Loved

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Loved and Pleased.

Dec. 8th 2020

“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.””

Matthew 3:16-17 NIV

It feels good to be loved. One thing I really appreciate is being with my family. Part of the reason is because I love them and I can feel their love for me. It’s wonderful to be in such a relationship. As a part of this relationship I think its important to express our love for one another. Here in Matthew God verbally expresses His love for Jesus. God goes even a step beyond. Here God not only shows His love but also the fact that Jesus pleases Him. God was pleased by the fact that Jesus had chosen to live a life of obedience. Jesus was also going to be the perfect lamb, a sacrifice that would be sufficient to take away the sins of the world. This was the Son of God.

It is with the very same love that God has for Jesus that He loves us.

“To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 1:7 NIV

God loves us just as He loved His Son. Unfortunately, we are not perfect as His Son. Yet we are. Yes, God is well pleased with us, just as He was with His Son. Jesus was the perfect lamb of God. When God looked upon Jesus He saw perfect submission and obedience. And when God looks at us what does He see?

“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”

Romans 5:17 NIV

When God sees us He sees His Son. And in His Son we have righteousness. Yes, God sees us in the perfection of His Son and thus calls us His beloved in who He is well pleased. Now lets be honest as humans we are not perfect. Yet, in Christ we are. As humans we are not submissive to God’s will. Yet in Christ we are. In life we do not always please God. Yet, we are to be more like His Son each day. Someday soon this old tent will be no more and we will be like our Savior. Our position today is one of living in two worlds. We stand with one foot on this earth and the other in eternity. As long as we are here let us live a life worthy of children of the King. Let us long to be more like Jesus, let our minds be transformed. Let our thoughts be on things above and let our feet be about the work of our Master.