Powerful Love (Part 1)

     One thing that I have been pondering recently is the meaning of the Greek word for "love" in the New Testament.  The love that God has shown us through sending His only Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin is not the love that is known on this earth.  This love does not come from attraction to the the object, for there is not one thing within ourselves that would make us lovable to God.  But this love that God showed us is only explainable by the very nature of God Himself.

     Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is Love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  1 John 4:7-10  ESV

     I haven't made it entirely through the book of Isaiah but I read and meditate on portions that I come across during my Bible reading.  I love pondering the Scripture in Isaiah 59, and reading through it today I decided to keep reading on through chapters 60, 61, and eventually all the way through chapter 66 (the end of the book).  These are very rich passages that are full of prophesies concerning the Redeemer to be sent some 700 years later.  It also include prophesies of the new heaven and new earth still to come.

     Especially because tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday I thought it would be neat to share with you a few of the truths that I've found in these Scriptures concerning God's love, His redemptive plan, and His second return.  But don't just read my comments on them - search through these Scriptures for yourself!  Even if you've read them previously read them again.  I guarantee you will be blessed in doing so (Isaiah 55:10-11).

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     A God all-knowing and all-powerful.  Jehovah-LORD, meaning the self-existing One.  A glorious, perfect God.  One who was full of majesty, power, love, goodness, and grace.

     For His own good pleasure and glory He spoke into the darkness and created light.  He created an amazing world perfect to the very detail.  He created fish in the sea, birds in the air, livestock, and creeping things.  He continually supplies the entire world's power and if He were to withdraw His hand for a single second it would all fall into nothing.  (I saw a verse that had to do with the last sentence but I can't remember where it was right off hand.  I'll have to see if I can find it.)

     Creating man, God set him above all other creation.  In God's own image He created us!  He created male and female that He might have an intimate relationship with Him.  He delighted in His creation and He desired for them to delight in Him.  How amazing Adam and Eve's communion in the garden with God must have been!

     Of course if you've read the first few chapters in Genesis you know how sin and death entered the world.  It was through eating the forbidden fruit that man found separation from God.  Separation that is eternal.

Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
    or His ear dull, that it cannot hear;
but your iniquities have made a separation
    between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden His face from you
    so that He does not hear.
For your hands are defiled with blood
    and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies;
    your tongue mutters wickedness.  Isaiah 59:1-3  ESV

     God's perfect creation which was created for His own glory is now messed up and broken.  We no longer serve the King of kings but the Prince of Darkness.  We are eternally stuck within our own doings.  Unable to turn from selfishness we are not able to once again serve God correctly.  Our final destiny is  to meet the wrath of God.

Their feet run to evil,
    and they are swift to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
    desolation and destruction are in their highways.
The way of peace they do not know,
    and there is no justice in their paths;
they have made their roads crooked;
    no one who treads on them knows peace.  Isaiah 59:7-8  ESV

     We are left in our own pit of brokenness.  We find ourselves with unmet desires, continually searching for the truth.  But is it to be found?

Therefore justice is far from us,
    and righteousness does not overtake us;
we hope for light, and behold, darkness,
    and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. 

For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
    and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
    and we know our iniquities:
transgressing, and denying the LORD,
    and turning back from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
    conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.  Isaiah 59:9, 12-13 ESV

We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls upon Your name,
    who rouses himself to take hold of You;
for You have hidden Your face from us,
    and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.
But now, O LORD, You are our Father;
    we are the clay, and You are our Potter;
    we are all the work of Your hand.
Be not so terribly angry, O LORD,
    and remember not iniquity forever.
    Behold, please look, we are all Your people.   Isaiah 64:6-9  ESV

      God is One of forgiveness and grace but He is also One of justice.  We deserve eternal separation from God, eternal punishment, the eternal wrath of God.  There is not one human being on this earth who is perfect - no one to intercede on our behalf.

Justice is turned back,
    and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
    and uprightness cannot enter.
Truth is lacking,
    and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. 

The LORD saw it, and it displeased Him
    that there was no justice.
He saw that there was no man,
    and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then His own arm brought Him salvation,
    and His righteousness upheld Him.
He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
    and a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
    and wrapped Himself in zeal as a cloak.
According to their deeds, so will He repay,
    wrath to His adversaries, repayment to His enemies;
    to the coastlands He will render repayment.
So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west,
    and His glory from the rising of the sun;
for He will come like a rushing stream,
    which the wind of the LORD drives. 

“And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
    to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.   Isaiah 59:14-20  ESV

     A Redeemer will come!  Did you read that?  Read it again.

     Why would God the Son intercede for His people?  Why would He love us when we disobeyed Him and even now struggle with the sins of the flesh?  He is going to put an end to this world some day and create a new heaven and a new earth - why not put an end to all of us too?  Couldn't He just create new, different creatures?  Why would He want to make us new?  Why would He want to save us in our filth and brokenness?  Why would He want to intercede for us?  Why would He want to pay the price for us?  Why does He love us?

     Why indeed.

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     This post is getting very long so I've made a second part to this post.  View the next post here.