From: The Gift of Unchanging Presence
Graham’s Christmas message 2018
Question:
...If there is nothing we can do to make God love us more or love us less, is this a statement which applies to those who are believers and are In Christ or does this apply to all mankind?
...I am cultivating growing in love and compassion, trying to see those around me as God sees them, to speak to them as God would speak. I struggle with this in context of those who act in evil ways towards innocent people, those who murder, torture, enslave innocent children who are trafficked. It is difficult to see those people with love and I can not help but wonder how God sees them....
Graham:
God is Love. That love is Unconditional. It cannot be earned. It is a gift. Unparalleled in its Beauty. Uncomplicated in its passion. It is a state of the heart. A lifestyle of being so wonderfully loved that we become love.
John 3:16 God so loved the world that..........!! No categories. Unequivocal; like Luke 6:35-36
Saul was a murderous man who for all of his learning and theological training actually believed that by killing and imprisoning people for believing in Jesus that he was serving God......until God met Him in love and changed Him by love.
We don't get to categorize on who we love, or apportion how we love. Matt 5:43-48
We love others as we ourselves have been loved by God. Jn 13:34-35; 15:9-10; Mark 12:28-34
When our hearts have been overwhelmed by God's love, we have the opportunity in life to be made in His Image. Genesis 1:26.
He works in us according to Ephesians 2:10 and Philippians 2:13. Sometimes loving is not easy. It demands that we lose our offense, prejudice, or distaste; to go beyond worldly or religious limits and discover the real nature of the Kingdom within. I hope that helps..