Love God and Your Neighbor Above All Things (page 2)

It's His work, it's His finished work upon the cross is where He finished it all, once and for all - Jesus!

And He's given us the benefits or the outcome results of His work. So basically, the Righteousness of God is a fruit of God's Grace, and it's on display in us and through us.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." Romans 8:28-30

Our righteousness is from God's grace through us and in us... meaning, it's not ours, but it is a gift, and we are to enjoy it fully as if it were ours, as we would any important gift. We are HIS righteousness, and He has given it to us FULLY to enjoy FULLY.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—" Ephesians 2:8

Once we've RECEIVED His love, it's His love IN US that is doing all the loving FOR US. So be humble and grateful, you've received the ultimate love, the love from God when you didn't deserve it - so be humble and grateful and be ready to spread the good news about the Gospel of Christ, which is the grace of God in love.

Keep in mind, Jesus and the Holy Spirit pray and intercede for us! The Bible declares the love of God for us is so intense, and so full, and so perfect and complete, that Jesus and the Holy Spirit both pray for us CONTINUOUSLY!

"I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever." Psalms 86:12

So, love others because He first loved you, and you never deserved it and neither did I nor will anyone ever deserve it. God's love is a free gift of GRACE, so give it freely by receiving it. The more you receive, the more you can give, the better for everyone!

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." Romans 8:26

WHEN WE RECEIVE THE LOVE OF GOD, WE ACTUALLY love GOD AND OUR NEIGHBOR WITH ALL OUR HEART, MIND, SOUL, and STRENGTH. Our act of love for God and others is to receive His love. We can't give what we don't have, so in order to love God and our neighbor with EVERYTHING WE HAVE, we MUST RECEIVE GOD's LOVE FIRST!

"Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:34

Jesus, the Author, and Finisher of Our Faith - He's Done it All!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 1who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:3-14

We love God and others through the love we've received from God, through Jesus Christ. If we can keep our minds fixed on Jesus, who is the truth, He states that WE ARE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST. And, it's perpetual, as in eternal and forever. So, by receiving God's love, we can actually love God and others with all our heart, mind, and soul. As the righteousness of God, we are love, and in love, all fear is cast out.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin offering for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

According to the Apostle Paul, as he wrote in Philippians 1:11, "Believers are filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God."

Today's message was based on Clearview's Guiding Principle #1 - I Will Choose Love - which is based on... "There is no fear in Love; but perfect love casteth out fear." 1 John 4:18