Wednesday, January 21

Love Wins, Pt. 1

I was thinking today about the way God loves us... how He never demands us to love Him, and how He always forgives us... no matter what we've done. It's almost unfathomable, because our love for one another doesn't even come close! We love so conditionally (at least, I do) and we can be so unforgiving. Yet, the holy God of the universe - who created us and all that's around us - gets slighted by us countless times a day... and still forgives us anyway!

I love this passage:

"[Love] does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged" (1 Corinthians 13:5).

Now, I have to be honest: that's hard for me to live out! But isn't it a beautiful picture of our great God?? He never forces us or tries to control us into loving Him... He's not moody... and (here's something awesome) He doesn't hold anything over our heads!

Here's another passage that blows my socks off:

"You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross" (Colossians 2:13-14).

I love that! I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell to please God - the charges even said so - but Jesus CANCELED THE CHARGES!!! And not just the charges... but even THE RECORD OF THE CHARGES! You won't find any paper trails anywhere about what I've done! I don't have to worry about it "coming back up years from now"! God's not saying, "Let me hold onto this... just in case" - NONE OF THAT! Gone... kaput... forever! No record... no trace...

He could've BUSTED me... but instead, He LOVED me. That... is... huge!

Retaliation doesn't win... love wins!
Bitterness doesn't win.. love wins!
Unforgiveness doesn't win... love wins!

That's the way God is with us... that's the way He wants us to be with others.

Love wins... all the time. YAY, GOD!!!! :-)

4 comments:

Michelle said...

Pastor D,
Thanks for the encouragment and reminder of God's love. Though we always know he loves us unconditionally, it is still nice to hear it again once in a while. I find so much comfort in the fact that God loves me no matter what. I can only unsuccessfully try to love others even a fraction of the amount He loves me.
Hope all is well!
-Michelle, from UMD :)

Yong Chun said...

"He never demands us to love Him"?

DARREN PLUMMER: said...

No, "HHN", He doesn't demand us love Him. This may be semantics, but God tells us to love Him, and demands we OBEY Him. Both are in our best interest... our life at some point becomes topsy turvy when we don't. But He doesn't make us love Him. He may DISCIPLINE those who belong to Him when their actions continue in a pattern of disobedience; but He doesn't "demand" (in a formal sense) our love. He loves us; He tells us we are to love Him... but He doesn't make us - He doesn't want "computer love", where He has to push a button to get us to respond. He wants our love unrequisited... from our hearts, not from compulsion.

He demands we obey Him, but not to love Him...which sounds strange, because if we love Him we'll obey Him. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Wow Pastor D, this is such an inspiration. You know just today I woke feeling anxious, afraid, worried, and unconfident getting ready to go back to school. I realized that I was doing this to myself and so the one thing I felt to do was grab my bible. Every time I open it, God sends me a message of not just hope but continues to prove to me that he is with me every step of the way. Well, I opened my bible and to no surprise, there was a message just for me chosen by God to make me feel better and lift me up. I began reading Psalm 25..."Oh Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat... Show me the right path, O Lord; point out out the road for me to follow... All day long I put my hope in you."

This passage helped me through my first day of school and I know it will help me throughout all of it and beyond. Thank you Pastor D.

It's all for Him,
Helsy Diaz