Tag: Attributes

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, In His Image, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time, The Attributes of God

AGAPE, God Most Loving

Posted on by

W1D2 of the study: “Who Should I Be?”, by; Mefromthensideout

Today’s Focus Scripture: Psalm 86:15 and 1 John 4:7-8

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God.
You are patient and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness.

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. 8 The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Psalm 86:15 and 1 John 4:7-8 NLT

Agape is the word used to describe the love of God and it, as all of the other attributes we will study, are a requirement for holiness. The more detailed definition is that “agape is an act of the will, an intelligent, purposeful attitude of esteem and devotion; a selfless, purposeful, outgoing attitude that desires to do good to the one loved.” In other words, as Jen Wilkin goes on to write, “agape does not merely feel, it acts. It is the word Paul uses in Romans 5:8 to describe why God sent His Son, and it is the word Jesus uses in 1 John 4:7 and 8 to teach His disciples to love their enemies – even those who hate them. It is also the term used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, one of my favorite love passages and an absolutely beautiful example of God’s agape/love.

Agape is patient and kind; agape does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Agape bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Agape never ends.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

In our first focus verse today (Romans 5:8), the Psalmist writes a wonderful description of Agape, [God’s love] – pointing out that God is compassionate, merciful, patient, and has demonstrated not only a great loyal love but faithfulness.

In the second of the focus verses (1 John 4:7-8), we are given instructions as believers, those who know God’s love [agape], to love others. So serious is the instruction that there is clarification that if we aren’t loving we do not know God – because God is love.

And as we see in the 1 Corinthians passage, verses 4-8, agape is indeed a very purposeful, act of the will to love, a selfless, purposeful, outgoing attitude that desires to do good to the one loved. Actually if we back up to read verses 1-3 of chapter 13 we see the effects of not having agape [God’s love]. Jen writes this commentary on the passage, “If I seek to be holy without agape, I add nothing. I am nothing. I gain nothing.” In other words, we can go through all of the motions of loving others through the gifts God has given us, we can even use our resources to help the poor or give our life on the behalf of another, but if we do so without a heart of love for God [agape] and those we serve – then it amounts to nothing. All of the words, or God given gifts and knowledge, even our faith and gifts of sacrifice without love would be of no real value.

Paul describes the love he’s talking about. It’s not a love of swollen feelings that may come and go. It’s not the love of flowery or eloquent words. This is God’s love—from the Greek agape—often described as “unconditional love” by Christians. It is unconditional in the sense that it does not depend on the one being loved, but on the commitment of the one acting

Bibleref.com on 1 Corinthians13:1-3

Loving like God loves is not an easy calling. Actually, it is quite costly. Consider John 13:15 where it is said, “No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life for his friends.” Jen says it like this, “The costliness of agape is evident in the cross.” Jesus points this out to those wishing to follow Him – when He says to do so means “turning from their selfish ways, taking up their cross daily, and following Him.” (Luke 9:23). In other words, love as Christ loves the Church – even if it costs us – and it will. When we choose to follow Christ and to live and love by God’s standards it will cost us. Jen gives a list of the cost and effect in her book, saying, “it costs us our pride, our comfort, our self-will, our self-sufficiency. At times, it costs us amicable relationships with family, our expectation of safety, and more.” But she goes on to say, “in laying these aside, we learn the worthiness of the object of our love in a deeper way. We find increasing freedom, and as we mature, we resolve to love God no matter what it costs us.” Christ gave a new command to us in John 13:34, where He said, “Love one another, just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” Loving our neighbor comes with a costs as well, “our preferences, our time, our financial resources, our entitlement, our stereotypes. At times, it costs us our popularity, respect, and more. But in laying these aside, we learn the brokenness of the object of our love in a deeper way. We find increasing empathy, and as we mature, we resolve to love our neighbor no matter what it costs us. This is the kind of love that marks believers as distinct from the world.”

God’s will for us is not hidden from our eyes, as we have seen in His word, He wants us to be people who love Him, with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to love others as we do ourselves. Paul said it like this – “Don’t just pretend to love others, really love them”, (Romans 12:9). And as we saw in John 13:34, He wants us to love as He has loved us. In Jen’s application of the attribute of love, she encourages her readers, “When faced with a decision, ask yourself: Which choice enables me to grow in agape for God and others? And then choose according to His will.”

My Response to God’s Word

Father, Thank you for your agape, a love like no other – a love that moved You to act on our behalf, to send your only Son to a world clothed in sin and worthy of death, not the abundant life You have given all who believe. Your love is selfless, purposeful, with an outgoing attitude that desires to do good to us even though we do not deserve it. How utterly great is Your love and character! Help me to love like You Father. To love as Jesus loved us, to act in love according to the love You have shown me. Father let my life be characterized by Your holiness and love – a reflection that will bring You glory, honor, and praise. Help me to turn from my selfish ways, to take up my cross daily and follow You – no matter the costs. – In Jesus’ name – Amen!

NOTE: Borrowing from the format of “In His Image”, at the end of each chapter you will find verses, questions, and a prayer prompt to help you remember and apply what you have read. Consider keeping a journal in which you copy or paraphrase each of the verses for meditation, noting what each adds to your understanding of the attribute covered in the chapter. Then journal your answers to the questions, as well as a prayer of response.

Verses for Meditation

Zephaniah 3:17

John 15:13

Romans 5:8

Questions for Reflection

1. Why do you think the idea that “God is love” is so popular with the world? How doour human notions of what love is pollute the way we think about this phrase, even as believers?

2. Think of the most loving person you have ever known. How did he or she demonstrate love? Which of the four types of love (eros, philia, storge, or agape) was most evident?

3. What person (or kind of person) are you most likely to categorize as “unlovable”? What is it about that person’s personality type or behavior that makes him or her unlovable in terms of earthly love? What would it cost you to love that person as you have been loved?

4. How should a desire to grow in agape impact our relationship with God positively? How should it impact our relationships with others positively? Give a specific example of each.

Pray

Write a prayer to God asking him to show you where your love for him has been conditional. Ask him to show you who you have wrongly viewed as “unlovable.” Ask him to give you clear opportunities to demonstrate costly love for others. Thank him that his love for you is irrevocable and unconditional.

Check out the book “In His Image”

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, In His Image, Journey Through The Word, The Attributes of God

Be Holy As He Is Holy

Posted on by

W1D1 of the study: “Who Should I Be?”, by Mefromthenisdeout

Today’s Focus Scripture: Leviticus 19:2

“Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, ‘You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Leviticus 19:2

In her book, “In His Image”, Jen Wilkin begins by making the point that we learn through repetition. She says, “by paying attention to what the Bible repeats, we gain an understanding of what it most wants us to learn and remember.” I can attest to the validity of this statement as I am a huge proponent of memorizing Scripture, which I have learned comes easiest if I – (a) write it down, (b) read it, and (c) repeat (say) it often. Jen, goes on to say, “We repeat what we want others to remember, and we learn what we hear repeated.” So it stands to reason that if we want to learn God’s will for our lives, or, better yet, “who He wants us to be” – we must ask the question, “Who should I be?” Then we must search the Scriptures repeatedly to find, not only the answer but the examples we are to repetitiously follow.

I love the wisdom Jen shares concerning the knowledge we gain from exploring the attributes of God in the Scripture. She recommends this second question, “How should the knowledge that God is _____________ change the way I live?”

As I mentioned in the previous post, there are many of God’s attributes that we cannot attain to, such as being infinite, self-existent, or eternal. These are traits that can only be true of God, and as Jen points out “when we strive to become like Him in any of these ways, we set ourselves up as His rival.” There are, however, a list of ten traits that we should strive toward, and they will be our focus of this study. These traits aren’t just good goals to have in life, they are the desire of God for our lives and a necessity to living the abundant life Jesus came to give us.

 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

John 10:10
Holy, Holy, Holy

At the very top of the list is God’s holiness, which is defined in Jen’s book as “the sum of all moral excellency”, having no “moral blemish or defilement”; and “carries the ideas of being set apart, sacred, separate, of possessing utter purity of character.” No other attribute is repeated more in connection to the name of God than holiness, and it is, as Exodus 15:11 points out, what sets Him apart form all other gods. As Isaiah and countless other believers have experienced, including myself – God’s holiness is also the very thing that makes us realize just how unholy and desperate we are for Him. Read Isaiah’s response after he saw, in a vision, seraphs standing over him, covering their faces and calling to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!”  He goes on to describe how powerful the vision was – to the point that the door frames shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

However, it’s Isaiah’s ultimate response that will help us understand the powerful effect of what even a glimpse of God’s true holiness can do to us. Following the first part of the vision Isaiah confesses how his own unholiness had been exposed by God’s holiness. It made him realize the very depth of his sin and the understanding that he, like us, deserved to die. Except for His grace and mercy we would have died but instead God made a way for His people to be holy just as He is Holy. Perhaps the greatest beauty is seen in the outcome of his vision following the confession of his sin. He describes it like this – “then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.”

“Woe to me! I am destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the king, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

Isaiah 6:5

God’s will is not hidden from our eyes, it is made evident throughout His Word, which makes clear that we are to be Holy, and the extent to which He went to make our holiness possible. Jen writes it this way, “Holiness permeates the entire Christian calling. It lies at the very center of the gospel. We are not merely saved from depravity; we are saved to holiness. Conversion entails consecration” [to be made holy].”

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.

For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

1 Corinthians 1:30 and Hebrews 10:10 NLT
My Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for Your Word and holiness that both exposes our sin and gives us hope of your redemption and cleansing power. Thank You for not just calling us to holiness but equipping us to that end. May we never lose sight of the depth of our sin so that we never lose sight of the depth of your mercy, love, and grace.

NOTE: Borrowing from the format of “In His Image”, at the end of each chapter you will find verses, questions, and a prayer prompt to help you remember and apply what you have read. Consider keeping a journal in which you copy or paraphrase each of the verses for meditation, noting what each adds to your understanding of the attribute covered in the chapter. Then journal your answers to the questions, as well as a prayer of response.

Verses for Meditation
Questions for Reflection

1. How have you regarded God’s will for your life primarily as “What to do” versus “Who to be”? Think of a current key decision you are facing. Are your prayer requests limited to specific outcomes? Do your prayers exclude a simple request to be sanctified (made holy)? How might you change your prayers about that key decision?

2. Describe a time in your life when you experienced an acute awareness of sin. What was the cause of your awareness? What was the result?

3. Think of the holiest person you have ever known. What was his or her motive for right behavior?

4. How should a desire to grow in holiness impact our relationship with God positively? How should it impact our relationships with others positively? Give a specific example of each.

Pray

Write a prayer to God asking him to show you your sin in contrast to his holiness. Ask him to build in you a hatred for all things unholy, so that you can better reflect his true nature. Thank him that you have been made positionally holy in

*all quotes are by Jen Wilkin as found in the book, “In His Image“

You’re going to want this book for yourself. Visit the link to sample and/or buy

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, In His Image, Quiet Time, The Attributes of God

Knowing God’s Character

Posted on by

As I was praying about and looking for something to keep us in the Word between studies – The next one begins March 6 – I found a “Loved Bible Project” update in my inbox which included the attributes of God. The problem was there were thirty-one attributes on the list and I only had fourteen days to work with – but I came up with a plan and began to put it into motion trusting God had led me in this direction. As I began studying the various attributes on the list I found a nugget of gold in a book by Jen Wilkin, called “In His Image”. The book is described as “an invitation to become like the God we worship, to see His characteristics become true of us -” Exactly what I was looking for and I knew God was leading. Within five minutes the book was loaded on my Kindle and I was devouring every word.

A. W. Tozer famously said that “what we think about God is the most important and most formative thing about us.” However, C. S. Lewis begged to differ, making this statement, “How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important. Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except in so far as it is related to how He thinks of us.” These are two distinct perspectives for sure, yet, as I read and reread the content, it appeared to me that they merge into one important truth, that being, what we know about and thus think about God does indeed form our choice of living a life for self or for Him. Likewise, it is in knowing how God thinks of us that will play the biggest part in how and what we think of Him. Knowing that we will one day “stand before Him and be inspected,” as Lewis wrote, will greatly “impact all the formative years of our lives”, as well as how our lives will impact all those we come in contact with.

what we know about and thus think about God does indeed form our choice of living a life for self or for Him. Likewise, it is in knowing how God thinks of us that will play the biggest part in how and what we think of Him.

MEfromtheinsideout

I think we would all agree that someone who is unkind or a liar or unfaithful will have a vastly different impact than one who is kind and marked by truth and faithfulness. When we know who God is, the God of grace, the One who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son to die in our place – we not only realize the utter importance of what He thinks of us but we cannot help but be moved to stand in awe of Him, thinking highly and reverently of Him and undoubtedly wanting to please Him in every way. If our thoughts and attitudes are not so moved, then I would venture to say – we have not truly understood, believed, or appreciated who God is, who we are, and what He thinks of us.

When our lives are shaped by knowing what God thinks of us and thus wanting to please Him we will no doubt find ourselves, as Jen points out, wanting to know God’s will for our life. This is a good thing – but the premise of her book and the purpose of me pursing this study isn’t to ask, “What should I do?” While this is the question that typically accompanies the desire to know His will, the better question, Jen points out, is “Who should I be?” As we will see moving forward through each of the attributes, the right and true answer to this necessary question is found only in knowing – really knowing – who God is, what He thinks of you, and what He desires from and for You.

With this is mind I hope and pray you will join me in this study and to know and understand these ten attributes of God. You might be wondering why just ten and not the original thirty-one I mentioned. The answer is this, there are certain attributes that only belong to God, such as His omniscience (all-knowing power), omnipotence (all-powerful), and omnipresent (always-present) attributes. The attributes we will look at are “those that describe the abundant life Jesus came to give us.” Jen explains that these are called “God’s communicable attributes, those of his traits that can become true of us, as well. God is holy, loving just, good, merciful, gracious, faithful, truthful, patient, and wise. When we talk about being ‘conformed to the image of Christ,’ this is the list we are describing.” There is much to be gained in the study of all of God’s attributes but I believe these ten attributes will teach us what it means to truly reflect God. Which according to Scripture is exactly what we were meant to do, Genesis 1:26, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 1:28, and more.

The image of God (Latin, imago dei) refers to the immaterial part of humanity. It sets human beings apart from the animal world, fits them for the dominion God intended them to have over the earth (Genesis 1:28), and enables them to commune with their Maker. It is a likeness mentally, morally, and socially.

For the full explanation visit https://www.gotquestions.org/image-of-God.html

So, who is it you should be? Want to find out? Then grab your Bible, a pen and paper, and join me tomorrow as we begin this ten-day journey to uncover not just who He is – but His will for your life and who He wants you to be.