Wayne's World...(10May09)

We were made to be loved!

Wayne Duncan 

Our eternity will be spent in the glory environment of our God. We cannot conceive the splendor of it. There will be no night as the light and life of God Himself will fill all of heaven. The angelic hosts worshipping, all the redeemed celebrating and living in the eternal inheritance. Our wildest imaginations cannot perceive what God has prepared for those who love Him. 

There is an aspect of heaven often passed over. The Glory of God is who he is. All eternity will consist of the experience of who God is. One of the aspects of who God is...is this. God is love. As true as it is that we will spend all eternity beholding the king of Glory, equally we will spend all eternity being loved, and literally seeing and feeling the love of mighty God.  

He will lavish His love on us in supernatural outpouring and demonstrations. We will undoubtedly know that we are loved! 

Well that's a wonderful thought, but what about today? The future hope of Glory does strengthen me, and help me today, in no small way but there is more. 

Look at this quote from John Piper's book God is the Gospel…pg 31 (the gospel-the biblical scope and meaning)

"The Holy Spirit is the down payment, a guarantee of the fullness of joy we will know in the perfected fellowship with the father and son in the age to come (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5). What makes the gospel good news is the end enjoyment of the glory of God in Christ. The Holy Spirit provides the present experience of that enjoyment. Therefore the promise of the spirit in the Gospel is what makes it good news." 

What a stunning picture of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1 says the Holy Spirit is the down payment guaranteeing the full inheritance.  BUT we get to get the deposit now! We get to taste some of heaven on earth through the experience of the Holy Spirit. A bit of heaven on earth. The realm of heaven invading this realm. 

One of the ways the Holy Spirit produces this joy in us, us by convicting and convincing us that we are loved and accecpted. He literally convinces and convicts us to believe we are right with God. This positions our hearts to experience the love of God in an unhindered manner.

Jesus went through great measures to show His love for us. He left the father, and was faithful to death, to demonstrate His love to us.

The father Gave His only son for pain, punishment and separation, so we could know we are loved.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  

God gave Jesus, as a demonstration, that there is no limit to what He will do to show us love.

1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are

The bible uses the strongest example know to man to describe His love for us. He speaks of theyoung powerful love of loves expecting marriage….a bride and groom..

He tells us that he has lavished love on us, and loves us like children. 

God has done everything possible to demonstrate, explain and prove His lover for us…but there is more.

There is revelation and experience.

Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family(Or fatherhood)  in heaven and on earth is named, 16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

God wants you to know His love for you. Not for us, as true as that is, but for you!

He loves you. Knowing this, beyond knowledge will effect and change you in many ways. His love strengthens us, washes us, encourages us. It brings heaven to earth.

More than this could be said, but what I want to do is move out the way, and let the Holy Spirit come and do what he does, and be who He is. As we worship God, let Him love you, and show you His great love. We don't have to wait for heaven to begin experiencing some of heaven!

 Romans 5:5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.