Antidepressant...(19Apr09)

Setting the Scene - A Foundation / Security:
1 Cor 1:4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,
5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—
6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—
7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
&
1 Cor 1:20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,
23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

The topic: Grace – Love at “work”:
In the minds of men, their wisdom, both Grace & Love are foolishnesses!!!
However in the mind of God, His wisdom, they are His Power & His Brilliance.
Grace – His Heart shown in unmerited favour for the undeserving, unwilling and unworthy!!!
His Love – IE of the Father for US who believe – who are called His own, who have made Him their own.  Key: He loved us FIRST (1 Jn 4). So How does He love us - & we can BELIEVE this because how could one who is Holy (Purest of Pure) be so unjust to desire what He does not offer / give? Illogical.
This is what scripture says of His desire for us & must therefore be His action towards us:
1 Cor 13:3-8 “…but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind;
love does not envy or boast;
it is not arrogant / proud
So humble He gave Himself so we could  be reconciled!
Gave, did not demand…gave.
5 or rude. / Doth not behave itself unseemly (KJV),
It does not insist on its own way; / it is not self-seeking
it is not irritable / easily angered or resentful; / does not keep a record of wrongs
6 it does not rejoice / delight at wrongdoing / evil, but rejoices with the truth.
Rejoiceth (chairo) not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth (KJV)
Chario (khī'-rō) - to rejoice, be glad / to rejoice exceedingly / to be well, thrive.
Sygchairō (sün-khī'-rō) - to rejoice with, take part in another's joy / to rejoice together, to congratulate
Truth (alētheia / ä-lā'-thā-ä) - that candour of mind which is free from affection (feelings of fondness or tenderness, sometimes as opposed to reason), pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit.
7 Love bears all things, / always protects
True love always protects – looks out for / over.
believes all things, / always trusts
hopes all things, / always hopes
endures all things. / always perseveres
Oh the depths, width & heights of His love for us – enduring / persevering…unfathomable.
8 Love never ends / never fails
Unending & fail-proof.
13 …the greatest of these is love…” being of faith & hope.

This is how we are loved – first by God & BEFORE we loved Him (1 Jn 4:10).
Why we are called “The Saved By Grace” – Grace is Love at Work.
We are saved coz He loved us and offered us Grace to enable us to enter His Holy presence with confidence.
Why we have Hope – coz the love of God is at work in us and for us…
That’s why the Gospel is Good News & Good News lifts the Spirit, Soul & Mind and energises the Body.
Why we can love ourselves – coz we have been loved – we have been found loveable…
Being found loveable helps us identify our value, returns our dignity, maintains our identity, enables us to love ourselves which in turn activates our ability to love others.
Why we have honour beyond our circumstances – One greater than us loves us & included us in a great Blood Line – bestowed on us all we need – title, purpose & gifting…sons & daughters.
Why we Believe & move on from the things that “easily entangle” us (Heb 12) – the terrible burdens of sin & law - & we run, not CAN but DO, the Race set before us – with our eyes fixed on Jesus – why, coz we can & coz of His great love & the finished work of the cross – we are not only loved but we are the recipients of the greatest / most powerful Work ever done in all of time – the Cross.
We can!!!!!
This is why He calls us Beloved!!!
Why does He call us Beloved, coz He Can!!!!