Compelling Love

In Paul’s final benediction to the Corinthian church he exhorts in 2 Corinthians 13:11, “Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” He then prays for the blessings of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to be with his friends in
2 Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” This prayer speaks of the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, living in the believer’s heart.

When a person receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, He dwells in them, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  He lives in us through the Holy Spirit who is given to us.  Through the Spirit, the Father and the Son of God actually take up residence in us, and nothing can separate us from the love of God. Paul describes this as a mystery now being made known in Colossians 1:27, “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Jesus also taught that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, would dwell in the disciples, and He promised to be with them through the Holy Spirit.

John 14 (NKJV)
¹⁵ “If you love Me, keep My commandments. ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Jesus promised to manifest himself to them, and that both He and the Father would come and make their home in them.

John 14 (NKJV)
Indwelling of the Father and the Son
¹⁹ “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. ²⁰ At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. ²¹ He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

²² Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

²³ Jesus answered and said to 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 home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

God will give life to our mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in us:

Romans 8 (NKJV)
¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Those who are led by the Spirit of God are His sons and daughters.  The glory that will be revealed in us outweighs any suffering that we may experience.

Romans 8 (NKJV)
¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

God makes all things work together for good to those who love Him, though we may not see it until later.

Romans 8 (NKJV)
²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Paul declares in Romans 8:39 that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8 (NKJV
³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Christ in you, the hope of glory”: This is a hope that will not disappoint!
In all things, He sustains and encourages us as we live and walk in His light and love.

Romans 5 (NKJV)
Faith Triumphs in Trouble
¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, https://compellinglove.net/