Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good morning, dear ones.
It looks like I’ve been silent with sending devotionals for three days. Those days have been so congested with other stuff that my routine has been disrupted. This coming week holds the probability of some of the same. Besides facing a lot of work, there are lots of engagements on the calendar. I guess that’s one of features of summer.
Be blessed and governed by love while doing what you have to do.
Love, Dad/Ray.
Paul is saying SOMETHING very important about NOTHING. That’s a lot better than saying NOTHING about SOMETHING very important. And just to confirm how revolutionary is the Kingdom of God to the natural sin nature, the SOMETHING that Paul says is NOTHING is the very NOTHING that the popular worldview acclaims as being really SOMETHING. Please don’t get confused.
OK, let’s get this nailed down—this SOMETHING very important that has the power to transform this category of NOTHING into SOMETHING very important is, in fact, the Love of God. And the Love of God is foundational to EVERYTHING GOOD (1 Corinthians 3:11)—the absence of which reduces EVERYTHING else to essentially NOTHING of any lasting eternal value. Understand that you and I are that essential NOTHING in and of ourselves. Our status is absolutely hopeless. Personally receiving the Gift of God (Love of God) through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23) is the only agent of change available. And once personally received this divine gift must be personally integrated, displayed, and passed along. If not, it provides profound evidence that it was never really received and integrated. The FRUIT (evidence) OF THE SPIRIT (this spiritual transformational union with Christ) IS LOVE (the positive opposite of sin, which is essentially self-centeredness)—Galatians 5:22-23. Thus the confirmational evidence of being born of the Spirit is to demonstrate the Love of God.
In order to review the pivotal importance of this theme, let’s revisit Paul’s prayer for believers at Ephesus in Ephesians 3:16-19: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” And remember—“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8).
Whew! We could go on and on. But don’t let this core concept get by you. Too many do—and settle for NOTHING, thinking that it’s really SOMETHING.