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August 2 And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. 1 John 4:14,15 Sadly, there are many who claim to love Jesus, but they have missed a vital point. They may love the way he showed compassion, or how he healed the sick. They may love the stories told about Him, but this passage brings to light a critical component of our love. We are to love Him because He is our Savior—for His death on the cross for our sins. We are to also love the risen Christ, for He has given us a new life in Him. I am afraid that there is a ‘comfortable’ way to look at Jesus. We admire His honesty, His directness in dealing with people—as long as He does not appear to be dealing with us. We tend to dismiss Him from our life so that His examination of us does not seem to be necessary. But it is necessary—the balance of our eternal existence is at stake. I pray that we can look at Jesus each day in a loving, life-fulfilling way. The whole universe is summed up in Him, so how can we do less than to offer Him lordship over our lives. He stirs up overwhelming love within any believer who is willing to be broken. As one person has put it, “If you are looking for a breakthrough in your life, be willing to be broken.” Only the person willing to submit to the will of God can in turn be filled with the love of God. We come to love Him in the proper way as we realize that we want to be just like Him. Thank You, Father, for the sacrifice and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus. Instill in me the agape love that only comes from You. Jesus is the great ‘I AM’. I want to experience the intimate relationship that You have provided for me. Thank You. Amen.
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