SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/7/2024 9:26 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-3 “Consider Your Resources”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
2 Timothy 1:7
Message of the
verse: “For God has not given us a spirit
of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (NASB 95). “For God has not
given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”
(AKJV).
I begin this SD like a lot of others as I give you a
quote from John MacArthur’s commentary: “God
also has given every believer the resource of His own divine love, which, like
His power, we received at the time of our new birth. In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul
exulted, ‘The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the
Holy Spirit who was given to us’ (Rom. 5:5).”
That paragraph gives all believers very good
news. I want to talk for a moment about
something that has to do with God’s jealously, and yes God is a jealous God,
but jealous in a good way. Think for a
moment about salvation and how a person is saved. First of all I believe that the Bible teaches
that in eternity past that God chose those who would be saved. Now don’t think that this is unfair, for we
are dealing with God who is perfect and cannot make any mistakes. Next there comes a time in a person’s life
when the Spirit of God gives them an effectual call for salvation. This happened to me on the 26th of
January, 1974. I have mentioned this
experience in earlier SD’s. Next that
person accepts that call and realizes that they are a sinner and asks the Lord
to forgive them and then invites the Lord into their lives to be their
Savior. A person may not realize at that
time that not only is the Lord Jesus Christ their Savior, but also their
Lord. Now the point in all of this is to
show that this is all the work of God.
God has given us certain gifts in order to do what He has planned for us
to do for the cause of Christ. We, on
our own cannot do things that please the Lord, but using the gifts that God has
given us will bring glory to the Lord.
This is all about God, and when you think about it worshiping a perfect
“jealous” God is the best thing that will happen to us. I realize that this is at times difficult to
understand and because we are human beings a lot of times we want to be in
control and do things for the cause of Christ on our own. Remember when we get to heaven the “flesh”
will not be going with us, and I for one am thankful for that.
Now back to our verse in 2
Timothy. Now speaking of love as found
at the end of this verse, it is the Greek word agape, the volitional and selfless love that desires and works for
the best interests of the one loved.
This is not emotional and conditional, as philos love often is, and has nothing in common with eros love, which is sensual and
selfish. Now the love that we as
believers have from God is constant. It
does not share the ebb and flow or the unpredictability of those other
loves. Now if I remember correctly the
eros kind of love is never mentioned in the Word of God. Agape love is a self-denying grace that says
to others, in effect, “I will give myself away on your behalf.” Now when you think of that kind of love it
reminds you of what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary. Now “directed back to God from where it came,”
writes MacArthur, “it says, ‘I will give my life and everything I have to serve
You.’ It is the believer’s ‘love in the
Spirit’ (Col. 1:8), the divinely bestowed love of the one who will ‘lay down
his life for his friends’ (John 15:13).
It is the ‘sincere love of the brethren’ by which we ‘fervently love one
another from the heart’ (1 Peter 1:22), the ‘perfect love [that] casts out fear’
(1 John 4:18). It is the love that
affirms without reservation of hesitation: ‘If we live, we live for the Lord,
or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the
Lord’s ‘(Rom. 14:8). Above all, it is ‘the
love of Christ which surpasses knowledge’ (Eph. 3:19).”
Now
the truth is, and it is something that I know that I have a hard time of always
doing, is our spiritual lives are measured accurately by our love. If our first love is for self, our life will
center on seeking our own welfare, our own objectives, our own comfort and
success. That means that we will not sacrifice
ourselves for others or even for the Lord.
However if we love with the love of God provides, our life will center
on pleasing Him and on seeking the welfare of others, especially other
Christians. Godly love is the first
fruit of the Spirit, and it is manifested when we “live by the Spirit and… walk
by the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:22-25). “22 But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those
who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and
desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Gal.
5:22-25).
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: This section has stepped on my spiritual toes
and by the grace of God this wakeup call given by the Spirit of God will cause
some change in my life, needed change.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: I desire to allow the Spirit of God to
work in my life and to fill me with His love so that I can love others like
Christ loves.
12/7/2024 10:13 AM
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