God Our Father - Part 9

We have now completed 9 messages in this series of teachings on the nature of our Father God.  The purpose in taking this much time to look into these truths is to establish and strengthen the true nature and character of God in our lives.  This will strengthen our faith in the Lord concerning His heart toward us and His heart toward the world around us. Faith works by love, we see this truth reflected in Galatians 5:6.  The amplified translation states it this way, "faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love."  I like that, our faith is activated, energized, and expressed when we know how much God loves us.  Knowing the love nature of God strengthens and emboldens our faith.  If our default thinking concerning God is not redemptive in nature then we do not know God as well as we should.  

This last week we looked at the third phrase in 1 Cor. 13:5 and saw that, "love (God) is not provoked."  The amplified translation of this verse states, "love is not touchy or fretful or resentful.  This tells us that God is not easily irritated or aroused to anger.  God is even tempered.  I love this about His nature.  God never loses control of Himself.  We see this in Galatians 5 one of the fruits of the spirit is self-control.  Even in wrath and judgement God has never lost control or lost His mind.  God is always redemptive in everything that He does.  We see this in several places in Scripture but here are a couple of my favorite verses.

Ps 145:9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. NKJV

Rom 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? NKJV

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV.    

One of the places that we see this truth expressed in the ministry of Jesus is found in Luke 20:20-26.  In this passage of Scripture we find the religious leaders of Jesus day attempting to trap Jesus in His own words so that they could turn Him over to the power and authority of the governor.  As you read through this passage of Scripture it is obvious the Lord knows what these men are up to and He still operates in redemption toward them. These men are "pretending" to be righteous, they are faking that they love Jesus and His ministry in order to try and get Jesus arrested.  If this does not prove that God is not easily irritated or aroused to anger I am not sure what does.  Jesus knows they are trying to trap Him in His words and yet He responds to them with clarity and redemption.  

The most significant truth that the Lord keeps pointing out to me through this series and we see it here as well, is that His love is what allows Him to see and judge situations correctly. Because of His nature He is able to see each situation in purity, His thinking is never cluttered with selfishness or hate.  God is love and love is not provoked.  This tells us that God sees us perfectly and if we will receive His love for us we will walk in the full freedom of redemption that He has purchased for us.  The love of God in Jesus responded to these evil men with such wisdom that they kept silent, in other words they were forced to deal with their own thoughts and motives which is designed by the Lord to lead to repentance and forgiveness.  God is SOOOO good!!        

Remember you are the beloved of the Lord!