Tag: Romans 5:5
Day 4–Peace and Love With Faith
Scripture reading for June 18: Ephesians 6:23-24“Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”
Today’s short blessing from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is full of encouragement that reinforces the other blessings we already covered. The Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:23-27 declared God’s smile of favor over His people giving them His peace. Jesus declared the blessedness of peacemakers being called the sons of God, reinforcing our identity as belonging to God’s eternal family. (Matthew 5:9) The blessing in Hebrews declared our Father as the God of peace Who made peace for us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. This act demonstrates true love to us and enables us to have faith, which works by love. (Galatians 5:6) Paul declared peace to the brothers (and sisters) in this blessing for today.
Paul also declared love with faith to the believers from God the Father and the Lord Jesus. God’s love always acts for the highest good of the other, regardless of cost. God our Father in love gave us who believe the gift of the Holy Spirit Who confirms to us our identity as God’s children. God is love and true love is from God. His children should reflect His love. Jesus taught Holy Spirit becomes in us a river of God’s love flowing out of us. (John 7:38-39) (Romans 5:5) Because we know His amazing love, we can now respond by loving Him and loving our brothers and sisters. (1 John 4:10-12) This means working for their highest good, regardless of cost to us.
But love on our part can be corrupted. We can say we love God and yet hold hatred for our brothers or sisters. We can declare we love our brothers and sisters, yet close our heart to helping them in need. (1 John 3:17) When our love is corrupted, God’s grace to us is restricted by our own heart attitude. His flow of love through us is also restricted for those we are sent to help.
Prayer: Father God continue to reveal to me, a first responder, Your great love in Jesus Christ. Reveal any heart attitudes that corrupt my love for You or hinder Your love flowing through me to others. I receive this blessing of peace and love with faith from You and our Lord Jesus Christ and want to pass it on. Amen.
It’s all about love!
Scripture reading for February 2nd: Mark 12
Key Scriptures: Mark 12:28-31 “And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that He answered them well asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important commandment is ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””
Jesus had been disputing with the scribes and Pharisees concerning different current religious and political issues. They were trying to trap Jesus by their questions but were not successful. One scribe asked about the greatest commandment and Jesus gave a simple answer, quoted from the Scriptures of Moses. The greatest commandment was to love God fully and completely and the second greatest was to love your neighbor as yourself. These two commandments summed up the whole law of God. It was all about love and love drew obedience from the heart. The scribe had to agree with Jesus and Jesus told him he was not far from the kingdom!
Deuteronomy 6:3 “Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I love You will all my heart, soul, mind and strength through the Holy Spirit You gave me. I desire to love my neighbor as myself. Help me daily to walk in Your love and let Your love flow through me.
Romans 5:5 “. . .and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.”