RIGHTEOUS LOVE
First of seven devotions in World Stage Series
1 John 4:7-12
1 John 4:8-11: “Whoever does not love does not know God,
because God is love. This is how He
showed His love among us: He sent His
one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that
He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought
to love one another.”
“She
is sooo hot!” ten year old Brad exclaimed.
Watching a young lady eat a burger in the Picnic Place at the mall, Brad
sighed, “I’m in love.”
“You’re
not in love, dude. You’re in lust!” his
classmate and best friend Jeremy corrected.
It
usually takes many years before people understand the difference. Sometimes true romantic love begins when
“kids” like each other’s appearance.
That first attraction can grow into a righteous love. Righteous love is pure. Righteous love is blameless. Honest.
Unconditional.
Unconditional?
Can
you accept that God loves you unconditionally?
God
doesn’t love you any more when you’re “good.”
He doesn’t love you any less when you’re “bad.” Those are people’s conditions for love. That’s how believers get off the “righteous
love” track. We have a hard time
believing that God loves us unconditionally.
Even parents’ love varies, depending on how their kids act. That’s what people see and what our brains
are programmed to believe.
When
believers sin, we imagine that God is disappointed, even angry. We envision Him watching the sun set, timing
how long it takes us to confess and ask forgiveness. Our self-worth fades a little each day.
But
God wants to build a relationship with us!
Who wants to approach a Father who’s angry—especially when we feel unworthy?
It’s
time to reprogram our brains. (See
lesson, linked below).
Believers’
position in Christ never changes. To
imagine that somehow we blew it [salvation, God’s love] after we sin, cheapens
God’s grace.
Righteous
love isn’t conditional!
God
still wants to have a relationship with us. He equips us with unique gifts and talents. God’s plan is for every person to zoom ahead
accomplishing good works that He’s prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians
2:10). God’s indwelling Spirit agrees that
you are extremely valuable.
God
wants people to love ourselves with a righteous love. We’re to care because we’re created in God’s
image and sealed for salvation.
Take Home Nugget
No
one is worthy or deserving of God’s love. But God can’t help Himself. God is love.
God’s righteous love for you is unconditional. Why not program your brain with that?
Then
maybe we can love others with that same righteous love?
Unrighteous love is not love at all.
J.D. Griffith
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