Contemplation #178
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22
The goal of obedience, and the purpose of purification, is love for others. We obey so that we learn to participate in God’s nature of love. Obeying the truth is summed up and fulfilled in loving one another deeply, from the heart. This also redefines ‘truth’ to be all that leads us to and culminates in the love we have for others. Obeying the truth of God will never lead to anything other than love for others. No one can claim to have obeyed the truth who does not love others deeply, for whatever they are imagining to be the truth is not the truth that comes from God.
Contemplation #179
But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. 1 John 2:5
Obedience to what God teaches means that one grows to share in the completeness of God’s love. We can only conclude that God’s instructions and commands are all designed to usher us into the experience of his love and the practice of the same to others. What God is telling us it how to love – even though sometimes we do not see the connection. We should look at every instruction from God and practice each as a way of coming into the divine love of God. Those who obey, love . . . not in some mechanistic way but as the fruit of where obedience has led them into communion with God.
Contemplation #180
and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 1 John 3:22
So often people seek to know the meaning of verses that promise that God will bless . . . that He will respond to our requests. They look diligently for a key to what assures us of answered prayer. John makes it clear that God will do whatever we ask because we are obeying, and in the next verse he identifies that obedience with believing in Jesus and loving one another. Obedience leads us into lives that are shaped by God’s love. We become people of his love. When we are people of love, then whatever we ask will be done because our requests will be in tune with God’s own will, for God is love.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22
The goal of obedience, and the purpose of purification, is love for others. We obey so that we learn to participate in God’s nature of love. Obeying the truth is summed up and fulfilled in loving one another deeply, from the heart. This also redefines ‘truth’ to be all that leads us to and culminates in the love we have for others. Obeying the truth of God will never lead to anything other than love for others. No one can claim to have obeyed the truth who does not love others deeply, for whatever they are imagining to be the truth is not the truth that comes from God.
Contemplation #179
But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. 1 John 2:5
Obedience to what God teaches means that one grows to share in the completeness of God’s love. We can only conclude that God’s instructions and commands are all designed to usher us into the experience of his love and the practice of the same to others. What God is telling us it how to love – even though sometimes we do not see the connection. We should look at every instruction from God and practice each as a way of coming into the divine love of God. Those who obey, love . . . not in some mechanistic way but as the fruit of where obedience has led them into communion with God.
Contemplation #180
and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 1 John 3:22
So often people seek to know the meaning of verses that promise that God will bless . . . that He will respond to our requests. They look diligently for a key to what assures us of answered prayer. John makes it clear that God will do whatever we ask because we are obeying, and in the next verse he identifies that obedience with believing in Jesus and loving one another. Obedience leads us into lives that are shaped by God’s love. We become people of his love. When we are people of love, then whatever we ask will be done because our requests will be in tune with God’s own will, for God is love.
posted by Greg at 9:31 AM
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