"The cross was never a demonstration of how much you love Him. It is and has always been an expression of how MUCH He loves you." - Chris Gore (one of the pastors here at Bethel Church).
Do you want to know the secret to loving truly? To peace and JOY and beauty and wonder... to self control and a purely focused heart, to kindness and excitement... It is this: to truly revel and believe His love for you. The depths of it are unsearched.
During a message I heard on Friday night on living as the Beloved the pastor commented on the difference between where Peter was during that night and where John was. Peter, the one proclaiming his love for Jesus, was found betraying Him hours later. John, the one who called himself beloved of Christ, at the foot of the cross until the end.
Even our love for God is a gift from God, and the strength of that love lies in the revelation we've recieved of how much He loves us.
Earlier this week I was soaking in His presence and He began to allow me to glimpse the joy that John must have felt in seeing Jesus for the first time after His death. Can you imagine it? It was John who first recognized Jesus on the beach, but Peter who jumped into the water to reach Him. Peter, still demonstrating his love for Jesus, and about to get some revelation of forgiveness, to experience Jesus' love for him.
NOT that loving Jesus is invalid. Not that demonstrating that love is bad. In fact, Jesus loves being loved. But the Shulammite woman had first to learn that the bridegroom loved her before she could love him back in a healthy way.
He loves you He loves you He loves you!!! Think about it.
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