There is no other name but Jesus whereby we must be saved. Welcome to my blog: In Him Only. I hope you will be encouraged by what you read.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

How Then Ought We Live?

If God is love –
as Scripture says He is* . . .
And if love,
is patient and kind,
is not pompous,
or holds a grudge,
if it rejoices in truth,
and not in unrighteouness,
as Scripture says it is,**
 
Then God
is patient and kind.
He is not pompous,
nor holds a grudge.
He rejoices in truth,
and not in unrighteousness,
 
And as important,
what can separate us
from God’s love? 
Can suffering? Or depression?
Persecution? Or famine?
Danger? Or war?
Can anything separate us?
Scripture tells us
nothing can separate us
from God’s love. ***
 
Nothing
 
except our persistent,
purposeful and defiant
sin.****
 
How then ought we live
knowing God is love?
What ought be our response,
we who sin
sometimes so grievously,
sometimes so often?
 
Ought we think so lightly*****
of God’s love
to suppose He will not hear our cry
for forgiveness
to suppose He will not hear our cry
for mercy
and not open His arms  
to the truly penitent
every time,
time after time?
 
* 1 John 4:8
** 1 Corinthians 13
*** Romans 8:35
**** Isaiah 59:2
*****Romans 2:4

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not sure if this went through the first time....

So true, Rich. How often do we demand these qualities of ourselves and yet don't think them in our God. If we could only let God be God and not the idol that we sometimes create, our eyes would be opened. Thanks for this.
Andie

Rich Maffeo said...

Ah yes . . . the idol we create, thinking He is like something He really is not. Thanks, Andie. I will remember that line.

Barb Schoeneberger said...

A beautiful consideration for Lent.

Rich Maffeo said...

Thank you. Barb.