What can separate us From His LOVE?

February 17, 2011
 "What can separate us from the love of  Christ?
Romans 8:35,39 
:35Shall: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword? 
:36  "As it is written, we (are as good as dead) are killed all day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  :37 "Nay, in ALL things we are MORE than conquerers through Him who loves us! 

:39  "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 death, nor any other creature shall separate us from the LOVE of God, which is in Christ Jesus our lord "

God's Love is Eternal  It never ends I’m in the business of Love.   It’s God’s business. If I ever deemed to "be about my father’s business," this is the crux of the matter. We’ve all strived to maintain a better walk, a more pleasing attitude, a closer relationship, more spiritual gifts and more service. We often strive to obtain spiritual accolades through the use of our divine gifts, such as the gift of tongues or prophecy. Others of us push our intellectual superiority, displaying our invaluable knowledge, uncovering mysteries and telling of hard to understand facts of the Bible as our means of reasonable service to the Lord. The bare facts are very simple; Even "..A wayfaring man, though a fool, can understand it..” And that is “He first LOVES us…”  And if the message wasn’t enough, “God demonstrates His  LOVE, in this, that while we were yet sinner, Christ [God's only son] died for us“  He didn’t die for himself or his own biological children. He wasn’t tripped up while on a quest to obtain Earthly riches or fortune or fame.  He LOVES us. The Bible is extremely clear on this one thing: Every manifestation of spirituality will pass away.  I Co 13 says, all of our efforts will pass away, will stop, will fail, but LOVE will NEVER fail, stop, cease.  In fact, it says that where there are divine giftings manifest and flowing in our midst, tongues, prophecy or healings, they will cease if there is no love. The spirit may cease to move through us, but God’s Love does not cease toward us, for us or in us. So, we see that despite whether we feel we are being used of Him or endued with the power to do signs and wonders or build big churches or speak in pulpits or have our name in lights,  we obtain no pinnacle of spirituality with anything other than love.  The ‘Love Chapter’  describes the attributes of love: Love = Good Will; No evil intent toward God's love =Perfect Good Will 1 Co 13 And though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity[love] vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity [love] never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity. Have you taken an accurate measurement of your spirituality lately? What are you using as a measuring stick?  For all of our efforts, we labor in vain if there is not love. Love Cannot be Quenched But where is the limit? How far must i go? How far does Christ go? If love is good will vs evil intentions, then when does that change?  The answer is never, real love cannot be quenched. Good, by it's very virtue cannot be evil, therefore, goodwill cannot cease and become evil will.  Real love passes the test(s).  You cannot out live it, drown it, burn it, quench it or bury it deep enough to suffocate it.   Song of Solomon 8:6-7 says: “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love [is] strong as death; jealousy [is] cruel as the grave: the coals thereof [are] coals of fire, [which hath a] most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it...” So, when the day is done and all is swept away... What will remain? The Bible says, "my word will never pass away."  But, "Speaking the truth in love" will never fail.  God's Love is at work in me when  Circumstances are pressing, oppressive and even perilous Can man take away God's love? No.  Can hard circumstances prove God's love is gone? No. If hard times come, does that mean God doesn't care? If bad things happen, does that mean God has abandoned you? Again the answers are NO How often do we brag or hear a speaker, believer or preacher brag about the blessings of God, as if they are the direct results of our own efforts, a mark of accomplished spirituality?  As if to say "We are blessed, therefore we are approved of God, loved by God, favored by God." But the Bible doesn't tell of God's love being displayed only in good times. In fact the Bible says: "whom the Lord loves, he chastises...", "it rains on the just and the unjust" ... just for starters. In these trying times, we need to understand the nature of God and His plan for man in this age, on this Earth and how He loves us, despite what the world has going on; Despite what may come. No matter if we at some point face hardships, persecution, famine or peril.   This propagation that God's seal of approval is manifest solely as material wealth and Earthly/fleshly comfort is heresy. Let's take a glimpse at the Biblical model of the Christian's walk and what it can entail. The apostle Paul says,  1Cor 4:7 :7  But we have this treasure in Earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  :8 [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are]perplexed, but not in despair; :9 Persecuted, but no forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;  :10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. "11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. :12  So then death worketh in us, but life in you.  :13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe and therefore speak. :14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and present [us] with you. : 15 For all things [are] for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many rebound to the glory of God.  "..That the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many rebound the the glory of God"....(?)  In all of the above mentioned hardship and peril, persecution and trouble...The apostle says the "thanksgiving rebounds to the glory of God" If the apostles endured hardship and pain to establish Christ's church upon the Earth, then to further His church, to establish it in places that are hard to reach or simply have not yet accepted the gospel, in hard hearts and stubborn people, in our own midst or abroad,  what could we then suffer?   In so suffering and enduring are we then less loved of God?  If we are not in living in abundance and wealth, does God love us less?  Never. The apostle Paul says, 'Never!' Love 'never' ceases. Have the right perspective and your walk will be secure: Your identity in Christ sure and your life full of fruit.  Love should be the foundation of our walk, beginning with the receiving His perfect love that we do not come close to deserving.  "Freely you have been given, freely give" the master says.   Love is a currency that every walk of life can afford.  There are no acceptable excuses for having lack in this area.  Check yourself today and send a new message from your heart next time you act or speak.   And don't forget to meditate on Love's attributes. The flesh does not come by them easily, it takes an act of will to obtain them, which is God's plan for man. He willed us into being, he requires we love what He loves and for His children to have obedient hearts.