Radical Love

It amazes me that God's grace is displayed best in the darkest places of our lives. God's grace as displayed through Jesus, reveals a radical and unchangeable love that is more powerful than sin, brokennes, weakness, selfishness, and rebellion. It is easy to condemn those who have fallen deeply into sin, it is a radical love to accept these people and restore them. Since God by nature is love (1 John 4), then He really can't be any other way. When we look for God to respond in a way that is punishing, disappointed, or angry we have a very distorted picture of God. It truly is good news to know that He loves you right now, whatever your failures or weaknesses. As we begin to have His love revealed, He is inviting us to dive into the depth's of His grace where we will live out all eternity. It has struck me that God is not changing some things in my life, He is transforming me into His very nature. This deep transformation was accomplished through our identification with Jesus on the cross, we are so changed by His love that we now can actually love ourselves. It is legalism and religion that devalues people looking only to their outward performance instead of the heart. If we are truly displaying God's nature, it will result in loving one another. Loving another person is not something you can do from a distance, you must enter into their failures, broken dreams, regrets, and pain in their life. God does not love us from a distance but seeks to know us a deep level, it is us that can prevent Him from knowing us completely. I am convinced that fear is what robs us of knowing and experiencing God's love. You don't have to look far in these times to see the evidence of our fear-based living, the news constantly speaks of recession and ads glorify being able to hide your weaknesses. It is Jesus that invites us to come close with our greatest weaknesses, failures, and broken dreams. Unlike what we may think about Him, He will only give us grace and healing. In all the years of ministry I have never seen Jesus reject someone, the Holy Spirit has spoken to many people over the last 10+ years. Why is it that I still hide at times from this kind of radical and unconditional love? It seems I still have places of fear in my heart but His Word assures me He is bringing me into experiencing His perfect love which casts out fear (1 John 4). As we receive His love for us fear is cast out and we are able to love others with His love. Fear leads us to do crazy, destructive, and sad things to one another. His love is so much greater than your earthly parents for they were not the exact representation of His love. Won't you let Him heal your heart and begin to soar higher in His love.

In His Love,
Bret