Painted Soldier Ministry Blog
- As Valentine's day approaches I decided to update this blog. On this holiday that focuses on love, I have been reflecting back on a sermon I preached back a few years ago. It was the first of several for the Lenten season and it just so happened to fall on Valentine's day. I spoke on love that day, how God loves us, and how we know that we love God. Many Christians speak about the love of God but seldom speak of how He actually describes love. Biblical love includes discipline, saying no, the Israelites being in captivity, and even putting His Son on the cross. Many people claim that they love God, but have no idea what scriptures says about those that love God. Someone that loves God follows His commandments. That means loving your enemies, forgiving those that hurt you, letting go of what you believe belongs to you and trusting God with everything. As the years have passed, I have come to know God in a much deeper way. Through trials and victories I discovered that when I preached that sermon, I barely knew more than what the words on the page actually said. To love God we really need to know that He alone is good. That we barely have any skin in the game, and that is what makes God's love for us even greater. We literally bring nothing to the table. God is self sufficient and prior to creating the human race was completely self sustaining. Which means that without us, His existence doesn't change. He created us purely out of a love relationship. That my friends changes everything. Why does God require us to do it His way? Because He knows what we need to have a blessed life and to be more like Him. Anything less than that is simply rebellion. Scripture says that we love God because He loved us first. Our life is really all about HIm. The only choice we have is to obey or not. To obey Him is to love Him, and to disobey Him is to not love Him. Do you really love God? Then live like you do.