Love Much

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day:    "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”(John 10:28-30)

Memory verse: Romans 8:32 ►He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  

Today's reading: JUDGES 19-21 LUKE 7:31-50

Love Much

Jesus defended a woman who had many sins(Luke 7), who showed her love for Jesus by washing His feet with her tears, drying His feet with her hair, and using expensive perfume on His feet. He forgave her sins. When questioned about the 'sinful' woman, He said in Luke 7:47-

From the New American Standard Bible:

47 "...for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."

The Complete Jewish Bible says it like this:

"...but someone who has been forgiven only a little loves only a little.”

The Greek says, "to whom, however, little is forgiven, little he loves."

Someone who does not confess sin either ignores his sin or (wrongly) justifies his sinful behavior or simply believes he is above sin or is self-righteous.

This is the one 'to whom little is forgiven'.

Jesus explains, "(because) he loves only a little."

Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37&38 to love God with all we are and to love our neighbor the way we love ourselves.

Matthew 26:41

41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The human spirit, the flesh, before salvation, cannot love righteously.

Filled with the Holy Spirit, we can love much but we must submit on a daily-breath to breath-basis(Luke 9:23).

Being conformed into the image of Christ means that we love much; we forgive much; we repent much-and we realize and live in the freedom of God's forgiveness-much.

This is the reason that God says for us to judge is so wrong. Our judgement of others removes the love of Christ from our hearts. Holding a grudge is so miserable-we revert back to the heart of stone in our old person that Christ has replaced-the 'sin living in us' that Paul grieved so much in Romans 7.

A heart of stone is the heaviest thing we will ever carry.

It is for freedom that Christ has made us free(Galatians 5:1). Free to love-free from hate and judgement. Free to forgive and be forgiven.

Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us as we forgive".

Love much.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me, Oh mighty God, for not loving the way You want me to. Fill me with Your love. I choose to love in Christ Jesus.

Loving and forgiving God,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen