TRANSFORMING LOVE (GOD LOVES YOU, PART 4)

CHAPTER 4
PART 4

GOD LOVES YOU

“[No]….greater love…than this…”(John 15:13 KJV)

*

Back in the book of Judges, when they had no “...King in Israel, …every man did that which was right in his own eyes.…” Judges 17:6 KJV).

When God is not your King, you will do what is right in your own eyes and not God’s.

Many believers don’t truly care, truly know, or truly appreciate what God has done or how awesome “that NOW”, through Christ, ALL the conditions of the covenant are fulfilled.

And believers can keep their part of the covenant with God-given faith and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit they have “in” Christ.

In other words, his covenant requires obedience through faith “in” Christ and you can keep it because Christ enables you.

God’s love is immutably kind, endless, and flows generously to those who “abide” in his love by faith and obedience.

God’s offer of a YADA relationship is not just a religious journey; it is one of those opportunities of a lifetime. Why? God’s love is so kind.

God’s love is not jealous. However, there are many scripture that say God “…[is] a jealous God…”(Exodus 20:5 KJV). Sounds like an oxymoron, right? If God is love and love is not jealous, what does it mean that God is a jealous God?

So is God both jealous and not jealous? Jealousy usually carries a negative meaning and implies that someone is envious of another in a covetous manner.

We know that jealousy is usually linked to “…..disorder and every evil practice" (James 3:16 NIV).

God is a jealous God, but says, “….For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy…”(2 Corinthians 11:2 KJV).

Godly jealousy is revealed in Isaiah 42:8, “…my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images….”

God prudently protects what is rightfully his to have, which is what godly jealousy means.

 Godly jealousy is divine and does not share his praise or glory with another (Isaiah 42:8).

Godly jealousy and human jealousy are two different types of expressions.

 Human jealousy is usually covetous for what belongs to another; Godly jealousy is protective for what rightly belongs to Him.

In the YADA relationship, when YOU give your love, praise, heart, allegiance, or anything else that belongs to God to another, it can provoke Godly jealousy.

You are God's people and therefore, belong to God (Psalm 100:3). He bought you with the expensive price of Jesus’ life. He allowed his only Son to die for you out of love and because he wanted you.

God wanted a relationship with you and you agreed when you accepted Christ, but you are now giving yourself to another god or idol. This can incite Godly jealousy.

As a Christian, you rightfully belong to God. When you are out of fellowship with God, he can’t protect you anymore, with his manifold blessings, which are enjoyed within the YADA relationship only.

You have now chosen the adulterous relationship over the YADA relationship and one of the major consequences is the cessation of God’s protective care.

God’s love is not jealous as humans know jealousy. God simple wants what “rightfully” belongs to him: YOU.

God’s love is not boastful. When one boasts, in loving relationships, they condescendingly sing their own praises about the things they do for another, themselves, or others.

God does not need to boast about his holy abilities, or his manifold riches, or his majestic glory, or his supreme wisdom, or his matchless power, or any of his awesomeness traits.

Jesus said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them…” (Matthew 6:1 ASV). If anyone has a reason to boast: it’s Jesus, "...there is none like unto thee, O Lord..." (Psalms 86:8 KJV).

He really is the most perfect person that ever walked the earth and no one can match his holy, Excellency (Psalms 86:8).

God does not want or desire, nor does he seek his own praise. Jesus distinctly said, “……I seek not mine own will…” (John 5:30 KJV). Further, the bible says, “….all such boasting is evil….” (James 4:16 NASB).

Usually people boast to others to show out or wag their own tails. “You boast in your arrogance…..” (James 4:16 ASV). “They pour forth words; they speak arrogantly; …[and the wicked] vaunt themselves (boast)” (Psalm 94:4 ASV).

 God doesn’t need to boast to mankind in order to get their approval, honor, or gain their interest by promoting himself.

God is love and lets others people boast about his kind of love all on their own. “….Let another praise you and not your own mouth; a stranger and not your own lips…” (Proverbs 27:1-2 ASV).

 If Jesus wanted to boast about the way he loves in comparison to the way mankind loves; he would be able to back up or prove his boasts. “…greater love has no one than this..” (John 15:13 ASV).  “……Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her…”(Ephesians 5:25 ASV).

God’s love doesn’t derive pleasure out of the fact that he is more lovingly perfect than his creation, nor is he boastful about it.

Boasting is not God’s style and it is not a part of his character. He tells us to do things “…not with eyeservice, as menpleasers…” (Colossians 3:22 KJV).

God is utterly concerned with the welfare of those he loves and would never seek his own interests at their expense. ^“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:” (Philippians 2:7 KJV).

God has no hint of selfishness in his character and goes out of his way to serve those he loves without selfish motives. ^“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many…” (Matthew 20:28 ASV). 

 EXCERPT FROM THE CHAPTER 

"GOD LOVES YOU" FROM THE

BOOK TRANSFORMING LOVE

BY PENSACOLA H JEFFERSON
COMING SOON!!

TRANSFORMING LOVE (GOD LOVES YOU, PART 3)

CHAPTER 4
PART 3

GOD LOVES YOU

“[No]….greater love…than this…”(John 15:13 KJV)

*

God’s kindness will always remain where you leave it.  However, when you are far away, God’s kindness may not be accessible during those times.

The bible says, “…they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me” (Proverbs 1:28 ASV).  You moved, not God. You moved to a new address.

When you move away from his kindness you won’t find him, because he is still wherever you left him.

If you are walking in wickedness or disobedience, remember, “…God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will (Job 35:13).  ).

Further, “…..God will not hear [their]… empty cry; neither will the Almighty regard it….” (Job 35:13 ASV).

“[The wicked] cried, but there was none to save [them] –unto [God], but answered [he]them not.”(Psalm 18:41 ASV).

“

He… [fulfills] the desire of them that fear [respect] him; he… [hears] their cry and… [saves]… them” (Psalm 145:19 ASV).

God’s “kind” love is unconditional, but human love is usually marred with conditions and will break the covenant relationship with God over and over.  

^“…Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus’ death. His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way…” (Hebrews 9:16-17 MSG).

A covenant with God is not like a covenant with man, but much greater. Man’s covenant may be an equal exchange of favors.

But the covenant with God is not an equal exchange and it seems almost one-sided where God guarantees to keep his part.

After all, Jesus gave his life for the new covenant with you. “…This is the blood of the covenant commanded by God.” He did the same thing with the place of worship and its furniture. Moses said to the people, “This is the blood of the covenant God has established with you.” Practically everything in a will hinges on a death. That’s why blood, the evidence of death, is used so much in our tradition, especially regarding forgiveness of sins” (Hebrew 9:20 MSG).

When God is in covenant with you, through Jesus Christ, Jesus is your guarantee of covenant faithfulness, but your cooperation - which is your part of the covenant – is not guaranteed.

“If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me.” (Hebrews 10:20-31 MSG).

Again, the YADA covenant relationship is unique to God where you are actually the more FAVORED party through God’s guaranteed love.  

You are“...in the beloved…” which is Jesus and therefore, you are a benefactor of all his promises.

God guarantees you will be utterly and abundantly favored and all you have to do is “respond by faith” with the “measure of faith” God provided.

^“ And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you,  What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:22-24 KJV)

Why? “For [the Lord] blesses the righteous, [and surrounds’ him with favor as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12 ASV).

And  "Behold, I am with… [you] and will keep… [you] whithersoever [you]… goest, and will bring …[you] again into this land. For I will not leave [you]… until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of…." (Genesis 28:15 ASV). What an awesome love!!

God provided you with a “measure of faith” to ensure you had the ALL that you needed to respond to his covenant favors, blessings, and promises.

This demonstrates how much God wants to give you favor, to love you, and to give you his blessings!

Right now at this moment, God’s covenant, with you, guarantees -  you can -  “in” Christ,” enjoy abundant LIFE with the use of your “measure of faith.”

However, as great as the new covenant is, believers still break it through disobedience and unbelief.   

When you can’t do or become all that God says you can there is only one reason:  unbelief. “Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:8-20 KJV).

God has given you EVERYTHING pertaining to life and godliness, which includes the “measure of faith”, yet some believers still prefer sin and not the covenant relationship with God (2 Peter 1:3).

This “new covenant” is from God alone and believers have nothing to do but agree or cooperate with it by “responding by faith.”

The “response of faith” is evident by acts of obedience on the believer’s part. God’s lovingkindness and grace guarantees his favor in the covenant relationship.

In addition, God ensures your ability to receive that favor through a God-given “measure of faith.”

God has taken care of everything in order for you to have a loving, safe, and confident YADA relationship with Him. What’s the problem?

The problem is God’s people. Even though believers have no excuses for NOT being in a YADA relationship with God; many are not.  

Believers may be in a shallow, religious, or intellectual relationship with God, but not a YADA relationship.

He or she still can use their bodies to follow after the flesh or neglect the gift of faith, or rebel altogether in disobedience to the new covenant with God “in” Christ.

God risked everything for the relationship with the believer, but the reciprocity - of covenant faithfulness and love - is heavily adulterous.   

 

 EXCERPT FROM THE CHAPTER 

"GOD LOVES YOU" FROM THE

BOOK TRANSFORMING LOVE

BY PENSACOLA H JEFFERSON
BUY IT HERE!!

TRANSFORMING LOVE (GOD LOVES YOU, PART 2)

CHAPTER 4
PART 2

GOD LOVES YOU

“[No]….greater love…than this…”(John 15:13 KJV)

*

ISAIAH 55:9

Man’s love is usually limited by sin and you mistakenly think God’s love is too, but it is not.

God’s way of loving is holy, absolute, and greater for, “…..[His] ways are higher than your ways [and His] thoughts than your ways…..” (Isaiah 55:9 KJV).

God’s ways of loving are much higher than man’s ways, just like his thoughts are higher (Isaiah 55:9).

God’s Love is a higher quality of love and his thoughts about love are only holy, lofty, and pure.

The more you come to know God’s kind of Love; the easier it will be to respond to his love.

The bible tells us, “We love, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 ASV). You can’t truly love God until you truly KNOW by experience, not intellect, how he first loves YOU.

Compared to the Love of God; no other love can compete. It is important to examine God’s love for yourself and clearly understand the depth of his love for you personally. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

2 CORINTHIANS 134-8

Let’s look at some of the characteristics of God’s love through Corinthians chapter thirteen.  “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always persevere, Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 NIV).  

God’s love is indescribable and really can’t be put into mere human words. However, I will attempt to describe some of the characteristics of God’s love based on 1 Corinthians thirteen. My description of God’s awesome love, however, can only be meager at best. Let’s start:

2 CORINTHIANS 13:4

God’s love is patient and enduring. We are biblically assured over and over that God’s “…..lovingkindness endureth for ever…” (Psalm 106:1, Psalm 100:5, 1 Chronicles 16:34 KJV).

 God’s love is persistent. You never have to worry about the abandonment of God’s love; it will patiently continue forever and ever.

You are guaranteed that “….neither death, nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate [you]… from the love of God which is “in” Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 KJV).

Nothing you say or do will make God stop loving you.  You can be assured that “….the…faithful love of the Lord, [for you], never ends!...”( Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT).

His love for you never runs out and it does not depend on any performance on your part.

God is patience with you and waits for you no matter what is happening or how long it’s been happening.

Psalm 136:1-3

God loves you for FREE on PURPOSE and “…his faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods….His faithful love endures forever……His faithful love endures forever…” (Psalm 136:1-3 NLT).

Other people may start out loving you and later stop loving you, but God’s love never stops (Psalm 106:1). God’s love is patience and enduring.

God is always in right standing with you in regard to his “enduring love”, but you might not be in right standing with God in regard to your wishy washy kind of love.

Mankind’s love may not endure all things or last a lifetime. God’s love “…endureth all things… [and] endureth forever” (1 Corinthians 13:7d & Psalm 106:1).

If you’re out of fellowship with God, it is you and not God. Thankfully, your actions don’t stop or minimized God’s patient love for you!!!

God’s love is kind. The bible tells you, “….God careth for you… (1 Peter 5:7 KJV). God is caring, benevolent, good natured, and tenderhearted. “…He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7 NIV).

“…How great is [God’s benevolent kindness], which [He lays] up for them that fear [Him]… [or] for them that take refuge in [Him]…” (Psalm 31:19-20 KJV).

God’s very nature is kind, which means “….he  is good [deeply caring]... “ALL” the time (1 Chronicles 16:34, Ezra 3:11, Psalm 107).

God’s kindness can be experienced through the richness of grace, his daily mercy, his role as our “good” Shepherd, in Christ’s death on the cross, and in all the ways in which he pours out his kindness upon ALL humanity.

Matthew 5:46-48

How great is God’s benevolent kindness. How great is God who, “… maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? (Matthew 5:46-48 KJV).  

 People, in general, can be unkind at times or display aspects of a mean heart.

Unkind acts can be witnessed in behaviors such as prejudice, stubbornness, pride, rebellion, revenge, murder, unforgiveness, judgement, or selfishness.

God’s kindness is immutably “….tenderhearted… [and]… forgiving…”  and he wants his children to do the same (Ephesian 4:32 KJV).

Psalm 23:6

God’s kindness is generous towards you at all times and he causes his “goodness and lovingkindness [to]… follow [you]… all the days of [your]… life…” (Psalm 23:6 KJV).  In other words, God’s very presence is kind.

His kindness makes him responsive to your needs abundantly. His care “runneth over” for you and is purposefully generous (Psalm 23:5).

Psalm 145:18

God is near (present) to those he loves. “The LORD is nigh to them that call upon him, to all that call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18 KJV).  

God’s kindness is readily accessible to those close to him or those who call on him in truth. 

 EXCERPT FROM THE CHAPTER 

"GOD LOVES YOU" FROM THE

BOOK TRANSFORMING LOVE

BY PENSACOLA H JEFFERSON
BUY IT HERE!!