I Want To Love Like That!

Now as the apostle Paul moves through his presentation we see that he makes an important thought shift. We have seen that all men can be saved by the imputed righteousness and justification found through Christ. And now we get to see the true power of that fact. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:20-21 You see Paul says that the law came to increase trespass, or sin. The law made sin exceedingly sinful by bringing about more knowledge of our rebellion against God. But here is the good news, no the great news: But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that grace might reign through the righteousness of Christ Jesus!

Wow! What a powerful statement my brethren. Sin increases by the law, meaning we are more aware of it, and more aware of our need to be cleansed, and because of that grace abounds all the more and becomes truly amazing. But how does this work you might say? For that my brothers we need to look to the scriptures yet again. Take this excerpt from Luke.

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Luke 7:36-50

This dear woman was keenly aware of her spiritual filthiness before God Almighty. The law had made her aware of her need, and sin had become utterly sinful. But praise the Lord that it did not end with utter sinfulness, for the grace of God through Christ abounded and increased all the more. Yes God’s amazing grace caused this woman to love like there was no tomorrow. Do you love God like there is no tomorrow? Have you cast your fortune upon him? Have you taken your precious alabaster box and broken it open and poured upon the feet of the Lord your fragrant offering? Before you answer yes ask yourself one more set of questions.

Does my life reflect this amazing grace? Do I always put God first? Do I read my Bible everyday? Do I pray, not for my own self, but for others every single day? Do I praise God even when life is rough? Do I bring my tithes (10% taken from the Hebrew word מַעֲשֵׂר [ma`asrah] in the Old Testament and the Greek word δεκάτας [dekate] in the New Testament in Hebrews 7, which both mean one tenth) into God’s storehouse? Do I bring my offerings, which are over and above the tithe, into God’s storehouse? Do I seek to obey God by remaining sexually pure? And the list of questions could go on and on. If your answers to any of these questions, or the myriads of others that we could ask are no, then there is yet more and more of God’s grace for you to experience.

Who of us can truly answer yes to the question of do I always put God first? None of us can say yes to that, even the godliest of Christians can not truthfully answer yes to that, to include myself. And so the point I am trying to make is this. We first need to come to the place where we realize that apart from Christ we can not be holy, live holy, or act holy at all. Once there, then we progressively become holier in our actions and lifestyle we will learn more and more to love Christ Jesus, even to the point of kissing his feet and washing them with our tears.

Father God,
Through Jesus' sacrifice I humbly approach your throne giving praise and adoration unto you, and to the Lamb that was slain. I come broken admitting to you that I can not live out the holiness that you have called me to, and I beg you to live fully in me that holy living may be displayed in my life. I admit that I have not always put you first. I admit that I have held back from you my money, my possesions, my time, my talents, and many other areas of my life. However I by faith this day break my "alabaster box" and pour out my life as a living sacrifice to you, and ask that you make your holiness present in me. For where your laws have made sin more real in my life, I want grace to abound the more. Lord I repent, help me to live in that repentance and to keep your commandments. I wish to keep your commandments not to earn favor with you, but because I love you! In the matchless, priceless, holy name of Jesus - Amen.