The following quotes are from the book What do you think of me? Why do I care?
Jesus loved people more than he wanted to be loved by people. Jesus needed to love people more than he needed love from them. For you, this means that true freedom in your relationships comes when the scales are always a little unbalanced: You want the weight to be more on the “love” side than the “be loved” side. (p. 114).
The one who loves more is the one with the power. Does it still hurt to be left out, judged, or ignored? Absolutely. It hurts, but it doesn’t control you. It doesn’t eat away at the core of your being. (pp. 114-115).
Jesus Christ chose a shameful death on the cross so you wouldn’t have to. He came to be the servant who followed the path of sacrificial love. If this is how the King served you, then you can serve others with his power. (pp. 115-116).
There is only one way you could want to love others more than they love you: realizing that you have been loved more than you could ever love in return. (p. 116).
What you really need is to be with something so big that you can think less often about yourself. If you identify yourself as a Christian, you are beginning to understand that. In other words, the problem is that people are too big, you and your desires are even bigger, and God is too small. The problem at its very root is answered in being connected to Jesus. (p. 120).
The best way to live—the way you will be most happy—is to make life more about God and other people than it is about you. (p. 121).
When God says that we should do everything for his glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), he is saying that our lives are intended to make him famous, not ourselves. If you read the first chapter of Ephesians you will read, over and over, that we are intended to live “to the praise of his glory.” This means that you will actually enjoy giving glory to God. You were created to do such things. (p. 122).
Other people are family. If they are human beings they have met the basic qualification, and we are called by God to love them like family. Think of a family time when you had no self-consciousness. Or think about a time with a good friend where you briefly forgot about yourself. What was it like? ...Here is the challenge. It goes back to loving others more than needing them. There is something about love that crowds out our painful self-consciousness. You can’t have one in your heart when the other is there. Consider the needs of others more than you consider your own, and guaranteed, the fear of other people will no longer suffocate you. (p. 131-132).
Make a list of the different people you meet every day. Think about how you can include them as family. What will you actually do? How will you greet them? What will you talk to them about? What kinds of questions will you ask them? And how will you pray? (p. 132)
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:3-4). ... In other words, live as though it's everyone else's birthday (p. 134).
All eyes on Jesus. That is the way of change. Follow him and you learn that the way up is down... Once we learn to walk humbly before the Lord, we find that the skill actually transfers to our relationships with other people. It is the way humans are intended to live. Who am I? Someone who has been given preferential treatment by the King himself. When you know that, it becomes a small thing to put others before yourself... If your hero—your Lord and your God—made himself lower than other people, then it is your honor and privilege to do the same thing. (p. 135).
Who is Jesus? My Lord. I belong to him. He bought me at a great price. Who am I? I owe people. As I have been shown love that I could never repay, I owe love to others. Who are others? Brothers and sisters. (p. 143)
Then, as Jesus gets bigger in your eyes, the opinions of other people simply become the opinions of other people and not the piercing gaze of giants. Your questions change from, “How can I protect myself, fit in, and look good?” to, “How can I wisely love another person?” (p. 145)
Friday, July 26, 2019
How to overcome the fear of man
The following are quotes from the book, What do you think of me? Why do I care?
When you fear something it controls you. To fear God means to be controlled by him. When we want to grow in the fear of the Lord, it begins with God teaching us that he is holy... Holy means that God is not like you or anyone you know. (p. 64)
It is a basic principle: the more you are controlled by God, the less you are controlled by other people. The more you love God, the less you will love the acceptance or recognition of others. The only way you can love him more is to know him. If you really knew him, you would love him. (p. 69).
When you have been brought into the throne room to spend time with the King and have become known to him by name, the negative opinions of others don’t carry as much weight. It’s not that you are indifferent toward others and what they think. It is that their opinions can’t emotionally derail you, turn you hopelessly inward, and keep you from caring about other people. When you hear that someone you really like also really likes you, the nasty things that a few people think are not going to ruin your day. (p. 77).
One important step in avoiding the worship of other people is to grow in knowing God’s holiness. When you know that God is holy, you can no longer be indifferent or distant from him. He breaks into your everyday life, which is the only way you can be liberated from the craving to fit in and stand out. (p. 82).
When you have been to the court of the King and lived to tell about it, the court of human opinion is less frightening. (p. 82).
We may acknowledge that we do wrong things sometimes, but it is tougher to acknowledge that our wrong was very personal and against God. It doesn't feel like it is personal, but it is. Now add to this picture. The One who invites you back is also the King. What you did was treason. (p. 84)
When you say that Jesus is your King, you are saying that your fate rests in his hands. In this case, you acknowledge to the Father that, indeed, you do deserve the same punishment meted out to all treasonous people, but your allegiances are now with Jesus. You trust in him. That’s how something that happened two thousand years ago is relevant to you right now. When you trust him, you stand with him. The punishment that was intended for you was received by him. (p. 87).
When you worship—when your attention is on the One who is bigger than yourself, and his love connects you to himself—the cares of life are not so controlling. True worship puts everything in perspective. It makes some of your fears about people’s opinions seem trivial. (p. 97).
Worship is about choosing sides and publicly stating our allegiances. God has determined that, when he ushers in his kingdom in all its brilliance, our allegiances will be all that matter. (p. 97).
Next: Loving others more than they love you
When you fear something it controls you. To fear God means to be controlled by him. When we want to grow in the fear of the Lord, it begins with God teaching us that he is holy... Holy means that God is not like you or anyone you know. (p. 64)
It is a basic principle: the more you are controlled by God, the less you are controlled by other people. The more you love God, the less you will love the acceptance or recognition of others. The only way you can love him more is to know him. If you really knew him, you would love him. (p. 69).
When you have been brought into the throne room to spend time with the King and have become known to him by name, the negative opinions of others don’t carry as much weight. It’s not that you are indifferent toward others and what they think. It is that their opinions can’t emotionally derail you, turn you hopelessly inward, and keep you from caring about other people. When you hear that someone you really like also really likes you, the nasty things that a few people think are not going to ruin your day. (p. 77).
One important step in avoiding the worship of other people is to grow in knowing God’s holiness. When you know that God is holy, you can no longer be indifferent or distant from him. He breaks into your everyday life, which is the only way you can be liberated from the craving to fit in and stand out. (p. 82).
When you have been to the court of the King and lived to tell about it, the court of human opinion is less frightening. (p. 82).
We may acknowledge that we do wrong things sometimes, but it is tougher to acknowledge that our wrong was very personal and against God. It doesn't feel like it is personal, but it is. Now add to this picture. The One who invites you back is also the King. What you did was treason. (p. 84)
When you say that Jesus is your King, you are saying that your fate rests in his hands. In this case, you acknowledge to the Father that, indeed, you do deserve the same punishment meted out to all treasonous people, but your allegiances are now with Jesus. You trust in him. That’s how something that happened two thousand years ago is relevant to you right now. When you trust him, you stand with him. The punishment that was intended for you was received by him. (p. 87).
When you worship—when your attention is on the One who is bigger than yourself, and his love connects you to himself—the cares of life are not so controlling. True worship puts everything in perspective. It makes some of your fears about people’s opinions seem trivial. (p. 97).
Worship is about choosing sides and publicly stating our allegiances. God has determined that, when he ushers in his kingdom in all its brilliance, our allegiances will be all that matter. (p. 97).
Next: Loving others more than they love you
Why we worry about what others think
The following is a summary of the first two sections of the book What do you think of me? Why do I care? The sections are called "The Problem" and "The Heart of the Matter".
The fear of the opinions of others is problem we all have to some degree and it comes from wanting to be accepted. While there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to be accepted, but it turns into a problem when we let that desire control our lives. When wanting the approval of others becomes something you need in order to live, it controls your life. We become like cups, constantly seeking to be refilled by other cups. Sometimes we build walls out of fear of rejection, but that only hurts us more with feelings of emptiness. Whatever we fear will control us and God never intended for us to live in fear of other people's opinions.
Consider these three questions: Who is God? Who am I? and Who are you (other people)? How we live and react to things in life will reveal how we are really answering them. God's word will show us if we're really answering them right. If we're going to use the bible as our guide, we need to keep in mind that the bible is God's communication to us. When we really believe this, we'll read it more. Then we'll learn all about who God is, who we are, and who others are. We will learn how our creator God intended us to live.
When you're controlled by your desires, doing whatever you want, life becomes about your desires and looking to others to satisfy them. As it says in Jeremiah 17, you're putting your trust in man instead of God. Perhaps you fear others knowing that you're a Christian, that's because you want to feel accepted by those who aren't. Even if, like Peter, you've denied Jesus, He doesn't reject you, He still accepts you. The bible says, "if we are faithless, he remains faithful" 2 Timothy 2:13. As you stick to the bible, you'll see how much need it for direction in life.
Do you trust in God? Sometimes we may trust in God with some things and not with others things. Like ancient Israel, we end up forming mixed allegiances by turning to idols. Whatever trust and depend on in the place of God becomes an idol that we worship. The opinions of others can easily become an idol we turn to, hoping it will give us what we want. To worship anything other than God is false worship. True worship is when you trust in Jesus rather than your reputation, and you follow him in love and obedience, even when it hurts.
In James 4, we learn that underneath our quarrels are our desires. Whenever we live for our desires, we are friends with the world and enemies of God. When you realize that your allegiances are more mixed than you realized, split between the worship of God and the worship of your desires, then seeking God's forgiveness becomes important all the time. When God is relevant all the time, it becomes more natural to be thankful to him.
There is no reason to run away when your divided worship is exposed. Instead, run toward the One who delights in forgiving you. The only way you can change the focus of your worship is to find something even better to focus on. That is your task. For the rest of your life your goal is to be surprised by God to the point that you respond like Moses: you worship (Exodus 34:5-8).
If you ever slip into false worship, God provides a way back to Him, it's like a map. It begins with turning back (repentance), getting to know God (through His word), and becoming like Jesus by loving others as He has loved you. The path you are taking now will guide you to God’s kingdom, a place where you are able to love people more than need love from them. Who is God? He is better than you think. Who are other people? They are people who you can enjoy, serve, and love.... Who are you? You are somebody who is intended to look like Jesus and live for him rather than yourself.
Next: How to overcome the fear of man
The fear of the opinions of others is problem we all have to some degree and it comes from wanting to be accepted. While there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to be accepted, but it turns into a problem when we let that desire control our lives. When wanting the approval of others becomes something you need in order to live, it controls your life. We become like cups, constantly seeking to be refilled by other cups. Sometimes we build walls out of fear of rejection, but that only hurts us more with feelings of emptiness. Whatever we fear will control us and God never intended for us to live in fear of other people's opinions.
Consider these three questions: Who is God? Who am I? and Who are you (other people)? How we live and react to things in life will reveal how we are really answering them. God's word will show us if we're really answering them right. If we're going to use the bible as our guide, we need to keep in mind that the bible is God's communication to us. When we really believe this, we'll read it more. Then we'll learn all about who God is, who we are, and who others are. We will learn how our creator God intended us to live.
When you're controlled by your desires, doing whatever you want, life becomes about your desires and looking to others to satisfy them. As it says in Jeremiah 17, you're putting your trust in man instead of God. Perhaps you fear others knowing that you're a Christian, that's because you want to feel accepted by those who aren't. Even if, like Peter, you've denied Jesus, He doesn't reject you, He still accepts you. The bible says, "if we are faithless, he remains faithful" 2 Timothy 2:13. As you stick to the bible, you'll see how much need it for direction in life.
Do you trust in God? Sometimes we may trust in God with some things and not with others things. Like ancient Israel, we end up forming mixed allegiances by turning to idols. Whatever trust and depend on in the place of God becomes an idol that we worship. The opinions of others can easily become an idol we turn to, hoping it will give us what we want. To worship anything other than God is false worship. True worship is when you trust in Jesus rather than your reputation, and you follow him in love and obedience, even when it hurts.
In James 4, we learn that underneath our quarrels are our desires. Whenever we live for our desires, we are friends with the world and enemies of God. When you realize that your allegiances are more mixed than you realized, split between the worship of God and the worship of your desires, then seeking God's forgiveness becomes important all the time. When God is relevant all the time, it becomes more natural to be thankful to him.
There is no reason to run away when your divided worship is exposed. Instead, run toward the One who delights in forgiving you. The only way you can change the focus of your worship is to find something even better to focus on. That is your task. For the rest of your life your goal is to be surprised by God to the point that you respond like Moses: you worship (Exodus 34:5-8).
If you ever slip into false worship, God provides a way back to Him, it's like a map. It begins with turning back (repentance), getting to know God (through His word), and becoming like Jesus by loving others as He has loved you. The path you are taking now will guide you to God’s kingdom, a place where you are able to love people more than need love from them. Who is God? He is better than you think. Who are other people? They are people who you can enjoy, serve, and love.... Who are you? You are somebody who is intended to look like Jesus and live for him rather than yourself.
Next: How to overcome the fear of man
What is God like
Isaiah 40:25
To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
There's no other being like God
Micah 7:18-19 Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.
1 Chronicles 17:20 O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
Psalms 77:13
Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God?
God isn't like us
Psalm 50:21 These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes.
Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
God is our creator and redeemer
Isaiah 43:1
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
God is love, merciful, forgiving, slow to anger
1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Exodus 34:6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth
Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.
Psalm 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
God is faithful
Lamentations 3:22-23 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
Psalm 119:90
Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides.
2 Corinthians 1:18, 20 But as God is faithful... For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen..
God gives strength to the weak
Isaiah 40:28-29
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
God is righteous
Psalm 145:17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.
God is Holy
Leviticus 11:45 For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
God doesn't change
Malachi 3:6a For I am the Lord, I do not change...
It's Impossible for God to lie
Hebrews 6:18 "it is impossible for God to lie"
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
When God's speaks, it gets done
Psalm 33:6, 9
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.... For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
God can speak of future things as if they already exist
Romans 4:16-17 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did
God is willing to give us good things
Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Psalm 84:11b ...No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
Nothing is too hard for God
Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
Mark 9:23
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible.
God is worthy of worship
Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Revelation 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
God is Spirit
John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth
The true and living God
Jeremiah 10:10-12 But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation. Thus you shall say to them: “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens." He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.
God is eternal, self-existent
Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God
Exodus 3:14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
God is light
1 John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
God is immortal, invisible, and wise
1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
God is everywhere
Psalm 139:7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
God sees everything
Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
About knowing God:
"The greatest wisdom, and most essential, is the knowledge of God. Self sinks into insignificance as it contemplates God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent." {FE 451.1}.
John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
There's no other being like God
Micah 7:18-19 Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.
1 Chronicles 17:20 O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
Psalms 77:13
Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God?
God isn't like us
Psalm 50:21 These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes.
Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
God is our creator and redeemer
Isaiah 43:1
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
God is love, merciful, forgiving, slow to anger
1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Exodus 34:6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth
Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.
Psalm 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
God is faithful
Lamentations 3:22-23 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
Psalm 119:90
Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides.
2 Corinthians 1:18, 20 But as God is faithful... For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen..
God gives strength to the weak
Isaiah 40:28-29
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
God is righteous
Psalm 145:17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.
God is Holy
Leviticus 11:45 For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
God doesn't change
Malachi 3:6a For I am the Lord, I do not change...
It's Impossible for God to lie
Hebrews 6:18 "it is impossible for God to lie"
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
When God's speaks, it gets done
Psalm 33:6, 9
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.... For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
God can speak of future things as if they already exist
Romans 4:16-17 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did
God is willing to give us good things
Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Psalm 84:11b ...No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
Nothing is too hard for God
Jeremiah 32:27
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
Mark 9:23
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible.
God is worthy of worship
Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”
Revelation 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
God is Spirit
John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth
The true and living God
Jeremiah 10:10-12 But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation. Thus you shall say to them: “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens." He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.
God is eternal, self-existent
Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God
Exodus 3:14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
God is light
1 John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
God is immortal, invisible, and wise
1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
God is everywhere
Psalm 139:7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
God sees everything
Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.
About knowing God:
"The greatest wisdom, and most essential, is the knowledge of God. Self sinks into insignificance as it contemplates God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent." {FE 451.1}.
John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Verses that say God loves us
Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Romans 5:7-8 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2 Corinthians 5:19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
John 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
John 15:9 As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
Romans 15:7
Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
1 John 3:1
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Ephesians 1:5-6 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
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