Loving The Unlovely

WE MUST NOT EXPECT OTHERS TO BE LOVELY BEFORE WE LOVE THEM. I have had the joy of watching unlovely people receive Jesus and become lovely before my very eyes. God does a better job than any plastic surgeon or beautician.

Romans 5:6: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Without strength, ungodly, sinners and enemies of God. Those ugly words exactly described all of us before Jesus made us new creatures. They described me and they described you. We were in a desperate condition and didn*t even know it. And yet Jesus died for us.

We were so weak we were unable to do anything that could be called good.

Psalm 53:3: Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

1 John 4:8: He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

We were ungodly. We were unlike God. We had no love in us. We were sinners. We were enemies of God. We were not His friends. Clearly we did not deserve His love. And yet He loved us.

1 John 3:1a: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: . . .

We don*t remember these awful truths often enough about ourselves. But we remember them too often about others. It is impossible for us to love others who are also weak, ungodly sinners and enemies of God without His help. Thank God that He is able to love others through us.

Galatians5:22a: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, . . .

Romans 5:5: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Care to discuss Loving The Unlovely with Ron?

He'd also like to hear your prayer requests