----DO I LOVE GOD?

-"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous."
--(1 John 5:3) -

--DO I TRULY LOVE GOD and His Son Jesus Christ? Today's key verse indicates that if we love God, we will keep His commandments and not think them grievous. But too often we fall short of fulfilling His commandments as we would like. That is why we need to abide in Christ. In John 15:4 Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." What is meant by this abiding? It means to stay, continue, or dwell in Christ.

My love is evident in my interests. Do I have stronger interests in earthly things than in eternal things? Is my first priority the things of the present or those of the hereafter? David testified in Psalm 16:8-9, "I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth : in my flesh also shall rest in hope." This passage is quoted in Acts 2:26, but the words "my glory rejoiceth" are rendered as "my tongue was glad." I show love for God by words of rejoicing in Him.

We cannot love Christ without faith that He is the Son of God. Grace, faith, and love are available in exceeding abundance. "And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 1:14). To fully comprehend the love of God is beyond our natural powers! Yet Paul prayed that the believers at Ephesus might "know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19).

~~"Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." --[Jude 21]

--"Beside Still Waters/FB~