“The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying: Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love! Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” [Jer.31:3]
“that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; (19) and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God..” [Eph.3:17-19]
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all – then were all dead: (15) and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again.” [2Co.5:14-15]
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the Lord, thoughts of Peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” [Jer.29:11]
Three out of four of the above texts obviously have to do with God’s Love toward His sinner-saved-by-grace-children – while they are yet in this fallen-in-sin world. That being said – actually all four of these texts speak specifically of the Love of Christ our God!
The first text out of Jeremiah declares that all those who have been saved – are being, or have been — drawn by God’s lovingkindness into the reality of knowing and understanding that He has loved them from eternity – with His eternal love – and has ultimately provided an eternal atonement for all of their sins! How so very wonderful is that?!
Then, from here we jump over into the New Testament where the apostle Paul – inspired by the Holy Spirit – tells us that the “whole family of God” (Eph.3:15) by the power of the Holy Spirit will be made able to understand the great eternal love of our great eternal Savior! A love that has brought to pass and wrought for us every aspect of God’s eternal salvation from all of our sins.
And, why is this true? How does this happen to us? Even because Christ’s love for us literally blows our fallen minds! The Spirit of God causes us to receive and understand the glory of God’s great grace that He has exercised unto us – and in us – in His saving us from our sins. The knowledge of this surpasses anything and everything that has ever happened to us – and it’s all because of the Lord Jesus Christ! Praise His all glorious Name!
In fact, as the next text from 2Co.5 conveys unto us: “…the love of Christ constraineth us” [or, more lit.> “the love to us – from out of Christ – controls us”] so that we rightly do judge – that Christ as our Sovereign Savior Substitute has satisfied all of God’s perfect Justice upon our sins in His dying for us at Calvary! And, His having been raised from the dead for us – we have through Him — a perfect atonement for all of our sins! Because of this – we absolutely want to live only for Him and His glory throughout the rest of our lives in this fallen world!
The last text from Jer.29 further reveals something special concerning God’s love for us. It tells of the very specific loving longing that our God has for each of His saved sinner children. Whatever God thinks – comes to pass (see Is.14:24). And, He says that He knows the thoughts that He thinks toward us – “thoughts of Peace and not of evil” in order to give to us His “expected end”.
We will discuss deeper and further this text in next month’s prayer/newsletter.
For Christ’s Glory Only! – John Carpenter
