God's Love for Us

The outgoing concern toward other beings begins with God the Father to Christ to us. How much we love our brethren may be a good gauge of how much we love God.

John Ritenbaugh, reflecting on I John 4:17, marvels at the depth of love God the Father has for us as unique, special components of His creation, loving each of us as much as He loved Christ. The Father and the Son have worked cooperatively, harmoniously s. . .

We are royalty, part of the highest Family in all creation. We can take great comfort in knowing who it is we really are and that the Father greatly values us.

God does not love everybody equally. Nowhere does He tell us to prefer the ungodly world. Though He tells us to love our enemies, but not to be affectionate.

Ronny Graham, comparing the longest words with the shortest words in the English language, avers that the tiny preposition in has more depth and complexity than the longest words. The preposition in, as in the constructions "in Christ" or "i. . .

A Bible study on love, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

John Ritenbaugh, focusing on Romans 9-11 and Ephesians 1, answers the question often posed by Herbert W. Armstrong, "Why are we here?" God does not treat people equally. As Solomon once observed, all seems to be vanity and the same things happen . . .

Love doesn't become 'love' until we act. If we don't do what is right, the right feeling will never be formed; emotions are largely developed by our experiences.

John Ritenbaugh, acknowledging that salvation cannot be earned or bought, reminds us that a gift is still a gift even though a condition has to be met. Meeting a condition does not (as Protestants would have us believe) change the character of a propositio. . .

John Ritenbaugh claims that millions of people who believe they are in contact with God are hopelessly deceived about Him in five essential ways: They do not understand (1) what causes estrangement between God and mankind, (2) that God under no circumstanc. . .

Love is the first of the fruit of the Spirit, the one trait of God that exemplifies His character. Here is how the Bible defines what love is and what love does.

Martin Collins, concluding his series "God's Perseverance with the Saints," focuses on Christ's desire that all His disciples have unity and love. The unity He appeals for is not organizational unity, but unity within the divine nature, exampled . . .

If we love another person, we like to think about him/her, to hear about him/her, please him/her, and we are jealous about his/her reputation and honor.

John Reid, in contrasting God's faithfulness and dependability with man's, paints a very dismal picture of man's current lack of dependability and his inability to direct his steps rightly. Is it possible for God to redirect this perverse heart of man to c. . .

To dramatize the perennial harlotry of Israel and the incredible love God exhibits toward His people, He commands Hosea to marry a harlot, Gomer.

One aspect of sovereignty that causes some confusion is predestination. God's sovereignty does not remove a person's free moral agency — we must still choose.

John Ritenbaugh, using illustrations from the God's creation, observes that comparing the grandeur and intricacy of God's creation with man's most magnificent accomplishments gives us both a sense of humility at our own puniness and a sense of awe for God'. . .

Love is not a feeling, but an action—defined as keeping God's commandments, the only means by which we can possibly know Him, leading to eternal life.

John Ritenbaugh, reflecting on how God perceives us, indicates that God established permanent patterns, electing Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as all of those He has called. This Election (predestined and foreordained by Almighty God) should be the do. . .

John Ritenbaugh, reacting to the secularist's complaint about God's failure to make clear His purpose, assures us that no one has any excuse for doubting God's existence or His carefully crafted purpose for mankind, whether revealed publicly through His Cr. . .

John Ritenbaugh, endeavoring to build an intensified appreciation for God's Holy Spirit, maintains that our sense of responsibility should also intensify when we realize that our calling was not random. The term "spirit" is associated with wind i. . .

Because we are all sinners, we have earned only death; justification is not earned, but must come through faith and believing God as did our father Abraham.

If we are not receiving God's correction or chastisement, we should be concerned! God's chastening is what He uses to sanctify His spiritual children.

Paul emphasized the power of God living in us through the Holy Spirit to enable us to develop into His family. Through God's power, we will triumph over death.

To fulfill one's purpose, one must be singularly focused on what one wants to accomplish. Divided minds result in no productivity or even devastation.

John Reid reflects that God gives us the capability of remembering in order to learn and retain lessons, fortifying us in the midst of grave trials. During these times of intense distress and tribulation, God expects that we use our memories to reflect upo. . .

Richard Ritenbaugh, pointing out how different our lives would be if God had not called us, affirms that we must admit God's intervention in our lives improved the quality of life exponentially. Everything changed when we were born from above and when God'. . .

God has provided the God-plane marriage relationship to teach us how to submit to one another, sacrificing our self-centeredness for the benefit of our spouse.

David Maas, resuming the series "Our Part in the Sanctification Process," focuses on the need to cultivate mature self-love. Using a pair of metaphors (a set of six dams on a water causeway and six interconnected transformers on a gigantic power . . .

Life seems to be one trial after another. However, God has revealed an astounding facet of God's love that should give us the faith to soldier on.

John Reid cautions that when corporations get rid of their core business, they become less effective. Likewise when we deviate from our core job of preparing for God's family, we risk the danger of assimilating into the world, losing our calling and salvat. . .

The yoke grievous to bear (Acts 15:10) was not God's law, but an entire package of Pharisaic regulations that had been elevated to the level of God's law.

John Ritenbaugh reiterates the dominant themes, including (1) Preparing to receive our inheritance (2) Learning to fear God (3) God's grace and (4) God's faithfulness. We will not be prepared to execute judgment in the Millennium unless we are experiential. . .

John Ritenbaugh, reiterating that the times we are about to go through will be unparalleled history, suggests that we need to keep our vision before us. We have the obligation to be loyal to Jesus Christ. We cannot, as our forebears did on the Sinai, harde. . .

God's children look no different on the outside, but God has given them something inside, something spiritual, that makes them special to Him.

Martin Collins, reflecting on the practice of "defriending" (or "unfriending") on Facebook, contrasts this practice with Christ's love for His called-out ones, a friending with the condition that godly fruit is born. When Paul challenge. . .

Austin Del Castillo, observing the ballooning prayer list, the continuing fractures occurring throughout the greater Church of God, and the high frequency of people offended, asserts that, unless our primary relationship is with God the Father and Jesus Ch. . .

Richard Ritenbaugh, cuing in Psalm 118, the sixth and final halal or pilgrimage psalm, proclaiming, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad," emphasizes that this prophetic psalm, demonstrating God's sovereignty over all ev. . .

John Ritenbaugh reveals that the valley-of-shadow imagery symbolizes the fears, frustrations, trials, and tests needed to produce character, quality fruit, and an intimate trust in the shepherd. His rod, an extension of his will and strength, serves not on. . .