Respond to God's Love
"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in the mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." James 1:22-25 NLT
There has to be a moment in your life when you recognize you need your own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You need Jesus Christ as your best friend. A moment when you realize, going to church does not make you a Christian, and having Christian parents does not make you a Christian. There needs to be a time when you say, “Lord, forgive me of my sin. Will You please come into my life?”
The truth is, our sin separates us from God—Isaiah 59:1-2.
The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death—Romans 6:23. But the Good News is God in His love sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin to walk this earth perfect —2 Corinthians 5:21. Jesus then suffered and died on the cross for you, taking all of your sin upon Himself; He was buried, but He didn’t stay dead. He rose again on the third day—1 Corinthians 15:3-4, and He is now sitting at God’s right hand—Hebrews 1:3. Jesus is alive!
Jesus stood in the gap for you, providing a way for you to stand justified in God’s sight, just as if you never sinned.
Now that is LOVE! There is nothing you can do to make God love you more than He already does. Because He loves you, He gave you His only Son. When you recognize God's gift and grow into a full experience of salvation by turning from your sins and turning to the Lord, you truly taste and see that He is good—Psalm 34:8. You experience His kindness - 1 Peter 2:3 and your heart can’t help but respond to Him. Who can resist someone loving them unconditionally?
It is by grace that we are saved—Ephesians 2:8; we will never be able to earn our way to heaven by doing good works.
Most people, when they experience love, want to respond in love. Selfish people, however, feel entitled to love and keep taking from the giver without ever responding in kind. They feel entitled to forgiveness, without having to take the step of asking for forgiveness or repenting of their sin. Selfish people often need verbal cues. And humanity as a whole is selfish. So, we see here in James 1:22 a verbal cue from God on High - "be a doer of the word of God, not just a listener. Don't forget how you really are. Look into the perfect law of God, see your need, and obey God. Experience the blessings of obedience - namely right standing before God."
When we experience the kindness of God and how amazing He is we should want others to experience His love, so we become His hands and feet in the lives of others, serving them and loving them— Matthew 20:28. We shine the light of Christ everywhere we go, sharing our faith with the lost world, so that people come to know Christ as Savior—Matthew 28:19-20.
But, before we can share God accurately with others, we must listen to Him in His word. The greatest expression of our love for God is through our obedience to Him! When you look into the word of God, what does it reveal to you about yourself? What areas in your life is God lovingly calling you to grow in? Are you listening to Him, and applying His truths?
PRAYER: Abba! Thank You for Your Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.
