Thursday, July 12, 2018

I Have a Desire

I have a desire to live in a world in which everyone loves God with all of their heart, soul and strength, and loves one another as self.
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor. 13:4-7, NASB95)
Though my inward desire is to live in a world in which everyone loves God and his or her neighbor as their selves, I do not find within myself the qualities of love described in this text of scripture. I am not always patient. I am not always kind. I am often jealous of my neighbor. I will brag about things and act arrogantly. I will act unbecomingly. If I do not get my own way I may be provoked to anger and will often believe that I have been wronged. I laugh about things that I know to be unrighteous and do not always rejoice about good news. I do not always bear others burdens, believe all things, hope in their good, or endure all things.

My hope, therefore, is not in myself but in the Lord Jesus Christ. As he walked the earth Jesus was patient, kind and jealous of no one. Jesus did not brag, was not arrogant, and did not act unbecomingly. Jesus did not seek his own, was not provoked, did not take into account a wrong suffered, did not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoiced with the truth. Jesus boar our burdens in his body, he trusted that God would raise him from the dead, he hoped in our salvation, and therefore, endured the humiliation of the cross.

I have been saved from the penalty for my sin by the love of Jesus Christ. I am being saved from the power of my sin by his word and Spirit, for this reason I desire to be like him in love. I trust that I will be saved from the presence of sin in the new heaven and new earth in which all people love God and love one another.

I have a desire to live in a world in which everyone loves God with all of their heart, soul and strength, and everyone loves one another as self.