'Rightly Dividing the Word'
God's Divine Love
Isa 53:3-4 He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
Initially, Christian's understanding of the love of God was the message of the cross of how God showed His love by coming in the form of a man. Jesus suffered having dwelt amongst the Jewish leadership who were hypocrites.
He was despised for His good works and miracles to heal, help and feed them. He was delivered to the Gentiles to be afflicted and crucified. Yet, during His anguish facing death, He forgave and poured out His heart and life to save His enemies from damnation.
The Truth of His Great Love
Rom 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As a Christian matures, having personally witnessed God's helps, deliverance, forgiveness and presence, he comes to realize and believe His great love for him. For He was always there to protect and comfort him from fears, worries, demonic attacks and temptations for nothing can separate God's love for Christians.
Note: - unfortunately many so-called Christians abuse His perfect love by continuing in the sins and wickedness of the old man.
Beware: since God has given man his free will to choose, he can choose to reject God's love by rejecting or disobeying His words.
John 14:24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
The Holy Place
In the Holy Place, godly Christians (saints) minister to God. This Holy Place is filled with the Spirit of God where love, truth and life abound. A place where the saint (as His son) having been empowered by the Holy Spirit, willingly submits himself completely in worship and reverence of the Father and faithfully serve Him by joyfully keeping His words and commandments.
God Loved Us First
I John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Having understood His perfect love for him, the saint will joyfully obey His commandments for he wants to please Him, who had loved and died for him.
Note: those who rejects or fears His commandments has neither known nor experienced God's love.
Paul Rejoiced in Sufferings
2 Cor 6:4-5 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;
Paul encouraged every Christian to imitate him as he had imitated our Lord Jesus since he had entered into the Holy Place and had understood the truth, power and life in the love of Jesus. As His servant and having been empowered by the Holy Spirit, he faithfully obeyed the commission to make disciples of all nation.
He suffered much in his ministry reaching out to the unsaved and to disciple them. Just like Jesus, he was persecuted, beaten, imprisoned and chastised but in all these, he rejoiced, knowing that God was pleased with his love for Him and for men.
Paul rewarded a Kingship
Col 1:24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
Paul rejoiced in sufferings for he knew that from his sufferings men could see the love of Christ in His sufferings. Paul will be one of the kings serving the King of kings in eternity.
2 Tim 4:8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
