I like today’s study mainly because of the scripture (Romans 8:28-39) used to highligh Selwyn’s point.

This bit: ‘ “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” Please notice the words ‘in all things’. Some of the events which affect us may, in themselves, be evil, but God works in and through those events to turn them to good. The things that happen do not necessarily have a purpose; a purpose has to be given to them. God endows ‘things’ with purpose – a purpose for good to those who love Him. Even though the things we experience may not be good, and may not of themselves work together for good, (yet) “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him”.’ I think this is a great comfort to us – do you agree?

It is of interest that this holds ONLY for those who love God - those who have no relationship with Jesus are excluded, by their own choice, from this wonderful gift.

This day Selwyn moves on to his tenth life conviction: ‘everything that happens to us – good, bad or indifferent – contributes to life if we know how to use it.’

I think that often we only see how different events guide us in this journey through life – in hindsight. It’s difficult, in the midst of bad times, to see the how it may benefit us – do you agree?

Has anyone any initial view on this particular conviction?

 

Selwyn continues the theme from yesterday “that love cannot fail. It is also true to say that the unloving act cannot succeed. … Our whole being is demeaned by unloving behaviour. If love never fails then unlove never succeeds. It cannot by its very nature. This is the way we must bestow love, for we are made by the very qualities we exhibit. (only, too true) 

But is this a practicable way to live? Won’t people take advantage of us? Our calling as Christians is to what is right and leave the consequences to God. Only as Christ is allowed to live in us will we find it possible to love. For it is His love working through us that produces the victory.”

In a resonse to Selwyn’s two questions – I would like to add that Jesus is a very active God. If we hold the thought firmly in our head that Jesus loves us – and that He knows what’s going on in our daily lives – then, we should have the confidence that He will lovingly monitor the extent to which we may be taken advantage of – it has been my experience that He constantly intervenes and uses events that may occur while we are serving Him, to develop a stronger bond between us- though it may take years for us to see the outcome! (I’m thinking about such cases as Joseph and his brothers.) Do you agree?

I’m impressed with Selwyn’s conclusion because it expresses clearly the idea that God’s love is always beneficial.

“If we give love and people receive it, then good. If they don’t take it, it is still good. Heads we win, tails we also win. The loving person always wins, for he or she becomes more loving in giving out love, even if the other person doesn’t accept it. ‘Love never fails.’ It never fails to enrich the giver, for the more love he or she gives, the more love they can receive, to give again.”

Two points stand out in my mind – the more we share God’s love with others the more of His love we are given to share – in this way, we grow. In Matthew 25:14-30, we have the Parable of the Talents, in verse 29 we read: “For everyone who has will be given more, and he or she will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he or she does have will be taken from them.’ Over the past few days Selwyn has been describing how important God’s love is – it’s the foundation stone which supports are relationship with Jesus – if we don’t use His love in our everyday walk – then we don’t have a relationship with God – simple – isn’t it?

The second point is this – we are called to love everyone – there are no exceptions! In Matthew 5: 43-48; Jesus says –  ’You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you. What reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers or sisters, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

As a summary -  if we depend on our own strength and employ the best type of human love we can generate; we can never reach the point where we can truthfully say that we love our enemies – only God’s love can do this – and His love is a gift – and the more of it we use to give to others, multiplies the amount of His love flowing into us – how great is that?

I think that the example given by Selwyn of Stephen’s stoning and his reaction is hard to imagine. We have Stephen more concerned about the people throwing the stones than his own wellfare. I think being hit by a stone would hurt so much that you would be very concerned about how to escape the pain. A human reaction would be to cover up your head by your arms and hands and ask God to strike down your enemies before you were knocked unconscious by the blows.

In my mind the love expressed by Stephen is not born out of his human heart but by the Spirit of Jesus within him – because his reaction is not normal! It’s not normal when you are suffering immense pain to cry out; ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ (Acts 7:60) 

I agee with Selwyn – when he says: “Those who stoned Stephen thought they had won a great victory, but their victory was illusory. The real victory was Stephen’s prayer of love: ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ Their apparent victory of hate died; his victory of love lives on.”

I like the words of Romans 5:4-8; ” And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless. Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrated his own love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Stephen has provided the example which all followers are called to copy - and can copy – because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The unlimited love of God enables us to forgive those who hurt us – at the time it hurts the most. Do you agree?

 

I like the title for today’s study – don’t you? God’s special type of love gives us a taste for what it will be like in heaven. It’s of great comfort for us to know that as Paul writes (and quoted by Selwyn today): ‘God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us‘; that we all have the ability to love each other in the same way that God loves us. It is a gift from Jesus.

This type of divine love is different to any other type of love experienced by people who do not know Jesus. Relationships that depend on human love need to be constantly maintained, and increase or decrease in intensity depending on the quality of communication and contact there is between the people involved. Long-term friendships that are maintained only by Christmas cards once a year; are perhaps exercises in nostalgia – fond memories of times past. Nothing wrong with this at all but it’s very different to the way God loves us. Another interesting aspect is that most, if not all, of my long-term friends are Christians. We appear to be bonded by an eternal love, and as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:8 re yesterday’s text for reading and meditation, ‘(God’s) Love never fails.’

The other point that I thought was good in today’s study is this: ‘When Paul lists the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5, we hold our breath to see which will come first. Will it be power? Or peace? Or joy? No, the first fruit of the Spirit is love. … Love is first in the list because it belongs there. There is no other place for it but the first place.’

Why do you think this is so?

When I was thinking about this, I recalled another verse from yesterday – 1 Corinthians 13:3; ‘If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not love, I gain nothing.’ Clearly, Paul sees the expression of God’s love in our daily life as evidence that God’s Spirit resides in us and we can allow this love to flow from us like streams of living water – that is, if we in turn allow God to have full control of the ‘tap’.

Selwyn’s prayer is worth repeating: “O God my Father, I see that I need love above everything else. And I need your unique brand of love. I need it not sprinkled here and there but flowing into every part of my life. Pour it in, dear Lord. In Christ’s name I Pray. Amen.”

Jesus seeks a relationship with us based on love. A ‘brand’ of love He Himself gives us – as a gift – not because we deserve it – but because He first loved us. I find it hard to understand why people don’t grab hold of this truth and place it deep inside their heart and mind. I’m sure that whatever happens to us in this life will seem like one brief, bad night in a terrible motel once we reach home still holding onto this deposit of God’s love. Do you agree?

Selwyn now moves on to his ninth life conviction; ‘one, that follows on from my conviction concerning relationships: love is indeed the strongest force in the universe and will ultimately prevail’.

I tend to think that the conviction on relationships is inseparable from love – in that the every type of relationship can be classified by the type of love (or lack of it) associated with it. In the English language – the word love is used in many different ways. It’s fortunate that the Greek language has a number of different words which can be used to describe different types of love; love of a parent for their child; love between brothers & sisters; love between friends; and, the type of love God has for each one of us. Consequently, in Scripture where the text has been translated from Greek we can know what type of love is being discussed; and therefore gain a better undersdanding of the nature of God’s love.

The love which the Holy Spirit provides for us to use in our relationships as we travel on our life’s journey following Jesus – reflects the type of love God has for us – as demonstrated on the cross. And, as John said; “God is love.”

So, for me love is indeed the strongest force, and it’s a force that will continue past the end-of-time. Likewise, hate has already been defeated; we too can overcome hate by depending on the forgiving love of God which can flow from us – if we allow it! As Selwyn says: “Hate, however, never succeeds, except in producing hate. … The passion for revenge is sterile of all things good.

Another point, I like in today’s study is: ‘Jesus, the Man of Love, has remained unaffected by every assult and tempest, and emerges at this point in time as unequalled.’ Don’t you think it’s amazing that some two thousand years after His death and resurrection that there are still many followers of Jesus here on this planet, waiting for His return? From an earthly point of view you may wonder why this ‘movement’ didn’t die out long ago!