What Manner of Love?
When man sinned in the Garden of Eden, he died (Gen. 2:17). Death is not cessation of life, it is actually separation from God who is life. So anything that is outside of God is considered to be dead and that is what sin did; it separated us from God so that we could no longer have access to Him. That part of man that had access to God had been shut down by sin and this was why Jesus had to pay the utmost price to become man. This was because, according to God's justice system, it had to be a man that would redeem the fallen man. Since there was no one qualified for such an assignment, God had to become man because if He did not become man, it would be impossible for any other man or anything to save man.
God sacrificed Himself to deliver man. The offence was not against the devil, you did not offend the devil, that is why when the devil wants to accuse you, he doesn't accuse you to himself, he accuses you before God; the accusation is unto God. When man sinned it was against God, not against the devil. Therefore, when God wanted to solve the problem, He sacrificed His Son for Himself. The Bible says it was God that afflicted Him,. …yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted: Isa. 53:4.
What a glorious loving God we serve. It is on this note that we begin to appreciate what manner of love that the Father has shown unto us that we should be called the children of God. We were no longer worthy to appear in His presence because we had fallen and we were on our way to destruction. Everyone was ordained for eternal destruction, eternally separated from God. But God said in His own will and counsel throughout the ages, that He sought for a saviour but He couldn't find one. When He could not find anyone the Bible says His own hand brought Him salvation.
Man is the ultimate of God's attention on the face of the earth; that is why the angels found this to be a mystery and began to ask questions, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Psa. 8:4. They saw a specie of God's creation that they could not understand, they saw something on the earth that takes God's attention from them, a particular set of people that was unlike them and yet God gives them so much attention. What is it about man? This could only be the love of the Father. See how much God loves you; how do you respond to this love?
READ: I John 3:1-7
MORE LESSON: Isaiah 53:1-12
PRAYER/ACTION
Pray that the love of Christ for you shall not be in vain.
Pray that God will make you a partaker of the love of Christ.
Pray for grace to love as Christ loves you and did the best for you.
PROPHETIC PRAYER:
Father , thank You, thank You, and thank You for the sixth glorious month, in the name of Jesus.