Compelling Love

The gospels recount how Jesus continually saved and healed people in response to their faith, either their own faith or that of others.  He would afterwards commend their faith with words such as, “Your faith has made you well” (Matthew 9:22, Mark 10:52) or “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (Luke 7:50).  Faith is a precious gift from God for which we can pray, a gift to be kept diligently and exercised daily. 

God will win the victory in our lives and in the lives of our loved ones in answer to our faithful prayers. He will cause faith to arise in them and will break down strongholds of unbelief, setting them free to live and walk in His light. He is also working to bring about reformation in our government and society, to establish truth and righteousness there, as we pray and exercise biblical citizenship for that purpose.

David describes his own saving faith in Psalm 27, urging God’s people to stay strong in the Lord:

Psalm 27 (NKJV)
¹³ I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

1 John 5 teaches that faith is “the victory that has overcome the world”.

1 John 5 (NKJV)

⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. ⁵ Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God connects us with the One who gives eternal life:

1 John 5 (NKJV)
¹¹ And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Paul exemplifies a living, triumphant faith in Christ in Romans 5.

Romans 5 (NKJV)
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.

Faith, hope and love work together in a believer’s life to glorify God. 

The relationship between hope and faith is described in Hebrews 11:1,

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” When God gives you faith that the things you’re hoping and praying for will come to pass, that in itself is evidence that your hope will be fulfilled.

Hebrews 12, describes the “race of faith”, in which Jesus is both the author and the finisher of our faith:

Hebrews 12 (NKJV)
¹ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The song “Faith is the victory”, written by John H. Yates in 1891, beautifully portrays this triumphant faith in Christ:

Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
Oh, glorious victory,
That overcomes the world.

To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n;
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in heav’n.
Then onward from the hills of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring name.

Darlene Deibler Rose, who with her husband was a missionary to Borneo when World War II began, exemplifies a living, triumphant faith in her book, “Evidence Not Seen: A Woman’s Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II” (Paperback – November 25, 2003).  She relates how she steadfastly demonstrated a testimony of faith to Mr. Yamaji, the stern unkind commander of the women’s Prisoner of War camp. When he later informed her of her husband’s death, she was able to tell him through her tears that she was not “as others who have no hope” (1 Thes. 4:13), and that she would one day join her husband, alive in God’s presence, because Jesus has overcome death.  He abruptly turned and escaped into an adjoining room, where she could hear him weeping. This mean commander later repented of his cruelty and became a strong believer, giving glory to Christ in his testimony over Japanese radio.

We have the victory as we live by our faith in Christ that God has given us, as Paul describes in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 

Paul explains the relationship between faith and works in Ephesians 2:`
⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

We will see wonderful victories as we faithfully pray for and participate in God’s work of bringing salvation, righteousness and peace to our families, communities and nations.

David Krause, dhkrause2@gmail.com, https://compellinglove.net/

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, who stepped down into darkness to open our eyes to the beauty and wonder of God’s love.  John 3:16 declares,“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.  He is the good shepherd who gives his life for sheep.  He rose from the dead, and is alive forevermore. He is the true light for all who follow Him, as He said after refusing to condemn the woman caught in adultery:

John 8:12 (NKJV)
¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” 

In John 10, Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep, and also predicts his resurrection.

John 10 (NKJV)
¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ¹⁵ As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
¹⁷ “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus tells the disciples, “You are the light of the world.” He encourages them to let their light shine, for the glory of God.

Matthew 5 (NKJV)
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

John 1:9 describes Jesus as the light shining in the darkness, “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”

John 1 (NKJV)
¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

In Colossians 1, Paul prays, “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”.

Colossians 1 (NKJV)
⁹ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ¹⁰ that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; ¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

1 Peter 2:9 declares, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

He calls us to “walk in the light as He is in the light.”

1 John 1 (NKJV)
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Paul declares in Romans 5:5, “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”  Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Oswald Chambers writes, “Jesus Christ became Incarnate for one purpose, to make a way back to God that man might stand before Him as He was created to do, the friend and lover of God Himself.”

Philippians 2 describes Christ’s humbling and His exaltation:

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Tim Hughes captures the inspiration of this scripture in the following song.

Here I am to Worship
(Tim Hughes, 1999, inspired by Philippians 2)

1. Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes, let me see
Beauty that made this heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You

Refrain:
Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You’re my God
You’re altogether lovely, altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me

2. King of all days oh, so highly exalted
Glorious in Heaven above
Humbly You came to the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor

[Refrain]

I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
(Repeat 3 times)

[Refrain, 3 times]

Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Walk in His light, and His glory will shine through you, giving glory to your Father in heaven.

David Krause, dhkrause2@gmail.com, 4/14/2019, updated 3/16/2025, https://compellinglove.net/

In Romans 6:4, Paul exhorts believers to walk in “newness of life”:

Romans 6:3-4 (ESV – English Standard Version)
³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Walking in newness of life means living a new life in union with Christ, knowing who we are in Him, and who He is in us.

Romans 6:3-4 (Good News Translation)
³ For surely you know that when we were baptized into union with Christ Jesus, we were baptized into union with his death. ⁴ By our baptism, then, we were buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life.

Colossians 1 (Good News Translation)
²⁷ God’s plan is to make known his secret to his people, this rich and glorious secret which he has for all peoples. And the secret is that Christ is in you, which means that you will share in the glory of God.

By believing in Jesus Christ and receiving Him as Savior and Lord, we are born again and have peace with God, entering into a new relationship of grace.

Romans 5:1-2 (J.B. Phillips New Testament)
¹ Since then it is by faith that we are justified, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we have confidently entered into this new relationship of grace, and here we take our stand, in happy certainty of the glorious things he has for us in the future.

The hymn Victory in Jesus by Eugene M. Bartlett (1885-1941) celebrates this new identity and walk with God.

 I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood’s atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.
O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever!
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood.
He loved me ere I knew Him,
And all my love is due Him.
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood.

We live in victory and newness of life by walking in the light.

1 John 1:5-7 (NKJV)
⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

By faith in Jesus Christ, surrendering our lives to Him, we become new creations.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV), “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

J. B. Phillips renders this passage as follows:

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (J.B. Phillips New Testament)
¹⁷ For if a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether—the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new. ¹⁸ All this is God’s doing, for he has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ; and he has made us agents of the reconciliation. ¹⁹ God was in Christ personally reconciling the world to himself—not counting their sins against them—and has commissioned us with the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are now Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were appealing direct to you through us. As his personal representatives we say, “Make your peace with God.”

²¹ For God caused Christ, who himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.

As we walk with the Lord, the light of His love shines ever more brightly in our lives.

“But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” 
Proverbs 4:18 (NKJV)

Jesus declared in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

In John 17, Jesus prayed that believers would be with him and behold his glory, that the love of the Father would be in us, and that He himself would be in us.

John 17 (NKJV)
²⁴ “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. ²⁶ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Paul echoes this prayer in Colossians 1:27, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

David likewise prays in Psalm 16:11, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we joyously walk in newness of life.

What is truth, how do we find it, and how do we live it? When we find Jesus, we find the way, the truth, and the life God has always intended for us to live. I bought my wife an American Greetings birthday card recently that read, “The same God who spread billions of stars across the sky and sprinkled infinite grains of sand by the sea created just one you. You are God’s wonderful, unique creation. May He bless you and give you the desires of your  heart.” God has uniquely created each of us, and calls all who have ears to hear according to His purpose. Paul gives this wonderful assurance: Romans 8(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.”

The Lord promises to direct the paths of those who wholeheartedly trust in Him:
Proverbs 3 (NKJV)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Faith gives us the victory that overcomes the world:
1 John 5 (NKJV) ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. ⁵ Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

As the song by Ira D. Sankey declares:
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
Oh, glorious victory that overcomes the world.

Jesus promises eternal and abundant life to those who believe in Him:

John 3:16 (NKJV)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 14:6 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 10:10 (NKJV)
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Living the truth means knowing God’s Word and walking in it.

Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.

Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV)
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

John 13 (NKJV)
¹⁶ Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Abiding in Jesus and His love, we will bear much fruit.
John 15 (NKJV)
¹ “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

Love and Joy Perfected
⁹ “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
¹¹ “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. ¹² This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

After His atoning death and resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven, and then sent the Holy Spirit who lives in us and guides us into all truth.
John 16 (NKJV)
¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

Jesus gives eternal life to those who are united with Him. He prays in John 17 that we would be one with Him and in the Father, and receive His glory.

John 17 (NKJV)Jesus Prays for Himself
¹ Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, ² as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ⁴ I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples
⁶ “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. ⁷ Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. ⁸ For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. ⁹ “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. ¹⁰ And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.

Jesus Prays for All Believers
²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

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/

God loves you, and His love never fails. 1 John 4:19 declares, “We love Him because He first loved us.” We return God’s amazing love by loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the first commandment as Jesus taught in Mark 12:

Mark 12 (NKJV)
The Scribes: Which Is the First Commandment of All?
²⁸ Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”
²⁹ Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. ³¹ And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

God’s love is the sure foundation for our lives. We grow stronger in our faith and love by pressing to know Him better, as Paul describes in  Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” When we seek Him with all our heart, we come to know His love ever more deeply, and are “filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19)

John Paul, a Pastor in India, posted this word of encouragement in Facebook on 9/9/24:

No matter what others have said or how many times you’ve faced rejection, always remember that you are wonderfully made by 𝐆𝐨𝐝. Your worth is not determined by the opinions of others, but by the One who created you. You are not a mistake; every part of you is carefully and lovingly designed with purpose. Even in moments of doubt or hardship, 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 love and plans for your life remain steadfast. He sees you as valuable, loved, and important. Hold on to His truth, and let it be the foundation of your identity.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13-14.)

God’s love is the sure foundation of our identity. I experienced rejection from a parent as a teenager and sought God about it. He assured me that He loved me and that His love would never fail. I was able to go on strongly after that. Fortunately I had already come to saving faith in Jesus Christ, as described in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

We are saved by grace through faith as Paul explains in Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2 (NKJV)
⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We don’t need to earn or prove anything to receive God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. We only need to come to Him with simple childlike faith, as Jesus explains in Matthew 18:

Matthew 18 (NKJV)
¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
² Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

God’s steadfast love endures forever as Psalm 136 declares.

Psalm 136 (ESV)
¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

Our faith is a gift from God to be exercised every day. “Come close to God and He will come close to you.”

James 4 (NLV)
⁷ So give yourselves to God. Stand against the devil and he will run away from you. ⁸ Come close to God and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Clean up your hearts, you who want to follow the sinful ways of the world and God at the same time. ⁹ Be sorry for your sins and cry because of them. Be sad and do not laugh. Let your joy be turned to sorrow. ¹⁰ Let yourself be brought low before the Lord. Then He will lift you up and help you.

In Ephesians 3, Paul describes the joy and fulfillment of living in faith and being rooted and grounded in God’s love.

Ephesians 3 (NKJV)
¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

David Krause, dhkrause2@gmail.com, https://compellinglove.net/