"For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart." — Psalm 36:9-10
"Love suffereth long and is kind." — I Cor 13:4a
Life, in the true and proper definition, is found in God and inherent in the Son of God. Those who do not have the Son of God within do not have life. We have given the title to the caricature of life the scriptures call "mortality." The fact is, those without Christ are not living, but dying and "dead already" in trespasses and sins. Again, Light, in the true and proper sense, the spiritual illumination of the soul, is also found in God alone. (Cf. I John 1:5) Apart from His light, we are a people who "walk in darkness," having knowledge, but lacking wisdom and understanding.
In every area of significance, man without God is bankrupt, and men without Christ are men without God. This is true with respect to the third major divine attribute mentioned in this text which has occupied us for these several weeks. The quality under consideration today is God's Love, specified in this verse as "lovingkindness." One dictionary traces the origin of the word in English to Coverdale's translation of the Psalms. It occurs frequently in Psalms and in several of the prophets. Interestingly, it does not appear in the New Testament, but its full definition does, in I Corinthians 13. Should you want to know what lovingkindness is and how it functions, you need look no further.
David describes God's lovingkindness as "marvelous" (Ps. 17:7); with "tender mercies" in Ps. 25:6 and 51:1, where it is linked with the forgiveness of sins; described as "better than life" (Ps. 63:3). In Psalm 103:1-5, all of God's benefits are ascribed to Him as the One "who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies [v.4]." In a remarkable passage, Psalm 89:20-37, a passage addressed to David but ultimately applying to Christ, the Spirit says of His children, "… My lovingkindness will I not take from him, nor suffer My faithfulness to fail… [v.33]." In context it is a promise not only of the salvation of those who are children of God by faith in Christ, but of their security as well, attributed to God's lovingkindness. This quality in the Creator/Redeemer is the fountainhead of hope for all who put their trust in Him. It extends His patience, restrains His wrath and initiated redemption.
The prophet Isaiah gathered it up as illustrated in God's dealings with Israel: "I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old [Isa. 63:7-9]."
Meditating on this great attribute of our God should lift our hearts in praise and thanksgiving to Him, as it did for David. But, there is more. As we have noted earlier, though the term does not occur in the New Testament, it is defined there in I Corinthians 13, and enjoined upon the New Testament believer as the greatest grace we can exhibit to this tottering world. It is God's aim, by His Holy Spirit, to reproduce His lovingkindness in us. We are called to manifest it toward our spouses, our children, our fellow believers, our neighbors, even toward our enemies! "Love suffereth long, and is kind." Do I?
Apart from Christ we are without life, without light, without love. In Him we are positioned to exhibit all three. May His spirit motivate and enable us to that end, that the world may know that we are in Him, and He in us.
"Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD [Jer. 9:23-24.]"
For God's glory,
"Pastor" Frasier
"Love suffereth long and is kind." — I Cor 13:4a
Life, in the true and proper definition, is found in God and inherent in the Son of God. Those who do not have the Son of God within do not have life. We have given the title to the caricature of life the scriptures call "mortality." The fact is, those without Christ are not living, but dying and "dead already" in trespasses and sins. Again, Light, in the true and proper sense, the spiritual illumination of the soul, is also found in God alone. (Cf. I John 1:5) Apart from His light, we are a people who "walk in darkness," having knowledge, but lacking wisdom and understanding.
In every area of significance, man without God is bankrupt, and men without Christ are men without God. This is true with respect to the third major divine attribute mentioned in this text which has occupied us for these several weeks. The quality under consideration today is God's Love, specified in this verse as "lovingkindness." One dictionary traces the origin of the word in English to Coverdale's translation of the Psalms. It occurs frequently in Psalms and in several of the prophets. Interestingly, it does not appear in the New Testament, but its full definition does, in I Corinthians 13. Should you want to know what lovingkindness is and how it functions, you need look no further.
David describes God's lovingkindness as "marvelous" (Ps. 17:7); with "tender mercies" in Ps. 25:6 and 51:1, where it is linked with the forgiveness of sins; described as "better than life" (Ps. 63:3). In Psalm 103:1-5, all of God's benefits are ascribed to Him as the One "who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies [v.4]." In a remarkable passage, Psalm 89:20-37, a passage addressed to David but ultimately applying to Christ, the Spirit says of His children, "… My lovingkindness will I not take from him, nor suffer My faithfulness to fail… [v.33]." In context it is a promise not only of the salvation of those who are children of God by faith in Christ, but of their security as well, attributed to God's lovingkindness. This quality in the Creator/Redeemer is the fountainhead of hope for all who put their trust in Him. It extends His patience, restrains His wrath and initiated redemption.
The prophet Isaiah gathered it up as illustrated in God's dealings with Israel: "I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old [Isa. 63:7-9]."
Meditating on this great attribute of our God should lift our hearts in praise and thanksgiving to Him, as it did for David. But, there is more. As we have noted earlier, though the term does not occur in the New Testament, it is defined there in I Corinthians 13, and enjoined upon the New Testament believer as the greatest grace we can exhibit to this tottering world. It is God's aim, by His Holy Spirit, to reproduce His lovingkindness in us. We are called to manifest it toward our spouses, our children, our fellow believers, our neighbors, even toward our enemies! "Love suffereth long, and is kind." Do I?
Apart from Christ we are without life, without light, without love. In Him we are positioned to exhibit all three. May His spirit motivate and enable us to that end, that the world may know that we are in Him, and He in us.
"Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD [Jer. 9:23-24.]"
For God's glory,
"Pastor" Frasier
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