"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
When you allow Jesus Christ to come into sharp focus in the core of your mind, a fire ignites - the fire of the Holy Spirit of the living God. You are turned from negative to positive, and that's exciting!
The positive idea that Jesus expressed as He sat to eat with His disciples is so simple that we often are inclined to ignore it. It's as revolutionary as tomorrow! The idea is the powerful, positive idea of love, love, LOVE!
What gets me so excited is that, until the coming of Jesus Christ, there was no form of worship or religion centered in love. The Old Covenant in the Old Testament was centered on the law. The emphasis was on obedience and regular blood sacrifices for the atonement of sin. It was not love, even though it was very loving.
But Jesus said He marked the beginning of the New Covenant. And the New Covenant of Love answers the two most important questions any person can ask:
What can I expect from God?
What does God expect from me?
And the answer to both questions is the same - LOVE! God's grace is so great that He loves me even when I don't deserve it. Moreover, everything leading up to the cross and the crucifixion is the evidence of God's unfailing, unlimited, and sacrificial love for you and me! That's the message of the New Covenant!
Prayer:
When you allow Jesus Christ to come into sharp focus in the core of your mind, a fire ignites - the fire of the Holy Spirit of the living God. You are turned from negative to positive, and that's exciting!
The positive idea that Jesus expressed as He sat to eat with His disciples is so simple that we often are inclined to ignore it. It's as revolutionary as tomorrow! The idea is the powerful, positive idea of love, love, LOVE!
What gets me so excited is that, until the coming of Jesus Christ, there was no form of worship or religion centered in love. The Old Covenant in the Old Testament was centered on the law. The emphasis was on obedience and regular blood sacrifices for the atonement of sin. It was not love, even though it was very loving.
But Jesus said He marked the beginning of the New Covenant. And the New Covenant of Love answers the two most important questions any person can ask:
What can I expect from God?
What does God expect from me?
And the answer to both questions is the same - LOVE! God's grace is so great that He loves me even when I don't deserve it. Moreover, everything leading up to the cross and the crucifixion is the evidence of God's unfailing, unlimited, and sacrificial love for you and me! That's the message of the New Covenant!
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I invite Your transforming love to do its work in me. Thank You for being so clear in Your Word, the Holy Bible, about how You want me to live, and how You will help me along life's journey. Amen.
By Robert H. Schuller
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