“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).
INTIMACY BEGINS BY RECEIVING the love of God. We must receive God’s love before we can give it! We must receive God’s love in order to love God. God wants us more than we want Him. He paid an infinite price for us. His love fills us up and sustains us, yet we must proactively receive and pursue this relationship with the Father. It is our greatest treasure, and we should pursue it as such.
How much does God love us? What is the nature of this love? Simply put, God loves us with an infinite love—He paid the price for our sin with the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. God gave all for us. This love has no conditions, no strings attached. It is a free gift. The implications of these two truths are beyond what we can understand or imagine.
God’s love for us produces wholeness in our life and a love for others. This reality is based on these truths:
- God’s unconditional love is not earned and meets our deepest needs.
- We are never alone; God is always with us and will never leave or forsake us.
- God’s love for others through us is unlimited.
- This abiding relationship produces fruit and maturity in our lives.
“Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of true devotion to Jesus is the service we do for Him. It is easier to serve than to pour out our lives completely for Him. The goal of the call of God is His satisfaction, not simply that we should do something for Him. We are not sent to do battle for God, but to be used by God in His battles. Are we more devoted to service than we are to Jesus Christ Himself?” — Oswald Chambers, January 18, My Utmost for His Highest
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Purchase the Entire Devotional – “Experiencing Christ as Life and Leader”
The devotion above was taken from the 52-week Devotional entitled “Experiencing Christ as Life and Leader”.
Many give a mental assent to this teaching yet are often asking, “What do I do? What does Christ as life look like?“ Too often Christians err by moving too far to one side or the other—reducing the Christian life to a list of do’s and don’ts, or they actually do nothing.
These inspiring weekly devotions are just some of the actions that reflect the life of Christ in each of us, and they explore four areas as we follow the One Leader, Jesus Christ –
- A Foundational Focus
- A Personal Focus
- A Relational Focus
- A Missional Focus
Be challenged, encouraged, and spurred on to a deeper walk with Christ.
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