Only When We Allow The Self Denying Love Of God To Pervade Our Lives Will We Be Able To Love Our Enemies I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5) Live Out Thy Life Within Me - https://youtube/watch?v=GG3FzwAYMlY The writer of the lesson made a very profound statement that I would like to share with you this morning. He said, “The more we realize and experience the Lord’s love for us, the more His love will flow from us to others, even our enemies.” Here the Lord reminding us that we should focus our attention on being in His presence and experiencing the love of God in our lives. Many of us spend our time focusing on how to be kind to others. Sometimes the leaders of our church believe that in order to help members to love each other that pogrammes should be implemented to discuss what love it. While this knowledge is important, notice that the writer points to our personal encounter with the Lord as the source of generating love within our hearts for us. You see my friend, when we think about how the Lord treats us even in our trespasses and sins, we will be able to exhibit the same kind of love that He has for others. When we realize that each individual on this earth is one of God’s children, we will never treat them based on our prejudices but we will treat them in the same manner that God treats us. Do we remember where the Lord has taken us from? Have we forgotten how He rescued us from the pit of hell? Have we forgotten how He forgave us of our trespasses and sins even when we would not forgive ourselves? Have we forgotten His kindness and the several prayers that He answered for us? All the persons who are our enemies are children of God. It is so interesting how we would choose to call some people “heathens” when we believe they have nothing to offer to us. But we will choose to call these same people “baptismal candidate” when their decision will make us feel proud of our witnessing activities. This morning the Lord is reminding us that we should be kind and affectionate to all people. On the cross, Jesus died for all mankind. He places all of us in one category; SINNERS. Those of us who have been called out of darkness into this marvelous light have the responsibility, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to show to the world the love of God in the way we treat each other and especially our enemies. I pray that we will continue to have experiences with the Lord which will propel us to love everybody with no conditions. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. How is this? Fear lest you shall weave into the fabric your own threads of selfishness. Fear lest you shall err in choosing the timber for your character building. God alone can supply the solid timber. Well may mortal man be afraid of weaving into his character the miserable threads of his own inherited and cultivated tendencies. Well may he tremble lest he shall not submit all things to Him who is working in his behalf, that Gods will shall be done in him. God welcomes all who come to Him just as they are, not building themselves up in self-righteousness, not seeking to justify self, not claiming merit for that which they call a good action, not priding themselves on their knowledge of what constitutes righteousness. Put on the wedding garment which Christ has prepared, and drop the old citizens dress: then you can sit down in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. While you have been walking in meekness and lowliness of heart, a work has been going on for you, a work which only God could do; for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. And that good pleasure is to have you abide in Christ, rest in His love. You must not let anything rob your soul of peace, of restfulness, of the assurance that you are accepted just now. Appropriate every promise; all are yours on condition of your complying with the Lords prescribed terms. Entire surrender of your ways, which seem so very wise, and taking Christs ways, is the secret of perfect rest in His love. Giving up ones life to Him means much more than we suppose. We must learn His meekness and lowliness before we realize the fulfillment of the promise, Ye shall find rest unto your souls. It is by learning the habits of Christ, His meekness, His lowliness, that self becomes transformed,--by taking Christs yoke upon you and then submitting to learn. There is no one who has not much to learn. All must come under training by Jesus Christ. When they fall upon Christ, their own hereditary and cultivated traits of character are taken away as hindrances to their being partakers of the divine nature. When self dies, then Christ lives in the human agent. He abides in Christ, and Christ lives in him. Christ desires all to become His students. He says, Yield yourselves to my training; submit your souls unto me. I will not extinguish you, but will work out for you such a character that you shall be transferred from the lower school to the higher grade. Submit all things to Me. Let My life, My patience, My longsuffering, My forbearance, My meekness, My lowliness, be worked out in your character, as one that abides in Me and I in him. Then you have the promise not only I will give, but Ye shall find rest to your souls. God calls for an entire surrender. You cannot receive the Holy Spirit until you break every yoke of bondage, everything that binds you to your old, objectionable traits of character. These are the great hindrances to your wearing Christs yoke and learning of Him. The abiding rest--who has it? That rest is found when all justification of self, all reasoning from a selfish standpoint, is put away. Acquaintance with Christ makes you want to abide in Him, and to have Him abide in you. Entire surrender of self is required. (Bible Training School, August 1, 1903 – Ellen G. White) Those who are partakers of the divine nature are one with God in Christ, and one with each other to work the works of God, which are works of mercy and tender compassion. It is mercy that has saved us, and when we manifest mercy toward our fellow-men, we are only working in Christs lines. Mercy is continually active throughout the vast universe. Mercy abounds in the heart of God, and it is from this source that all our happiness comes. Gods family upon earth is large, and his children are suffering in the suffering mortals around us; and every soul who is imbued with the Holy Spirit, will practice works of mercy, and reveal to others tender love, pity, and compassion. From the true Christian heart every fiber of selfishness will be uprooted, because it is opposed to the practice of Christ. Jesus said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Signs of the Times, September 19, 1895 – Ellen G. White)
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 11:25:23 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015