New Covenant Life--Faith, Hope and Love - Lesson 23

We talk a lot about doctrine but when we get down to it, this is all about Christ's life in us. Last week we looked at Jesus as the vine and us as the branch. As we abide in the vine we bear the fruit of the vine. Paul tells us in Galatians that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. So what does love look like? Forgiveness. Love takes the initiative in forgiving others. That's what melts the heart of others. In John we hear Jesus' words to "love one another as I have loved you". If we are to forgive as we've been forgiven that's a clear instruction to keep our eyes on Christ... to abide in the vine. We also see that we are to rejoice in the midst of our circumstance. And we can do this because we know that God cares for us. "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." God is bigger than our circumstances. We need to find our footing on this solid promise of God. And this is what Paul prays for all the saints: "... I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:16-19 The Christ life is characterized by love. (Chapter 10, page 109)