The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"More Blessed To Give"
Part 4 - "To Us. For Us. Within Us."
"The Lord Jesus said… "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
Born again believers have known the unselfish love of God for us, that came to us, and now dwells within us.
"The kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared" (Titus 3:4).
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us" (I John 3:16).
"The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us" (Romans 5:5).
God purposes to conform us to the spiritual and moral image of the Lord Jesus, working "all things… together" for this good of redeeming us from the darkness of self-centeredness to the light of loving devotion to God and others (Romans 8:28-29). The primary means of such grace involves the knowledge of Him:
"This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3).
"Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (II Corinthians 3:18).
Walking with God involves many components of thought, belief, attitude, speech, action, and relationship. All have as their primary purpose the Divine working to make us like the Lord Jesus in His unselfish consecration to others. The two great commands - to love God and to love people - confirm this primary emphasis of our Father's purpose in our hearts and lives (Mark 12:30-31). How such change occurs begins and proceeds with our knowledge of God. That is, as we discover His character, nature, and way, the Spirit of God leads us to walk accordingly by the growing realization that this "hope of glory" dwells within us by His presence (Colossians 1:27). His love, "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" establishes, empowers, and enhances this wonder of grace in us. Our native fleshly tendency involves self-centered egoism. Our spiritual tendency as God-inhabited believers, however, involves devotion to Him and others. "It is more blessed to give than to receive" comprises our grace-birthed nature in Christ and truest delight (Ephesians 4:24; Romans 7:22). We do not always walk accordingly, but the truth ever abides, as sealed and secured by the Holy Spirit's presence and promised work in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
To us. For us. Within us. This progression of God's love leads us to "walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us" (Ephesians 5:2). Growing discovery that "God is love" and all that such wonder means leads us to "walk, even as He walked" (I John 2:6). We "behold as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord," and are "changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Our Heavenly Father could love us in no greater way than to reveal such unselfish otherness unto and within us. He will not rest unto the light of such grace shines perfectly and brightly in the entirety of our being (Philippians 1:6). It is more blessed to give than to receive. The Lord Jesus said these words. He lived this life. Now He dwells within us to reveal the same sublime character of devotion to God and others. Certainly, He could do nothing more loving to us, for us, and within us.
"We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."
(I John 4:16)
Weekly Memory Verse
Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.
(Psalm 25:5)
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