Satan reigns when we sense not the Love of God for us.
The Deception
Satan was able to deceive Adam through Eve because Adam did not have a sense of God’s love for him. All the material blessings in the world did not give Adam that sense of God’s love. [Adam had everything in the world to himself – Genesis 2:16]. Similarly, all the material blessings in the world cannot give us the true and genuine sense of God’s love for us.
It therefore shows that sincere love for God and gratitude towards Him could not be created. If it was possible, Lucifer would not have fallen.
Pre-planned Love
God has planned to show mankind [destined to be His children] how much He loves us by sending His only Beloved Son to die for us. He planned this even before He created us and that Adam, our representative, would betray His Love.
Ephesians 2:5
For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent].
God wanted us [the crown of His creations] to learn and experience His love for us so that we would love Him back in all sincerity. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins [1 John 4:10].
Grace Preceded The Fall
God knew that His children would betray His love. Yet, He was ready to extend His Grace, to be given us in Christ Jesus before the world began [2 Timothy 1:9]. This is so that when sin abounds, grace superabounds [Romans 5:20].
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
I believe God created this tree as a means for Adam to love Him back. If Adam had sensed God’s love for him, his response, when tempted, would have been: “How can I do what God has told me not to do? How can I do that to Him Who loves me so much?”
Today, this is the motive for not sinning against God for how can we sin against such great love as demonstrated by the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ [the Messiah, God’s Anointed One] on the Cross?
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was created because God is Righteous and Just. He provided the means to Adam for requiting His love. Today, God has also provided the means and the reason for loving Him back; our Lord Jesus Christ [God’s Anointed One].
1 John 4:10
In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.
Sensing God’s Love
How can we begin to sense God’s love for us?
2 Corinthians 8:9 says that we become progressively acquainted with and recognize more strongly and clearly the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [God’s Anointed One] by looking at how much our Lord Jesus Christ [God’s Anointed One] has given up for us.
That though He was [so very] rich, yet for our sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty we might become enriched (abundantly supplied).
Although our Lord Jesus Christ [God’s Anointed One] being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped and retained. But He stripped Himself of all privileges and rightful dignity so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave) by becoming like men and was born a human being. And after He has appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself still further and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the Cross! [Philippians 2:6-8].
And our Lord Jesus Christ [the Messiah, the Anointed One] did all that while we were still in enmity with Him! [Romans 5:6-8].
Can you beat that?
Now it is an extraordinary thing for an upright man, though perhaps for a noble and lovable and generous benefactor someone might even dare to die. But to die such a horrible death for an enemy? Out of this world!
But God shows and clearly proves His own love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us!
God is so rich in His mercy!
Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation).
Sinning in Love An Impossibility
As we progressively come to realize and sense God’s love for us, let not sin therefore rule as king in our mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make us yield to its cravings and be subject to its lusts and evil passions.
Let us not continue to offer or yield our bodily members and faculties to sin as instruments or tools of wickedness. But let us offer and yield ourselves to God as though we have been raised from the dead to perpetual life, and our bodily members and faculties to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness.
How shall sin have dominion over us now that we are not without the sense of God’s love for us?!?
What then are we to conclude? Shall we sin because we have a sense of God’s love for us?!? Certainly not! It is an utter impossibility! It is oxymoronic!
Conclusion
There is only one way to sense God’s love for us.
It is by beholding the greatest love of all – God’s Love on the Cross!
2 Corinthians 3:18
And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.
As we behold the greatest love of all, we love in return in the likeness of the intensity and sincerity of His love for us.
Recommended Resources
Reduce Me To Love
Loving and being loved is what makes life worth living. It gives our lives purpose and meaning. It’s time to learn to truly accept God's unconditional love and obey His command to reach out in love to others.
In this powerful book, Joyce provides biblical insights and draws from her personal experiences to illustrate how God changed her life and to introduce you to a life filled with God’s love.
This love will change your life by showing you how to …
- Know what “reduce me to love” means
- Love in a way that blesses you and motivates you to love others
- Accept God’s unconditional love for you
- Love as Jesus did
- Discover the peace, joy and strength that come through true love
Love Revolution
Revolution. The word itself sparks hope, ignites passion and inspires loyalty. A love revolution isn’t only a great idea but a necessity if we’re going to see some of the tragic injustices in the world today turned around, including the heaviest tragedy of all—humanity’s broken heart.
This book outlines a new way of living that can change your life and world by providing…
- Inspiring stories of Love Revolutionaries—people like you who changed their world by loving others
- Practical application exercises and simple acts of God’s love for everyday life
- Life-changing times of prayer
- Fascinating quotations and insights from history
- Startling statistics
See The Father's Love For You
Can what you do stop your heavenly Father from loving you? Will He still bless you after you have failed? In this moving two-DVD album, Joseph Prince delves into the parable of the prodigal son, and opens up fresh revelations about your Abba's deep and unending love for you. Besides the unconditional love and acceptance, the father in the parable also gave his son precious gifts — the robe, ring and sandals. Find out the spiritual significance of these items and see how they depict the blessings your Father has for you today. Listen and let your heavenly Father's love wash over you and embrace you into wholeness!
Living in Favor, Abundance, and Joy
To live in God's favor is to live a life filled with hope, abundance and joy. God has a new beginning in store for you Whatever difficulties you've faced, God uses your challenges to stretch you and enlarge your vision to move beyond disappointments and experience his blessings. In this audio series Joel Osteen shares valuable keys that will help you live in faith, stand strong and overcome anything that comes against you.
Capturing the unique excitement of Lakewood Church's weekly services and broadcasts, "Living in Favor, Abundance and Joy" collects material from three of the most popular volumes of live recordings offered on the Lakewood website. You'll hear Joel Osteen's distinct and effective mix of spiritual perspectives on real-world challenges, including:
- Letting go of the past
- Taking the limits off of God
- Being grateful for the gift of today
- Having a relaxed and easy-going attitude
- Controlling your moods
- Holding on to your joy
Don't settle for the status quo. God says that you are going to have the most peace, the most fulfillment. You may not have seen it yet, but if you make room, you will not lack in any area.
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