Archive for the ‘Trinitarian Love’ Tag
“Grace That Goes First!”
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“We love because He first loved us.” —1 John 4:19 (CSB)
Before you ever moved toward God, He moved toward you. Before you repented, before you prayed, before you even believed, He had already set His love upon you. THAT’S GRACE!
“God does not wait for man to turn to Him; He goes to meet him.”—Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/2, p. 752
In Christ, the Father and the Spirit ran to embrace humanity: fallenness, rebellion, shame and all. Jesus didn’t wait for us to get it together. He stepped into our mess. The Spirit didn’t demand we earn His presence. He was poured out freely. The Father didn’t withhold His love until we deserved it. He gave us His Son while we were still enemies. “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8 (CSB)
This is grace: God didn’t wait for you to change. In Jesus and by the Holy Spirit, He came to change you by love.
“God does not wait for us to believe or behave before including us in His grace. In Jesus, He already has.”—Gary Deddo, Clarifying Our Theological Vision, GCI.org
God is not keeping His distance, waiting for you to fix yourself. He has already come near, already included you, already begun the work of making you whole in Jesus Christ. The cross isn’t a symbol of what we must do for God; it’s the declaration of what He has already done for us and with us.
The love of the Trinity is not reluctant, it is relentless.
The Father ran to meet us.
The Son gave His life for us.
The Spirit came to dwell within us.
Three Persons, one God, moving together in love to bring us home. “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” —Ephesians 2:18 (CSB)
So now the question becomes:
Who do you need to pursue today, not because they’ve earned it, but because God pursued you? Maybe someone has hurt you. Maybe they’ve drifted. Maybe you’ve distanced yourself, waiting for them to make the first move. But what if grace calls you to go first, not in your own strength, but with the strength of Christ and by the Spirit who lives in you.
Let your life reflect the rhythm of the Triune God: ✨ A love that doesn’t wait. ✨ A grace that goes first.
Prayer
Lord,
You loved me before I ever reached for You.
You came near when I was far, and gave Yourself without waiting for change.
Thank You for pursuing me with grace.
Now help me do the same.
Where I’m tempted to hold back, let me move forward in love.
Where I want to wait, give me courage to go first.
Let my life reflect the mercy You’ve shown me.
Make me a witness of Your grace in motion.
Amen.
The Risen King’s Commission (Being Co-lovers with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!)
Filed under: Bible, By Richard Andrews, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Father Loves and Like You Celebration, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Disciple-making, disciples, Discipleship, Discipleship Defined, Evangelism, Faith, Forgiveness, Go And Make Disciples, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God Is Love, God the Trinity, God's Creativity, God's Deliverance, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's Healing, God's Hope, God's love, God's Love Is Concrete, God's Perfect Love, God's Salvation, God's Spontaneity, God's Unconditional Love, God-Father-Son-and-Spirit Wants to Be Known, Grace, Hope, Hope and Love, Jesus Is God's Love Revealed, Jesus Is God's Salvation, Jesus' Command, Jesus' Disciples, Love, Love's Purity, Loving God, Loving Our Neighbor, Make Disciples, Make Disciples Who Can Make Disciples, Making Disciples Who Make Disciples, Multiplying Disciples, New Believers, Participation with Jesus, Pastor Richard Andrews, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Pointing Others To Jesus, Pure Love, Reconciliation, repentance, Respecting Each Unique Person, Self-giving, Selflessness, Sent Out By Jesus, Sent Out By The Father, Sent Out by The Holy Spirit, Sharing God's Love With Others, Teaching New Believers, The Father-Son-and-Spirit-God, The Gospel Preached, The Gospel Proclaimed, The Gospel Taught, Trinitarian Love
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Audio – Part 1a: 27 min
Audio – Part 1b: 27 min
Audio – Full Message:
Bible Verses: Matthew 28:16-20
We are to go to the nations with the authority of the risen King, for Jesus alone has the power to save. In Him also is the power for our mission as we go. We are to make disciples through the proclamation of the risen King. We are to teach the believers of our proclamation to obey all that the Father commanded us, through Jesus and in the Holy Spirit, knowing that Jesus will finish the good work He began and that He will never forsake us.
Theological Theme:
The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
Christ Connection:
Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He commissioned His disciples to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. Under the authority of Jesus, we make disciples by baptizing people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and by teaching them everything Christ commanded us. As we go, we trust in the presence of Christ, who promises to be with us on mission.
“The church is sent on mission by Jesus. It’s not that the church has a mission, but rather that the mission has a church. We join Jesus on His mission.” – Ed Stetzer
Missional Application:
The Father-Son-and-Spirit God calls us to make disciples of all nations by declaring the truth of the gospel with our words and demonstrating the reality of His love with our actions.
“God hath work to do in this world; and to desert it because of its difficulties and entanglements, is to cast off his authority. It is not enough that we be just, that we be righteous, and walk with God in holiness; but we must also serve our generation, as David did before he fell asleep. God hath a work to do; and not to help him is to oppose Him.” – John Owen (1616-1683)
Photo Compliments: newlifebaltimore.org