“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
We are too familiar with a God we hardly know. There is a deep hunger to know more of God intimately in the way He knows us.
He has first known and loved us.
God’s love for us from the beginning carries upon it His faithfulness to us and His promises.
“the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”
He makes a covenant with His people in the OT which is summarised again in the NT. It is God’s desire that we shall all know Him intimately, relationally as a friend and knowing in a way that only by loving we know.
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
It is profound that we cannot intimately love someone we do not know.
Therefore knowledge of someone precedes love. Deep knowledge of someone is a doorway into a Spirituality and the sense of oneness in love.
Intimate friends are those who trust one another and feel safe to declare, expose and share themselves. They remain together as more than fair weather friends.
Even Jesus as the man in time had followers but only twelve who stayed and knew Him as “ the Holy one of God “ and didn’t turn away.
“And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
It is not just cognitive knowing but an intimate heart knowing.
This is our spiritual life of knowing. Jesus reveals to those who know Him what He does not reveal to others.
It is simple to know the Triune God, to commune and have His peace and joy. God has not made it complex or difficult the Holy Spirit guides us. It is us who make it difficult.
When Stephen summarised the OT, he first called God The God of Glory.
God was uncreated. He has never changed or evolved He has always been the same and always will be. He is the God of Glory for ever. He has a mind and opinion and will of His own.
He cannot be changed by us nor does He want second opinions from us and yet He will encourage our co-labouring in His rule.
“And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,”
Our intimacy must in turn take us to reframe and see His majesty and awe and His Glory. So that we exhort and honour our God of Glory.
He wants our public declaration and shameless devotion so that His glory may fall upon us and be witness to the world.
“so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is no longer worship and ministry behind closed doors but out in the public domaine. Just as David unashamedly danced and sang in the streets regardless of his own respectability. Abandoned, bold love of He who we worship first.
The illustration shows intimate abandoned praise that acclaims our oneness in mind and heart with the one we love. Light emanating to push back the darkness.
Five Scriptures that come to mind:
“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4:19-21 ESV
“the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”Jeremiah 31:3 ESV
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Hebrews 8:10 ESV
“And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.””John 6:65-69 ESV
“And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,” Acts 7:2 ESV
“so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:12 ESV
The song Where The Glory Is. Josh Baldwin
Lessisgreater 