In the last blog I wrote about God's holiness which is untouchable, and incredibly greater that we can ever understand. He is so much more perfect, so much more wise, his ways so much more infinitely indescribably pure, than we could ever know. That is why the Bible teaches us to fear God.
I now want to think about the essence of God which is love. We are his creation, incredibly loved by him, yet so incredibly marred by sin. God loves us so much that he stepped into our world in the form of Jesus Christ, the Son of God so that we might be reconciled to Him.
You have heard it said "Greater love has no man that this, that he lay down his life for his friends." That is exactly how great God's love is for us; that he would send His son to bear our sin and suffer on the cross, that we could saved from God's wrath. His highest desire for us is that we do life well; therefore he has given us instructions in the form of his Word, the Bible. By reading and studying God's word we learn about his holiness and his love.
Perhaps some of you have gone into a marriage thinking that you were marrying someone who would literally lay down their life for you. As time went by, you discovered that the person wasn't who you thought they were; that they were flawed and could not be trusted to have your best interests at heart.
You will never, ever find that God's love is flawed. He truly loves you with a perfect and pure love.
If you are a good parent and want the very best for your child, there will be rules for them to live by.
Rules that will keep them safe from harm, rules that will teach them how to participate well in the family and in society. Rules that will engender in them a respect for parent, teachers and the law. You have put these rules into place because you love your children. Any parent knows beyond doubt that your children, right from the time they are small, will not always want to go by your rules. They will test you, and you will have to show them that you mean what you say.
This morning I read in Psalm 119:2, "Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts." God's laws are his wisdom and instruction to us. They keep us safe and guide us in the best way to live. They bring us closer to God. In 1 Peter 14-16 .....So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” It is by knowing and seeking to obey God's word that we can become God's holy people.
It is only through Christ we can find holiness. When God our Saviour revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5-7
