Monday, April 18, 2011

The Love of a Father

Yesterday, we looked at the justice and mercy of the Lord, today we are going to look at the love of God the Father.

Joh 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.   He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

I am sure we could all quote these verses in our sleep, but do we stop to think about them?  God loved the world so much that He allowed His Son to take the punishment for our sin.  His love fits beautifully in with his justice and mercy that we looked at yesterday.  His love is the reason that He sent his Son to suffer all the pain and agony that He went through, so that we would no longer be condemned for our sins.  That is a love incomprehensible, unimaginable, and amazing.

Rom 5:1-9  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:   By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

 The Father's love is a love that is freely given.  His love was given to us, not because we were righteous, but because we were sinners with no hope of justification.  There is absolutely nothing we can do to get the love of God because He gave it to us before we even realized that it we needed it.

Eph 2:4-9  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,   Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The Father's love is a great love.  While we were still rotten, wicked sinners He gave his Son to pay the price for our sins.

Rom 8:32-39  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Father's love is inescapable.  We see in these verses a love so great that there is absolutely nothing that can take us away from the love of God.  These are great verses on eternal security, nothing can separate us from the love of God that was manifested in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So how can we apply this to our parenting?  How much love do we show to our children?  Not just saying the words,  "I love you," but showing it in our actions.  Are our children afraid that if they do something wrong that mom and dad will stop loving them?
God loved us with a sacrificial love, how much sacrificial love do we show to our children?"  Do we stop the "important" (i.e. facebook, blogging, texting...you get the idea) things we are doing to spend time demonstrating our love toward our children?   What better way is there to teach our children about the great love of God than by showing that love to them as we raise them.

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