Thursday, February 21, 2013

goodness in grace

Transform mere loving faithfulness
into simple, faithful love.

The Lord would have you love him with your whole heart. This is more, so much more, than mere obedience. Jesus longs to gather his chickens like a mother hen under her wings. He longs to care for his children. He would have us trust him, not merely obey him.

Let us live according to the new command: to love. In love there is no fear, no worry to perform just the right way. There is only desire to remain with the object of your love.

Jesus is a friend that sticks closer to you than anyone else. Should you insult him, he will forgive you. Should you offend him, he will grant mercy. His friendship is so much more than mere loving faithfulness; it is simple, faithful love. He loves you, full stop. There is nothing you can do to change that and it is the one thing he does that changes you.

Grace does not merely justify; it also sanctifies. In fact, apart from grace there is no holiness. Inner goodness can only be found in grace. We do not have too much faith in grace, we have too little.

What if we lived, really lived life by heart? It would be enough. The simple offering of the simplest heart in simple love is enough. Don’t complicate this. Don’t add to it. Just love. It’s what he does for you; therefore, loving him for his own sake is what makes you more like him. To live in love is to be more Christ-like.

Love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no commandment greater than these.
Mark 12:29-31

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