He is more than a distant God who loves from afar , He is up close and personal . We can experience deep intimacy with God .
GOD ' S ENDURING LOVE
By Pastor Iliafi Esera , General Superintendent A / G NZ Senior Pastor , Faith City Church , Whanganui , NZ
He is more than a distant God who loves from afar , He is up close and personal . We can experience deep intimacy with God .
Love is sought by all mankind . From love flows significance , meaning and purpose . We find love in the affections of another person . For all of time , and in every culture , loving and being loved , has been a major theme of music , of the arts and many other creative expressions . Many things , like the Taj Mahal in India were dedicated to love , or at least , the lofty idea of it . Love evokes powerful emotions that can build people ’ s lives , or if things go badly , can be profoundly hurtful . In romantic fantasy love is powerful , it is eternal .
Pop star , Kylie Minogue , commented “ I ’ m sure that love exists , even infinite , eternal love ”. She is of course right , but the great enduring love she seeks is not of human origin . The Psalmist declares ; “… Give thanks to the LORD , for he is good ; his love endures forever ” ( Ps 106:1 NIV ). Jesus also messed up many a romantic notion , when he taught that in heaven there is no marriage , “ neither male nor female ”. Despite this , human love is powerful , as we hear again and again in the marriage ceremony ; “ No other human ties are more tender , no other vows more sacred ” than those we enter into in marriage .
Within the heart of every human being is a longing for a love that is eternal . We are made like God and our lives are only fully settled by the kind of love that only
an eternal God can give . The Psalmists proclaimed :
“ I will sing of the LORD ’ s unfailing love forever ! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness . Your unfailing love will last forever . Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens ” ( Ps 89:1-2 NLT ).
“ But each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me , and through each night I sing his songs , praying to God who gives me life ” ( Ps 42:8 NLT ).
He is more than a distant God who loves from afar , he is up close and personal . We can experience deep intimacy with God , “… the kisses of His mouth ”, the warmth of His closeness and the comfort of his presence . Yet , as remarkable , are God ' s loving actions toward us each day in the faithful extension of enduring mercy and grace . In this embrace of love , the heart and soul are healed and we are assured we belong to Him , our Saviour and our Redeemer .
Our faith of course , will always be tested , sometimes severely . We have examples of faithful OT heroes like Daniel , Shadrach , Meshach and Abednego . We have examples of faithful NT Apostles like Paul , Peter , James and John . In the church ’ s historical records , we have great men like Polycarp of
Smyrna , John Huss , William Tyndale and many others who loved God but died with their faith intact . How did they keep their testimony and not recant their faith ? The answer is ; they looked to the One who gave them faith , they looked to the One who gave them hope , to the One who loved them till the end . They kept looking to the enduring love of Jesus who was the author and finisher of their faith . In the words of Saint Ignatius ; “ May the perfect grace and eternal love of Christ our Lord be our never-failing protection and help ”
Over the years , it is with sadness I have observed seasons where the Church does not abide in the richness of God ’ s love . I always remember the rebuke of Jesus to the Church in Ephesus , " But I have this complaint against you . You don ’ t love me or each other as you did at first !” ( Rev . 2:4 NLT ). Amidst the busyness of church life and the multiple programs we engage in , we can fall into the trap of losing from our hearts , the sweet upwelling of God ’ s love that has
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