Life in Love

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. --1st John 4: 15-17

My husband once made it a point to express to me that he didn't just love me, he was in love with me. By that he meant that our relationship wasn't unidirectional. The fact that he loves me--for the sake of argument--could still be true regardless of whether I loved him in return. This would be something like the 'unrequited love' that we see in movies or read about in silly romance novels. To be in love with however, requires that both people be actively engaged in the relationship. The aforementioned one sided, unidirectional love, as opposed to unconditional love, is probably the reason why people sometimes feel that they have 'fallen out of love' when what they really mean is that they are not in love with the other person.

I agree with the attitude expressed by the members of DCTalk in their song "Love is a verb." By definition, verbs are action words. I also believe that the particulars of love are based on choice. The oft expressed idea that love is something that can be fallen into--as if it is an open trench beside the sidewalk--or out of, downshifts love into a passive thing. By most Christians' understanding of the word, love is far from passive.

There is nothing passive about the love that God has for us, nor in the way He conveys that love to us through Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. God doesn't just have love for us--He is love. Christ didn't just love us, he demonstrated the extent of that love by actively choosing to come to us on a human level. He who is God, took on flesh and walked among us. He who had no sin took on every last disgusting sin of the world in order that we could be free of it when we stand in judgment.

We must not be passive in response to God's love. His love is made complete in us and among us when we live in Him. Instead of just loving Him, we must make sure that we are in love with Him. When we acknowledge Christ, we acknowledge that the work on the cross was God's way of paving the two-way street between Him and His creation. Over the next week or so, as we prepare to celebrate Christ's resurrection, let us be ever mindful to maintain an active response to His choice to love us.

Unabashedly Unashamed

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. --1st John 2:28

I am a Christian--a Christ follower.

I believe that life exists because of a creator God, the God of the Bible. I believe that the Bible is God's true, inspired and holy word for his people. I believe that God, although wonderfully mysterious, desires a personal relationship with his creation. In order to do this, he had to provide a way for the most imperfect, unrighteous, unholy of us to be allowed to stand in his perfect presence.

He did this by sending his one and only son, Jesus, who was both fully human and fully God at the same time. Jesus stood trial for our sins; he took on every sin of every man, woman and child from the past, present and future of humanity, and was condemned to crucifixion on a cross. Three days after his death, he returned to life. His resurrection proves that he had conquered spiritual death, thus removing the barrier between us and God.

I believe that Jesus' life, death and resurrection are historically accurate and viable. I believe that Jesus is the holy son of God, and not just a good teacher or prophet. Through Jesus, I have been extended the gift of grace, which is God's riches as Christ's expense. This is not because of anything I have earned or done.

Daily I try my best to live a life of faith and integrity. Because I am a Christian, I know that others are looking at me and evaluating my character to see if my life is consistent with what I say, do, and write. Sometimes I don't do this well, but this is because I am still learning. My entire life's goal is to bring honor and glory to God, and this takes practice. I can't always explain my faith very well, but I always want to be willing to try. I want to somehow let as many people as possible know that who I am means nothing unless I identify myself as a Christian. God is as real to me as my family members, friends and co-workers.

I know without a doubt that God is real and that he loves me unconditionally. Every blessing I have been given in life is because of him. Also, it is only because of the strength he gives me that I can stand firm in the face of adversity. Being a Christian doesn't mean that life is always easy, but it does mean that I don't ever need to dwell on feelings of hopelessness or despair, because I know that God is always at work in my life in ways I cannot see.

I am not ashamed of my faith. I am not ashamed of my relationship with God. I make no apologies for things I do because of my faith that may seem absurd or simplistic to those who don't understand them. I am a Christian--a Christ follower. That identity brings me more security and peace than I could ever fully describe.

Question Everything

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. --1st John 4:1

In the movie I.Q., garage mechanic, Ed Walters (portrayed by Tim Robbins) falls in love with Albert Einstein's niece, Katherine (Meg Ryan). In order to convince Katherine to date him, Ed must make her believe that he is an intellectual, every bit as knowledgeable about the field of physics as Albert Einstein (Walter Matthau) himself. To this end, Ed and Dr. Einstein manage to con the local college community into believing that they have developed a cold fusion rocket. Katherine, a brilliant mathematician, gets her hands on their cold fusion notes and proceeds to "question everything" by applying mathematical proofs and theorems so that she might understand the intricacies of the equations and how the process that fuels the stars can be put into a bottle.

As Christians we also must "question everything". This is not because of disbelief or even necessarily skepticism. Most often the process of testing things is so that we can gain a better understanding of the character of God, and develop a solid foundation about why we believe what we do. Throughout the church's history, God's word and the people who have presented it to the masses, have been scrutinized. By this process, different denominations and their doctrines have been formed, different credos canonized, and bodies of believers strengthened.

For anyone to blindly accept one man's teaching over another's is a foolish practice. At times, heretics and their unorthodox teachings have been exposed. Perpetrators of lies and non-biblical teachings have been rebuked and admonished, and false prophets revealed for what they truly are--the enemy. Without discernment that comes from the Holy Spirit, many of us would fall to the temptation to believe something delivered from the mouth of man rather from the heart of God.

Whether we search the scriptures on our own or whether we receive formal instruction in our churches or schools, we must remember that God's word is the final authority. Questioning everything is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, we are blessed if we hunger and thirst for righteousness. By feasting on scripture and asking the Holy Spirit to give us a measure of wisdom and discernment, we can identify those things that are truly of God, and which are contrary to Him.

Living for Jesus

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. --1st John 2:17

"Only one life will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."

I can't count how many times my mom and grandma have echoed these words to me. It was something that my great-grandma always used to say, and I can't help but think of that catchy little phrase when I read 1st John 2:17. More and more I am reminded of how fleeting our lives here on earth really are, and how I need to make sure that I'm living it in such a way that the things I do will be able to withstand time.

I don't know about you, but I want my life to count for something. I have given my whole heart to the Lord, and asked him to do with it as he sees fit. I pray that he will continue to shape me into the kind of godly woman of whom he can be proud. More than anything, I want to reach the end of my life, stand before the Lord and have him welcome me into his kingdom with the words "well done good and faithful servant".

When I was a teenager, I made a public profession of my faith in my church before my family, our church's congregation, and the church's leaders. Nearly a decade has passed since that time, but my growth as a Christian is never finished. I feel as though I've only just begun to realize what kind of things are worth having and pursuing in life. The biggest learning experience for me has been my marriage. There is something wonderfully inexplicable that happens to a person's spiritual life when given the opportunity to share everything on all levels with a spouse who knows the Lord and is committed to loving and serving him.

Some days, my spiritual life still struggles like it did when I was a new Christian. There are times when I really would like to give in to the thinking patterns of this world. I'm often tempted to do things that are self-serving, rather than do the things that God would have me do. It's not always easy to have the motivation to make the right decisions when you feel like you're the only one doing so. Being in the workplace can be a challenge as a Christian, but I have to remember that it's just another place where God has put me so that he can continue to teach me about himself.

Some day, our lives will be over. Our possessions, family members, everything we hold dear will be left behind. The most important thing isn't to make a name for ourselves based on what we have, but based on who we are. A recent caller to the Dr. Laura show was considering changing his major because he didn't think being a social worker was something that he wanted to do. When asked what he was interested in instead, he replied that he wanted to be successful. I immediately knew why Dr. Laura laughed--it was because the caller's definition of success was obviously self serving.

For Christians, we know that success isn't determined by the size of a bank account or the type of car parked in the garage, or the number of degrees on your office wall. Worldly accomplishment is something very separate from living a life for Jesus. I happen to think that those blessings may be given to some as a result of living in a way that pleases God, but I don't think they define success. As Christians, we don't need to strive to achieve the things the world emphasizes. We know that we are not compelled to accumulate as many things as possible before we reach life's finish line. For those of us who believe in the resurrection of Christ, and life eternal for those who believe, we know that death isn't the final chapter of our lives. If we have followed the will of God and have a personal relationship with Jesus, we will live eternally in heave.

Living as a Christian means we need to strive for things that other people might call foolish. Not everyone can understand why I go to church with my husband every week, or why it is important to me to attend church on Good Friday. When I was in college, some of my friends didn't understand why I had such a great time hanging out with the "religious" people on campus at the Campus Crusade for Christ meetings each week. Those things are part of how I continued to grow in my relationship with God. I go to church because I know that it's what God wants me to do so that I can get to know him better. What I get out of it is not necessarily a tangible benefit, but I know that when I do the will of God, I will be eternally blessed.

God Hears

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. --1st John 5:14

Do you ever lie on your bed at night and spend a few minutes in prayer before falling asleep? Does your mind ever wander a bit and you open your eyes, stare at the ceiling and think "does God really hear me?" Sometimes I wonder if my requests and petitions seem silly to a God who controls the universe. Afterall, praying for my nose to stop running seems like an insignificant request when there are tsunami victims in Thailand and marines in Iraq who are probably dealing with much more difficult circumstances.

My occasional feelings of doubt make me discouraged, particularly when I feel like my prayers are being answered. More accurately, I feel discouraged when they aren't answered in the way that I want them answered. Lately I've come to understand that God always hears our prayers, no matter how big or small we think they are. He not only hears them, he answers them, even if not in the way we'd like him to. Sometimes he answers us with a definite "no". It sometimes seems as though doors get slammed in our faces just when we're about to step over the threshold. Other times God answers with "not yet; wait" and it takes a great deal of patience before we see the fulfillment of God's will on a particular matter. Still other times God blesses us with "yes" and we immediately see the benefits of leaving things up to him in the first place. No matter what, he always answers our prayers.

Something else I've learned is that sometimes I find that I'm asking for the wrong things. This verse says that we need to ask "in accordance with his will". It's not always easy to determine if we are asking in accordance with God's will. That's why it is so important to spend time reading the Bible and seeking advice from mature Christians who have experience in recognizing God's voice. By using God's word, combined with the wisdom of other Christians, we can get pointed in the right direction on the path of God's will.

God loves us and hears our prayers. The words of Michael W. Smith's song "I Know Your Name" speak of how much God loves us. I am comforted by the words of the chorus whenever I hear them.

Yes I know your name, ev'ry prayer you pray.
I'm the One who brought you to this place.
The Voice who sings to you, the Hand that clings to you;
Oh my child, I've always known your name.

God has a plan for our lives. In order to discover that plan, we must remain constant communication with him through the act of prayer. You wouldn't try to write a term paper for a class without checking the guidelines given to you by the professor, so why would you try to live your life without checking out what your Creator's will for your life is? Don't ever doubt that he hears your prayers. Keep trying to determine his will as you spend more and more time with him. Be confident that he hears you, and rest assured that he loves you.

First-Hand Experience

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. --1st John 1:1

I recently found myself engaged in a lively discussion as to the validity of the Bible. A friend of mine challenged me with several examples in the Bible which he claimed pointed out inconsistencies and errors. His arguments were full of the same kinds of questions that other skeptics have asked through the years. His reasons were so common in fact, that I was able to use Josh McDowell's books "Tough Questions"and "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" to address nearly every point my friend had against the Christian faith and the contents of God's word.

It is likely that each of us will have to rise to a similar challenge at some point in time. I expect this will happen predominantly to those of you who are on college campuses. It is very important that as Christians we not only know what we believe, but we know why we believe it. This raises an interesting question or two. How do we know that God is real and that the Bible is more than just a collection of stories written by many different people? How do you convince a skeptic of the Biblical truths on which we Christians stake our lives? Although there are no easy answers, I believe that today's verse provides us with a starting point.

We can begin to answer those questions by looking at the things God has done in our individual lives. When John, the beloved disciple, wrote this book, he was doing so in order to convince new Christians that Jesus was truly the Son of God. John was able to rely on personal experience and physical evidence when it came to sharing what he knew about Jesus. John, and the other disciples, had heard, seen, looked at and touched many things as they spent time with Jesus. The were physically with him as they learned from him. John based what he knew of Jesus on his first-hand, eye-witness experiences with the Son of God.

"That which we have heard" refers to all the things that he and the other disciples learned from Jesus as he taught them the truth about who he is. "That which we have heard" can also apply to us. Although we were not present at the Sermon on the Mount, many of us have heard about Jesus either by going to church or from some missionary group, or from our friends and family who are Christians. We did not hear Jesus' parable first-hand like John and the disciples did, but we hear them told at Bible study groups, from our pastors at church, and sometimes in places we wouldn't expect.

Jesus performed many miracles throughout his life, many of which the disciples witnessed. God's miracles did not end after Christ's resurrection. If you look around, you are sure to find many miracles each day that you probably take for granted. This is what is referred to as "natural revelations". This is how God reveals himself to us in our modern state. The changing of seasons is one such revelation. So are things like rainstorms, the intricate geometry of spider's web, and the delicate balance of the laws of physics, chemistry and biology that enable our environment to function as it does. Romans 1:20 says that anyone who has looked at these elements of creation is without excuse when it comes to acknowledging the existence of a Creator God.

We, like John, have heard, seen, touched, and experienced the reality of God in one way or another. Maybe it was in a big dramatic way like being rescued from certain calamity, or maybe it was the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit comforting you when no one else could. In either case, God is very much real. We must proclaim the truth and reality of God and his word to others. God can use us to help them see, hear, experience, and ultimately know him.