Two-minute read.
Greetings to all who are continuing moving through the MY IDENTITY posts.
This is a critical set of conversations about why you and I are longing to connect with this God who longs to bring us into His Heart! What we conclude about this series is pretty decisive moving forward. While we may feel as if we need to stop, God understands.
“One’s relationship to God, was then, and is now, primary to life and to one’s identity.” Marcus Borg
We will focus first on that initial word; LOVED.
LOVE comes from God, not from us. To be LOVED, we must step toward God who is ready to embrace any and all who choose to connect with Him. What does the word LOVED mean to us? Check it out.
- “For God so loved the World that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
- We are more than conquerors through Him who Loved us.” Romans 8:37
- “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
The actual word “LOVE” in English can be a Verb or a Noun. In Greek, Agapao was the verb, and Agape was the noun. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Agape and Agapao are used in the New Testament to describe the attitude of God toward His Son:
“This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 17:5
Here, God conveys His will to His children concerning their attitude toward one another:
“As I have Loved you, so you should love one another” John 13:34
To express the essential nature of God, we see God (Incarnate) in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ.
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Mahatma Ghandi
Love’s perfect expression among mankind is found as we discover how Jesus lived his life. Christian love is not an impulse from feelings – Love seeks the welfare of all!
“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find, you get what you need.” Mick Jagger
See here’s the stark difference between the English version we call (LOVE) And the Greek version they called – “Agapao”
“This is love (Agape) not that we loved God but that He LOVED (Agapao) us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” I John 4:10
Let’s close with this: Creation hasn’t the ability to love separated from the Creator!
Join us again for the next piece of My Identity.
Blessings,
Pastor Mike
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