Grace and Truth
John 1:17 'For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ'.
We can only know God and love God according to grace and truth and through what was demonstrated and accomplished by Christ on the cross for sinful man. When that truth sets us free through grace, we are free to love God and love others as we love ourselves. We are always to love ourselves through grace and truth and never condemn ourselves in our heart about anything we do because God is greater than our heart (1Jn 3:20). The more grace and truth that we know and receive from God the more we love Him and the more we love others with grace and truth. The measure of love that we have for others will be according to the measure that we have received grace and truth from God who loves us the same. God's love is not a random love, it is according to grace and truth and the justice of God. The love that God has toward sinners is not random but it is all inclusive (far reaching John 3:16) because the justice of God paid for ALL sin. The love of God becomes exclusive (indwelling Rom 5:5) to the sinner when they are saved and made righteous by grace and hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3).
Our dwelling place is a hidden place with Christ in God, while Christ is within us as a mystery and the hope of glory (Col 1:27, Eph 3:4). In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 3:4) and he will make known to us, in this hidden place, the mystery of His will (Eph 1:9). The cross and being hid with Christ in God, is the first place that God revealed His great love to us (Eph 2:4). From that place we grow in grace and knowledge of Him (2Pt 3:18) and our love abounds more and more in knowledge and judgment (Phil 1:9). Our love for God, ourselves and others must be according to knowledge and judgment and be filled with grace and truth because that is how God first loved us. That is not a random and undisciplined love but rather a specific love that is disciplined through the cross with lots of grace and truth and good judgment. This is the love that God is resting in (Zeph 3:17) and because we are in Him we are able to keep ourselves in that love by faith (Jude 21).
John 1:17 'For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ'.
We can only know God and love God according to grace and truth and through what was demonstrated and accomplished by Christ on the cross for sinful man. When that truth sets us free through grace, we are free to love God and love others as we love ourselves. We are always to love ourselves through grace and truth and never condemn ourselves in our heart about anything we do because God is greater than our heart (1Jn 3:20). The more grace and truth that we know and receive from God the more we love Him and the more we love others with grace and truth. The measure of love that we have for others will be according to the measure that we have received grace and truth from God who loves us the same. God's love is not a random love, it is according to grace and truth and the justice of God. The love that God has toward sinners is not random but it is all inclusive (far reaching John 3:16) because the justice of God paid for ALL sin. The love of God becomes exclusive (indwelling Rom 5:5) to the sinner when they are saved and made righteous by grace and hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3).
Our dwelling place is a hidden place with Christ in God, while Christ is within us as a mystery and the hope of glory (Col 1:27, Eph 3:4). In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 3:4) and he will make known to us, in this hidden place, the mystery of His will (Eph 1:9). The cross and being hid with Christ in God, is the first place that God revealed His great love to us (Eph 2:4). From that place we grow in grace and knowledge of Him (2Pt 3:18) and our love abounds more and more in knowledge and judgment (Phil 1:9). Our love for God, ourselves and others must be according to knowledge and judgment and be filled with grace and truth because that is how God first loved us. That is not a random and undisciplined love but rather a specific love that is disciplined through the cross with lots of grace and truth and good judgment. This is the love that God is resting in (Zeph 3:17) and because we are in Him we are able to keep ourselves in that love by faith (Jude 21).