Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Orange Moon Cafe "The Greatest Question"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…


"The Greatest Question"



    When the question is raised, "What is love?" the born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ responds, "This question cannot be answered according to the way it is phrased."

    "God is love" (I John 4:8).

    The essence of love is personal, consisting of three Persons dwelling in and as one God, namely, the triune Lord of Scripture.  Thus, the first question of love references "Who?" rather than "What?"  We follow the Biblical revelation that begins with love's being rather than its doing.  This initiates the consideration as a matter of personal relationship and fellowship with God, even as the Lord Jesus declared, "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent" (Johnn 17:3).  Upon this foundation of "Who?," we then consider the "What?" of love, that is, God's doings.  Being leads to doing.  Root bears fruit.  Essence results in expression.  "Thou art good and doest good" (Psalm 119:68; emphasis added).

   "Who art Thou, Lord?" (Acts 9:5).  The Apostle Paul asked the question of the Lord Jesus Christ when first encountering Him on the road to Damascus.  He then added, "What wilt Thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6).  Note the order of response to God.  Who?  What?  Being.  Doing.  We must never reverse this sequence of Truth.  As I Corinthians 13 plainly teaches, character precedes capability.  Regarding love, we must know Who love is in order to understand What love does.  Moreover, if we are to love as commanded by our Lord, the sequence of Truth must be maintained in our hearts and minds.  Again, this confirms the Scriptural emphasis on the personal whereby the practical becomes possible.  If I emphasize God's doings over His being, I miss the primary Biblical revelation of His nature and existence.    Thus, I will not be able to respond to my own calling to "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us" (Ephesians 5:2).  "Who art Thou, Lord?"  This is the greatest question ever recorded in Scripture.  It must be established and maintained as the greatest question of our hearts.

   This understanding leads us to the realization of our own being and doing.  Knowing the truth about God leads believers to know the truth about ourselves.   We are His dwelling place, the dwelling place of His love.  "Ye are the temple of God… the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (I Corinthians 3:16; Romans 5:5).  Who are we as Christians?  Since love is central in the God who dwells within us as the Life of our lives, we could rightly answer, "I am the living temple of the love of Christ."  "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6).  This is our being, which known and affirmed by faith, leads to our doing.  Yes, the more we know the answer to the greatest question - "Who art Thou, Lord" - the more we discover the answer of His love in our hearts, and in our minds, hands, and feet.

"Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us."
(Ephesians 5:2)
"The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."
(I Timothy 1:14)
"And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God."
(II Thessalonians 3:5)

Weekly Memory Verse
  Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name.  Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
(Psalm 29:2)



  






















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