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How Much Does God Love Us?, February 21
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one;
and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved
them, as thou hast loved me.
John 17:23
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It seems almost too good to believe that the Father can and does love
any member of the human family as He loves His Son. But we have the
assurance that He does, and this assurance should bring joy to every heart,
awakening the highest reverence and calling forth unspeakable gratitude.
God’s love is not uncertain and unreal, but a living reality.
The Creator of all worlds proposes to love those who believe in His
only-begotten Son as their personal Saviour, even as He loves His Son.
Even here and now His gracious favor is bestowed upon us to this mar-
velous extent.... Much as He has promised us for the life to come, He also
bestows princely gifts upon us in this life, and as subjects of His grace,
He would have us enjoy everything that will ennoble, expand, and elevate
our characters. It is His design to fit us for the heavenly courts above.
Those who live in close fellowship with Christ will be promoted by
Him to positions of trust. The servant who does the best he can for his
master is admitted to familiar intercourse with one whose commands he
loves to obey. In the faithful discharge of duty we may become one with
Christ, for those who are obeying God’s commands may speak to Him
freely. The one who talks most familiarly with his divine Leader has the
most exalted conception of His greatness and is the most obedient to His
commands.
In the life of man things sacred and secular are to be done, some in
business lines, some in the ministry of the Word, and some in various
trades; but when a man gives himself to Christ and loves God with the
whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, he serves with a devotion that takes
his whole being.... He recognizes the ownership of his powers and the
ownership of himself. This consecration invests his whole life with a
sacredness which makes him gentle, kind, and courteous. His every act is
a consecrated act.... He is under Christ, being trained for the higher grade
above.
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