Silas
Beloved of All
Your testimony is a beautiful picture of the love of God breaking through in a lonely and painful place. When you felt unwanted and unloved and even despised for existing, God saw you and drew you with the very word that stood out to you, love. That is who He is and what He has shown us in Jesus.
John 3:16 is true for you personally. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and that giving love was shown when Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross for you. That is the supreme demonstration of love, that a man would lay down His life for His friends. Scripture says we had not seen Him, yet we love Him, because He first loved us and sent His Son to be the Savior of the world and the offering for our sins. What you sensed as a boy is the heart of the gospel. The Father Himself loves you because you have loved Jesus and believed that He came from God. You now have direct access to the Father through Jesus, and you can come to Him at any time in Jesus name.
What a precious moment when you asked if He would take you as His son and be your Father. The answer is yes, and Scripture puts it this way, behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. You are not just forgiven, you are adopted. He has become your Abba, Father. Jesus came to reveal the Father, and He said that if you have seen Him you have seen the Father. All the love Jesus showed, healing the broken and mending lives, is the work of the Father. And Jesus said that if a person loves Him, he will keep His words, and the Father will love him and they will make their home with him. That is His promise to you that He will never leave you nor forsake you, even through the ups and downs you described.
That love God has placed in you is meant to grow and be perfected. Jesus said, as the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you, continue in My love. The way that love is proved and abides is by keeping His commandments and living in obedience to Him, not to earn His love but because we love Him. Love is always proved by obedience to the desire of the one we love, and Jesus Himself showed this when He obeyed the Father even to the cross so the world would know that He loves the Father. The fruit God seeks from His people is this kind of love, both in words and in deeds, a giving love that is far above mere physical or emotional affection. It is the fruit of His Spirit in us. When we love one another with that pure and fervent love, God dwells in us and His love is made complete in us. The world may not understand or love you for walking this way, but do not love the world or the things in it. Keep your heart set on the Father.
Thank you for ending with an invitation for others to receive Him. God has given every person the capacity of choice and He will not force that choice, because meaningful love must be chosen. He has shown His love so clearly so that we would respond by loving Him in return. May the Lord continue to fill you with His Holy Spirit and perfect His love in you, that you would abide in His love, walk in His truth, keep His words, and show His love to others by what you say and do. He who has begun this good work in you will be faithful to keep you in His love.
John 3:16 is true for you personally. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and that giving love was shown when Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross for you. That is the supreme demonstration of love, that a man would lay down His life for His friends. Scripture says we had not seen Him, yet we love Him, because He first loved us and sent His Son to be the Savior of the world and the offering for our sins. What you sensed as a boy is the heart of the gospel. The Father Himself loves you because you have loved Jesus and believed that He came from God. You now have direct access to the Father through Jesus, and you can come to Him at any time in Jesus name.
What a precious moment when you asked if He would take you as His son and be your Father. The answer is yes, and Scripture puts it this way, behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. You are not just forgiven, you are adopted. He has become your Abba, Father. Jesus came to reveal the Father, and He said that if you have seen Him you have seen the Father. All the love Jesus showed, healing the broken and mending lives, is the work of the Father. And Jesus said that if a person loves Him, he will keep His words, and the Father will love him and they will make their home with him. That is His promise to you that He will never leave you nor forsake you, even through the ups and downs you described.
That love God has placed in you is meant to grow and be perfected. Jesus said, as the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you, continue in My love. The way that love is proved and abides is by keeping His commandments and living in obedience to Him, not to earn His love but because we love Him. Love is always proved by obedience to the desire of the one we love, and Jesus Himself showed this when He obeyed the Father even to the cross so the world would know that He loves the Father. The fruit God seeks from His people is this kind of love, both in words and in deeds, a giving love that is far above mere physical or emotional affection. It is the fruit of His Spirit in us. When we love one another with that pure and fervent love, God dwells in us and His love is made complete in us. The world may not understand or love you for walking this way, but do not love the world or the things in it. Keep your heart set on the Father.
Thank you for ending with an invitation for others to receive Him. God has given every person the capacity of choice and He will not force that choice, because meaningful love must be chosen. He has shown His love so clearly so that we would respond by loving Him in return. May the Lord continue to fill you with His Holy Spirit and perfect His love in you, that you would abide in His love, walk in His truth, keep His words, and show His love to others by what you say and do. He who has begun this good work in you will be faithful to keep you in His love.
