It's His Love - HE LOVES US!!! (the key to understanding scripture - my testimony)

[Vine Abider]

When the Lord first came and rescued me off the streets back in the early 70s, I was overwhelmed with His love! I prayed that He would take me to be with those that loved Him the way I did at that time.  He was faithful to answer that prayer and within a couple weeks He lead me 2000 miles away to a group on the west coast that was "on fire" for Jesus!

With this group, we were looking deep into the word consistently and constantly testifying to each other to encourage our faith. But over the course of a couple decades, the group veered into legalism and fear - painting the Lord as something of a hard taskmaster. The group was very strong in showing God had an eternal purpose that He would get, no matter what. But the downside was they taught that God would severely judge anyone who got in His way, which also meant coming under the authority of those in that group - least you be a castaway.  In the late 80s I left that group as things were kind of coming apart at the seams, and they had definitely lost their first love in Christ.

But then in the late 90s, the Lord lead me to a group which really focused on the freedom in Christ from legalism and who were grounded in the love of God as His primary motivation toward us (He was still being faithful to my original prayer to be with those that loved Him!).  The old, fearful concepts about God being something of a steamroller, who would flatten anyone who got in the way of His eternal purpose ,started to fade and I began to be healed of those fearful, crippling concepts.  After a short time with the group, the Lord showed me that love was the foundation for everything He did.  Yes, He has an eternal purpose, but the foundation of this purpose is His great love for us!

And with this newfound appreciation of His love, the bible started opening to me like never before!  Verses and passages I'd read and heard for over 25 years started to really come alive with fresh meaning I'd never known before!  And this knowledge has stayed with me and increased since then:  God is love and HE LOVES US!

So here's my big takeaway that today I'm still praising Him for showing me: GOD'S LOVE IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING AND UNDERSTANDING HIS WORD AND ALL HE'S DOING!!!

PS: Knowing His love also put the fear God in the proper perspective for me.

[Mr. M]

16 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

So here's my big takeaway that today I'm still praising Him for showing me: GOD'S LOVE IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING AND UNDERSTANDING HIS WORD AND ALL HE'S DOING!!!

And older Bibles from back in the day always had a footnote next to John 3:16*

*most beloved verse!

[farouk]

32 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

When the Lord first came and rescued me off the streets back in the early 70s, I was overwhelmed with His love! I prayed that He would take me to be with those that loved Him the way I did at that time.  He was faithful to answer that prayer and within a couple weeks He lead me 2000 miles away to a group on the west coast that was "on fire" for Jesus!

With this group, we were looking deep into the word consistently and constantly testifying to each other to encourage our faith. But over the course of a couple decades, the group veered into legalism and fear - painting the Lord as something of a hard taskmaster. The group was very strong in showing God had an eternal purpose that He would get, no matter what. But the downside was they taught that God would severely judge anyone who got in His way, which also meant coming under the authority of those in that group - least you be a castaway.  In the late 80s I left that group as things were kind of coming apart at the seams, and they had definitely lost their first love in Christ.

But then in the late 90s, the Lord lead me to a group which really focused on the freedom in Christ from legalism and who were grounded in the love of God as His primary motivation toward us (He was still being faithful to my original prayer to be with those that loved Him!).  The old, fearful concepts about God being something of a steamroller, who would flatten anyone who got in the way of His eternal purpose ,started to fade and I began to be healed of those fearful, crippling concepts.  After a short time with the group, the Lord showed me that love was the foundation for everything He did.  Yes, He has an eternal purpose, but the foundation of this purpose is His great love for us!

And with this newfound appreciation of His love, the bible started opening to me like never before!  Verses and passages I'd read and heard for over 25 years started to really come alive with fresh meaning I'd never known before!  And this knowledge has stayed with me and increased since then:  God is love and HE LOVES US!

So here's my big takeaway that today I'm still praising Him for showing me: GOD'S LOVE IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING AND UNDERSTANDING HIS WORD AND ALL HE'S DOING!!!

PS: Knowing His love also put the fear God in the proper perspective for me.

Trust legalists to subsume the great love in John 3.16 into law-keeping and guilt-manipulation....

[AnOrangeCat]

36 minutes ago, Vine Abider said:

PS: Knowing His love also put the fear God in the proper perspective for me.

I relate strongly to your whole post. I had a trial by fire earlier in life that was a long term thing. Deeply unpleasant but looking back on it I really see the hand of God in my life and evidence that He cared, intervened, and ultimately worked to my benefit. But back to what you said, the Bible tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. But since He wouldn't have us constantly cowering and anticipating punishment I think wisdom also leads us to realize His love for us.

[Mr. M]

20 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

And older Bibles from back in the day always had a footnote next to John 3:16*

*most beloved verse!

Romans 5:

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 15:

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 

13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 

14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

Obedience, motivated by love!

[Mr. M]

4 minutes ago, AnOrangeCat said:

I relate strongly to your whole post. I had a trial by fire earlier in life that was a long term thing. Deeply unpleasant but looking back on it I really see the hand of God in my life and evidence that He cared, intervened, and ultimately worked to my benefit. But back to what you said, the Bible tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. But since He wouldn't have us constantly cowering and anticipating punishment I think wisdom also leads us to realize His love for us.

The fear of God is anchored to His Presence. When I first started realizing I wasn't alone in my silent time, it was slightly unsettling, but then settled into this wonderful comfort and assurance. From that point on, the fear arises from losing that contact. This can be illustrated by an experience that the Holy Spirit showed me from when I was a toddler. My parents took me to the Audubon Zoo, and I was wandering about when I suddenly realized that I was surrounded by strangers, and my parents were no where to be seen. I began to scream! and cry out weeping in fear of being lost. My mother quickly located me, picked me up, and comforted me. This is our blessed assurance. This is the Father to Son relationship of Christ, and for us, in Christ.

John 8:29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, 

for I always do those things that please Him.

And when we are displeasing Him?

Hebrews 12:

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth

every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons;

for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers,

then are ye bastards, and not sons.

[Vine Abider]

14 minutes ago, AnOrangeCat said:

I relate strongly to your whole post. I had a trial by fire earlier in life that was a long term thing. Deeply unpleasant but looking back on it I really see the hand of God in my life and evidence that He cared, intervened, and ultimately worked to my benefit. But back to what you said, the Bible tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. But since He wouldn't have us constantly cowering and anticipating punishment I think wisdom also leads us to realize His love for us.

I've had a few discussions trying to reconcile the fear of God and His love as you mention.  However, I see God's original intention in Eden was not for us to fear Him as much as He wanted a relationship with us.  To me, fear is also put in proper perspective thinking about the example with a loving parent.  They want us to love first, but there also needs to be that respect.

[Marathoner]

For myself, the fear of the Lord is what I experienced when He revealed Himself to me, and I found myself in the presence of Almighty God. The Lord called me to Himself, and I knew there was nothing hidden from His sight. 

The fear of the Lord is what I experienced when I was almost dead and cried out to Him in despair. I had failed the Lord! I was afraid when the world became so bright that I couldn't see, and I knew that the Lord was with me. I was afraid when the Lord refused to let me die; I was afraid when He opened time like a scroll, revealing that this moment was the sum of His words spoken long ago. It was that purpose which God set me aside for. The Lord would return me to the land of the living, reversing the tide of death in this body, so that the people who witnessed my lengthy decline would know that He is God. There is no other like Him. 

I was afraid when the Lord spoke, declaring that on this day, nothing would be the same again. My days of wandering this earth were over. I would no longer forget the Lord who delivered me with a mighty hand; it pleased the Holy One to give a memorial so I would never forget His words spoken on that day. The Lord bid me to look upon my broken right hand; He said, You shall look upon your right hand and say, "The Lord delivered me with a mighty hand, for my own hand is broken." 

I was afraid on that morning when I stirred from slumber. My legs felt swollen and strange, like a gentle electrical current coursed through them. I was speechless when I placed a hand on a thigh... how could this be? I jumped out of bed and was shocked to find that I was able to jump... after years of progressive muscular degeneration, I was looking forward to life in a wheelchair. Only now, I could jump... and then, I discovered that I could run. 

I was afraid, for I asked the Lord for nothing! I accepted this affliction for that is what happens to this flesh and blood. Sooner or later, we bear affliction in these bodies of corruption, and I knew this well. I was almost dead after all. 

The fear of the Lord defies description for God is incomprehensible, Almighty, and nothing is impossible to Him. I will never comprehend the depth and breadth of His love until the desire of my heart comes true, and I am with our Lord in fulness. 

[Vine Abider]

2 hours ago, Marathoner said:

For myself, the fear of the Lord is what I experienced when He revealed Himself to me, and I found myself in the presence of Almighty God. The Lord called me to Himself, and I knew there was nothing hidden from His sight. 

The fear of the Lord is what I experienced when I was almost dead and cried out to Him in despair. I had failed the Lord! I was afraid when the world became so bright that I couldn't see, and I knew that the Lord was with me. I was afraid when the Lord refused to let me die; I was afraid when He opened time like a scroll, revealing that this moment was the sum of His words spoken long ago. It was that purpose which God set me aside for. The Lord would return me to the land of the living, reversing the tide of death in this body, so that the people who witnessed my lengthy decline would know that He is God. There is no other like Him. 

I was afraid when the Lord spoke, declaring that on this day, nothing would be the same again. My days of wandering this earth were over. I would no longer forget the Lord who delivered me with a mighty hand; it pleased the Holy One to give a memorial so I would never forget His words spoken on that day. The Lord bid me to look upon my broken right hand; He said, You shall look upon your right hand and say, "The Lord delivered me with a mighty hand, for my own hand is broken." 

I was afraid on that morning when I stirred from slumber. My legs felt swollen and strange, like a gentle electrical current coursed through them. I was speechless when I placed a hand on a thigh... how could this be? I jumped out of bed and was shocked to find that I was able to jump... after years of progressive muscular degeneration, I was looking forward to life in a wheelchair. Only now, I could jump... and then, I discovered that I could run. 

I was afraid, for I asked the Lord for nothing! I accepted this affliction for that is what happens to this flesh and blood. Sooner or later, we bear affliction in these bodies of corruption, and I knew this well. I was almost dead after all. 

The fear of the Lord defies description for God is incomprehensible, Almighty, and nothing is impossible to Him. I will never comprehend the depth and breadth of His love until the desire of my heart comes true, and I am with our Lord in fulness. 

Quite the wonderous story! Would you say this fear had a sense of immense awe with it?

[Vine Abider]

12 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

Quite the wonderous story! Would you say this fear had a sense of immense awe with it?

What I was thinking when I asked this @Marathoner was that I think the fear of the Lord is a really healthy fear - one that is not crippling, but rather enabling . . . a "clean" fear that is healthy and good for us (even desirable), and prompts us toward the path of life.  What are your thoughts on this?