DN Loving Christ 7/12/2007


 Religions > Bible > DN Loving Christ 7/12/2007

LINK TO THIS PAGE  


rating :  0   |  0


  Page 1 of 1
Topic: Religions > Bible
User: "Peter G. Chase"
Date: 11 Jul 2007 11:00:52 PM
Object: DN Loving Christ 7/12/2007
DRAWING NEAR
July 12
Loving Christ
"This precious value, then, is for you who believe" (1 Pet.
2:7).
Love for Christ is the primary characteristic of a true believer.
First Peter 2:7 speaks of the believer's affection for Christ as
contrasted to an unbeliever's rejection of Him. The first part of
that verse could be translated, "To you who believe, He is precious."
"Precious" means "valuable," "costly," "without equal," or
"irreplaceable." Christ is all that, but only believers recognize His
supreme value and regard Him with affection.
Affection for Christ is the bottom-line characteristic of true
believers. Believing in Him and loving Him are inseparable. In John
16:27 Jesus says, "The Father Himself loves you, because you have
loved Me, and have believed." In Matthew 10:37 He says, "He who loves
father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves
son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Believers have a
compelling and surpassing love for Christ.
To His antagonists Jesus declared, "If God were your Father, you
would love Me" (John 8:42). Anyone who truly loves God will love
Christ. Those antagonists claimed to be children of God, but their
deception was revealed when they tried to kill Jesus for preaching
God's truth. They were in fact children of the devil (v. 44).
In John 14 Jesus adds, "If you love Me, you will keep My
commandments. . . . He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it
is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and
I will love him. . . . If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and
My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode
with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words" (vv. 15,
21, 23- 24).
Many people are confused about what it means to be a Christian. But
you have the privilege of clarifying the issue as you esteem Christ
highly, love Him deeply, and demonstrate your love by obeying His
Word. May God bless you richly as you pursue that goal today.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Ask God to give you opportunities to demonstrate Christ's love in
specific ways to those around you.
For Further Study:
Read 1 John 4:7-5:3.
How did John characterize God? What affect should your love for God
have on your relationships with others? How did John define love?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
John 8:42-44
42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me,
for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself,
but He sent Me.
43 "Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to
listen to My word.
44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father
you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not
stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks
a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the
father of it."
1 John 4:7-5:3
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone
who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has
sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through
Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God
abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He
has given us of His Spirit.
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as
Savior of the world.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in
him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God
is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have
boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this
world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear,
because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made
perfect in love.
19 We love Him because He first loved us.
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a
liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can
he love God whom he has not seen?
21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must
love his brother also.
5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and
everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of
Him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God
and keep His commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And
His commandments are not burdensome.
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase@wowway.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Gospel
http://www.gty.org/
http://www.nwbible.org/
There is a living God. He has spoken in His word. He means just what he says, and will do all that He has promised. - Hudson Taylor
.

 

NEWER
pg.1232     pg.940     pg.716     pg.544     pg.412     pg.311     pg.234     pg.175     pg.130     pg.96     pg.70     pg.50     pg.35     pg.24     pg.16     pg.10     pg.6     pg.3     pg.1

OLDER