Day 19 Universal Love

Day 19

Universal Love

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?”

(Matthew 5:43-47)

Universal Love is the 11^th pillar

Universal Love is the 11^th pillar that holds the temple of Truth!

“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 3:16)

My dear beloved, God our Father loved the World!  The Lord Jesus didn’t say, “for God so loved the righteous that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

No!  He said: “For God so loved the WORLD.”  Yes, the world in its sinfulness, and in our filthiness.  God so loved the world.  Not some part of it, or some race only, or a creed or tribe or language, but the entire WORLD. He even went as far as casting out the Jews from His presence, who were His people according to the covenant and promise He made with Abraham. But that was in God’s divine wisdom, that He included the Jews with us as unbelieving, that the world may become one in its sinfulness, that He may have mercy on us all--Jews and Gentiles alike.  By His mercy He loved the world, that whosoever believes in His love, which is Christ Jesus our Lord, will not perish but have everlasting life.

“Concerning the gospel they [Jews] are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For as you [Gentiles: that’s me and you] were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”
      

 “For who has known the mind of the LORD?
      Or who has become His counselor?
         Or who has first given to Him
      And it shall be repaid to him?
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”  (Romans 11:28-36)

Beloved, we are the children of God through Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen! And God has loved the world without exception, every one of us-- whether Jews, Africans, Europeans, Asians, Indians or Arabs-- God loved us all.   And I say “LOVED” because there is nothing you can do to make God love you, He already loves you!  God is just waiting for you to come to the knowledge of how much He loves you!

The love of God is in a form of a Person, and that is Jesus Christ our Lord! Therefore, if anyone desires to experience the love of God, he must believe in Jesus, for in Him is the fullness of the love of God for us all.  Amen! 

“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’”   (Romans 10:12-13)

“For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.”  (John 16:27)

And:

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”  (1 John 4:9)

Because:

“…God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)

Hallelujah!  Praise the LORD!  Amen!

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!...”  (1 John 3:1)

My dear beloved, we are the children of God, not because we love God, but because He loved us first in Christ Jesus our Lord.  God saved us from the world, not because we have done any works of righteousness, but according to His mercies, that we may experience His love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Once we have experienced His love, God is sending us back into the world, not to get involved in the affairs of the world again, but to call others that they may also come and experience the great love of God for us all, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen!

Now my dear beloved, it is the will of God that all of us be saved, so God is commanding us to put away all malice and all lies of the devil, that has taught us to hate one another.  Let us, therefore, put away all prejudice we have toward others: racism, tribalism, xenophobia, sexism, classism, hatred and the like.  For when God looks upon us, He doesn’t see categories: Jews, Arabs, Africans, Europeans, South or North Americans, Asians, nor even male or female.  All God sees when He looks upon us ALL is sinners in need of LOVE and GRACE.  And that is why God loved the world.  Everyone is included and you are the only one that can exclude yourself.  For it is the will of God that ALL of us may be SAVED--no exception!

“Who [God] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth [Jesus Christ].  For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time.”   (1 Timothy 2:4-6)

Let us therefore go into the world and share the love of God with everyone.

Let us put aside all malice and prejudice, and stop putting ourselves in the place of God, judging others, determining who can be saved and who cannot be saved, for God desires that ALL be saved.  Now, all means ALL.  Let us, therefore, go into the world and share the love of God with all: prostitutes, thieves, murderers, prisoners, racists, tribalists, rapists, haters, fornicators, adulterers, idolaters, the selfish, the xenophobic, sorcerers, haters of God because of ignorance, drug addicts, homosexuals, gays, lesbians and the like. Let us share the love of God with them by first considering ourselves:

“For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”  (Titus 3:3-7)

Beloved, now that we came to the knowledge of the truth and are not ignorant of the devil’s devices, let us, therefore, love those who are still under darkness.  Let us be patient of their ignorance so that our love and patience toward them may shine as light into their hearts, turning them away from the powers of darkness and leading them into God’s marvelous Light, which is the Word of God:

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) 

Finally, my dear beloved:

“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love.  And he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”  (1 John 4:12-16)

                                                                                                                        

Now my dear beloved:

“May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.”  (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

And I pray that you:

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”  (Jude 21)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God our Father, and the gracious communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always.  Amen.

Meditation:  God is love.   To love God is to love others!

Prayer points:  LORD, please create in me a new heart which is full of love.  Please teach me to love You by loving others! I pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen!

Commitment:  I must learn to love the LORD my God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind.   And I must learn to love my neighbor as myself.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!