God calls us to manage, to steward well, 3 types of relationships - all of which He has graciously and generously given us - life from Him. Relationship with Him. The gift of others. The blessings He provides for and gives to us. And as He has been generous with us in His giving - which IS His very nature, we, who have been, - we too have been made and created to give - just like our heavenly Father, as dearly loved children.
1. Made in His image and likeness. To express and represent His invisible qualities - to all of creation.
2. By faith, He has saved us, adopted us, and is actively creating us - in Christ Jesus and that is purposely conforming us into the likeness of His Son. (Php 2; Ro 8).
3. By making, creating, and conforming us into the likeness of His Son - God has made us new and is equipping us to act like Him and His Son: givers of the same things He gave - life and love.
So, in Christ, our natural inclination is to give - we are to give as He gives. We are to be generous with those things most precious to us - our time - which is our lives, our blessings - that is our stuff, and we add to that, now, our honor - giving respect, dignity, and service.
God giving us His best, also gives us the best way to love, to love Him, ourselves, and love others (…as we learn to rightly, humbly, love ourselves in light of God having made just as wisely and lovingly intended - receiving our making and being grateful and appreciative to God for that unique and distinct making - please see: Rom 12:3-7; 1Cor 7:7; 12:4,6-7,11-14; Eph 4:7; Heb 2:4; Jo 3:27; 1Cor 4:7; James 1:17
God giving us His best, also gives us the best way to love, to love Him, ourselves, and love others
God graciously gives - Himself - mercifully restraining His glory and holiness, He reveals Himself to sinful man…
Exodus 19 God introduces Himself to Israel in power, majesty, and holiness
19:3-6 They saw what I did to Egypt… and, their gods, and that on their behalf to show MY glory
19:9 Now they hear and see me, that I AM God, the LORD God almighty!
19:16-20…and let them see Me, in my awesome, or awful, power, that I AM (is) here, and I AM for them as my chosen people - God’s mercy expresses kindness to protect us from Himself - He loves His children.
Imagine seeing the spectacle of God descending, condescending, to reveal Himself - mightily, yet mercifully, to mankind - those He has chosen - us.
Now, as the I AM has introduced Himself to us and loved us, He teaches us how to love - “as I have loved you, you love me back, honor and obey me, and let the evidence of your love for me be your loving and trusting obedience to me and your love for one another…”
Jesus’ merciful loving clarifies for us God’s good intentions for His commands…
John 14:15, 21-24; 15:10; 1Jo 2:3; 5:3; 2Jo 1:6 “If you love me, only my commandments… whoever has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father… if anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love Him and we will come in and make Our home with them.”
Exodus 20 After He introduces Himself, God then gives Israel His 10 commandments:
What has God done here? He has revealed to us the true nature of God
Ex 20:1-7 God almighty - My power and holiness (otherness) demand honor - you have seen what I did to Egypt and their gods. The sheer force of my person and presence - my passionate love - commands honor- I AM not like their gods, I AM the Lord, your God!
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength… how does this look?
To be loved by God - not to be dominated and used, but, to be loved. Not to be lorded over or to lord over others, but to esteem and honor, which is to be loved and love as you have been loved – brought out of a place where you were dominated, enslaved, and your (only) value was in your ability to produce for man and appease him and any god served – and brought out of slavery into God and His love and the commands that teach us how to live and love.
To love God and honor Him - not have to somehow appease like the pagan gods of Egypt
To rest in that love, His merciful grace: Hebrews 4:9-11 “9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest”
So, the second is like the first… love your neighbor as you love yourself… and it starts with those closest, and, in many ways, toughest.
Ex 20:8-12 To and honor God and self and those closest – Those whom God has given us to show us Himself in a peculiar way – those through whom He has given us life, being grateful, appreciative, loving and honoring them as the gifts from God they are and the responsibility given to them – even if they have struggled fulfilling that assignment.
God’s passionate love for us and its effect command a new way for us to live and love, not only Him and ourselves, but others, our neighbor.
To love yourself and others as you are now being loved and learning to love God and yourself
To provide rest, and grace, for others, too
Ex 20:13-17 The “thou shalt nots”, that leave only the “do unto others” in their places… love as you have been loved, as you would want to be loved…
What has God done here? He has presented the Israelites, and us, with a new way of seeing and knowing God, and from this new way, is born a new way of speaking and acting toward Him, self, and one another.
And now, Jesus shows us the way, truth, and life, how God’s love would have us live & love.
Jesus: the glory of the great I AM, here in the flesh, One who can be touched - the power and presence of God cloaked in the flesh, that we can know and be known, to touch, and be touched… the stark difference between the mountain, that if you touched it you would have to die - to the God, the I AM, who now meets us and touches you that you might live…
Mark 10:13-16 Jesus touched them… He took them in His arms and placed His hands on them (see also: Mt 8:3; 20:34; Lk 5:13; 8:44)
The Great Commandment…
Jesus’ holiness and perfect and present sacrifice demand love
Jesus’ demonstration of mercy, grace, and love command love
Jesus’ loving us as He does, transforming us as it has, commands we love ourselves and others as we have been loved and are being loved
And how do we, the beloved, the children of God, holy and dearly loved, love and honor God and others? How do we love those God has called us, and commanded us to, love?
3 Types of relationships – in which God urges us to use the time we have been graced to live by to build-up for ourselves treasures in heaven – and this takes faith! trusting Him to be everything He says He is… The three types of relationships God cares about (in reverse order)
1. Our relationship with our stuff – being grateful for all you have as there is nothing you have that you have not received (1Co ) being generous as God, your Father is generous being an “…imitator of Him, as a dearly loved child” Eph 5:1
Luke 16:9 “…use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves…”
be generous with your stuff…
James 2:13-19 “What good is it (to have compassion and yet) do nothing (to meet another’s obvious) need”
1John 3:17 “If anyone with earthly possessions sees a brother in need, but does nothing to meet their need, sins… how can the love of God be in them?”
at last, break your heart free from your stuff
Luke 12:33 “Sell your possessions, give to the poor, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…”
2. Our relationship with people (including self)
Exodus 20:12; Mat 19:19; Mk 7:10 “Honor your mother and Father”
1Tim 5:4.8; Mt 7:11; Prov 11:29 “Take care of your immediate family”
Mark 3 “Jesus looked around who are my mother, brothers, and sisters - who is my family?”
John 13:34; Ro 12:10; 1Pe 1:22; 1Jn 1Pe 2:17; 1Th 3:12; Zech 8:16; Eph 4:15; Isa 58:7; Lk 10:27 - Love one another as I have loved you; love the brotherhood; love one another deeply; be devoted to one another; serve, speak the truth with love; honor one another above yourselves; love your enemy; honor the king; Love your neighbor AS yourself
3. Our relationship with Him
Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with your entire self”
John 15:4-7 “Remain in me”
Rev 3:20 “I stand at the door and knock… let me in that I might sup with you”
Gal 5:25; Eph 5:18 b “walk with and keep in step with the Holy Spirit… under HIS influence”
