Righteousness Brings Love
I [the LORD] lead in the way of
righteousness… That I may cause those
that love me to inherit substance;
and I will fill their treasures…
King Solomon
The love of God was shown at the cross of Calvary
to deliver us, not only from our wrong doings,
but from the power of fear that was brought to
the world by Satan. It is God's love at Calvary
that destroyed fear and the power of Satan, so
we can walk in love towards God and others. His
love is the power to live this life free from
torment.
The writer of Hebrews says, "Because
God's children are human beings-made of flesh
and blood-Jesus also became flesh and blood by
being born in human form. For only as a human
being could he die, and only by dying could he
break the power of the Devil, who had the power
of death. Only in this way could he deliver those
who have lived all their lives as slaves to the
fear of dying" (Hebrews 2:14,15 NLT).
LOVE CONQUERS ALL
God's righteousness arrives on the scene to conquer
all! He comes to establish His kingdom of love
in our hearts, lives and relationships. The Apostle
Paul asks the question, "…who shall
deliver me from the body of this death?"
(Romans 7:24). The answer is in verse 25, "I
thank God though Jesus Christ our Lord…"
We serve a risen Savior, Who sends us forth in
the power of His conquering love.
There is a battle going on non-stop for our thoughts,
but the love of God never fails to be effective
(1 Corinthians 13:8). When thoughts arise that
torment us during times of trial, we bring our
minds back to God's love at Calvary. His love
will always strengthen us to overcome every thought
of the enemy. God is love, and He displayed His
love so vividly at the cross, where He conquered
hell, death and the grave.
Paul proclaims, "For the power of the
life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ
Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death"
(Romans 8:2 NLT). Because of Christ's victory
at Calvary, "…ye have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15). We are children
of God [love], walking in His kingdom of love
and overcoming all things because of His love
(See Diagram #6).
As God's children, we no longer have to live
in fear. John writes, "There is no fear
in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because
fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made
perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). Instead
of allowing our fear to place people under "The
Law" and in our control, we allow love to
reign in our hearts bringing righteousness. The
law never changed a heart or made anyone righteous.
Divine love operates in us because of the character
of God that lives in us due to Christ's righteousness.
If we live by the flesh or by the law, we live
life based on our own judgments; but in the Spirit,
we love according to our new identity of righteousness.
God's love does not place legal conditions on
us. His unconditional love removes fear and emotional
pain from our lives.
A LOVING GOD
The Spirit of righteousness has empowered us
to know God's love and to love Him. John writes,
"Hereby know we that we dwell in him,
and he in us, because he hath given us of his
Spirit" (1 John 4:13). We have
entered into a new realm of living, different
from this natural world. It is the kingdom of
God, where we experience Him, talk to Him, and
walk by a faith, which works by His love (Galatians
5:6). It is a place where we are free from the
power of fear, with our emotions ruled by peace
because of the confidence we have in the love
of God.
Paul asks the question, "Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation,
or distress, or perse-cution, or famine, or nakedness,
or peril, or sword?" (Romans 8:35). In the
next verses, Paul answers saying, "Nay,
in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us. For I am persuaded
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord" (8:37,39).
Is there any question that God loves us and that
nothing can separate us from His love? The Apostle
John says, "This is real love. It is not
that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent
his Son to be a sacrifice to take away our sins"
(1 John 4:10 NLT).
Jesus explained that all the law and the prophets
can be summed up in two commandments, "…Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind…
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"
(Matthew 22:37,39). But today, we "…perceive
the love of God, because he laid down his life
for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for
the brethren" (1 John 3:16). As Christians,
we love not because we grudgingly obey a commandment,
but because we know how much God loves us.
LOVING ONE ANOTHER
As we die to ourselves and take up the cross,
we come into a vision of the heavenly throne room.
God is sitting on the throne, together with Jesus,
and we are sitting beside Him. We are risen with
Christ, righteous in Him. We are given the ability
to love God and others from our throne room position
(Revelation 4 & 5).
The love of God is birthed in our hearts through
the power of the Holy Spirit. We are reborn of
God, and of His love. He lives in us and we in
Him, for we are overcomers, right with the Father
and in unity with Him. Jesus prayed for us, saying,
"…I have declared unto them thy name,
and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou
hast loved me may be in them, and I in them"
(John 17:26).
Jesus lived facing His Father's heavenly throne
room while on earth, teaching us to pray, "Our
Father, which art in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as
it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9,10). His will
is commanding, "…That ye love one
another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath
no man than this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends" (John 15:12,13). From
our throne room position, it is no longer just
a command to love God and one another, but becomes
a divine flow. John says, "Dear friends,
let us continue to love one another for love comes
from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and
knows God. But anyone who does not love does not
know God-for God is love" (1 John 4:7,8
NLT).
John went on to say, "Beloved, if God
so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one
another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected
in us" (1 John 4:11,12). This perfected
life of love is one lived with an awareness of
the heavenly sanctuary of God, where we dwell
with Him and His Son. Righteousness has perfected
the spirit part of our heart, but there is a battle
going on in the soul [mind, will and emotions],
which is being changed into agreement with the
perfect love of Calvary. As the temple of God,
our hearts are to resonate with our Father in
heaven. If there are judgments in our heart that
are contrary to God and stopping the divine flow;
repent and be changed today!
How does the divine flow come forth in us to
love as God loves? Peter says, "Seeing
ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth
through the Spirit unto unfeigned [sincere] love
of the brethren; see that you love one another
with a pure heart fervently [intensely]"
(1 Peter 1:22, emphasis added). Peter also said,
"…charity shall cover a multitude
of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). Maybe it is time
to do a love check-up? Are you loving your family
as Jesus does? Compare your love for others with
God's love as established in 1 Corinthians 13.
This chapter lists a number of things that love
is not, but it begins with two things love always
is: "Love is patient and love is kind…"
When dealing with others, are you patient and
kind? This is an excellent place to start.
Is there any question, that righteousness brings
the ability to love? It is impossible for us to
love one another in the flesh, or by a commandment
from the law. Paul closes out his letter to the
Romans saying, "Owe no man anything, but
to love one another: for he that loveth another
hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not
commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt
not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other
commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this
saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor:
therefore love is the fulfilling of the law"
(Romans 13:8-10). Paul also says, "Follow
after charity…" (1 Corin-thians 14:1).
We must make a daily choice to live in God's presence
and walk in His love.
WHO IS GOD?
God is our loving Heavenly Father. He is our
"Jehovah-Shammah." This phrase expresses
the truth that "The-LORD-Is-There,"
referring to the city which the prophet Ezekiel
saw in his vision (Ezekiel 48:35). Today, we are
to have a view of that same city knowing that
God is on the throne (Psalm 102:19).
God in His sanctuary is always there for us,
"…for he hath said, I will never leave
thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say,
the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what
man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:5,6).
God is everywhere. He is not confined to any
part of the universe, but is present in all His
power at every point in space and every moment
in time (Psalm 139:7-12). He is the God of the
whole earth (Genesis 18:25).
Everywhere we go, God is there. He lives in the
sanctuary of our heart. He is there to guide,
provide and to heal us. We have nothing to fear,
"For ye have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear; but ye have received the
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father…
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of God" (Romans
8:15,16).
As we go through life, falling down and getting
up, over and over, in some small way we begin
to realize that God really does love and forgive
us. The Apostle John writes, "Behold,
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God…"
(1 John 3:1).
Can we really ever come to fully know the depths
of our Father's love? Paul prays, "…That
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that
ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be
able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and
to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
that ye might be filled with all the fullness
of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19).
Remember, regardless if you are now saved or
not, God loves and accepts you. He is not angry
at you. His love is unconditional and unlike any
love you have ever experienced. He loves you just
the way you are! What is to stop you from accepting
Him?
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