sometimes we may be able to relate to what someone reveals to us. Other times what’s said is so beyond our normal way of life it’s challenging to comprehend. There are times conversations at the table have humbled me and helped me gain a better understanding about my current season of life.
Anthony Armstrong is senior pastor at Unity Christian Fellowship Church at Pine Bluff.
Editor’s note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles for consideration to shope@adgnewsroom.com. Writers should have ties to Southeast Arkansas. Please include your phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry.