Christian Writers Circle

Intimacy with Christ through Love
by Judy Hitson

I Corinthians 13:13 NASB But now abide faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Let us refresh our faith in Christ, our Blessed Hope and bask in the greatest of these, love. Consider love as a Person for God is love (I John 4:8, 16) and receive as a personal word to you, John 15:9 NKJV Jesus said, “As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. Abide in My love.” Soak these words into the depths of your being. Selah….. Think slowly on these things.

Pause….. Think of “Jesus Loves Me” as a song written just for you. With child-like faith, ponder the lyrics a moment and be drawn into His love for you.”Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so”…

As we learn to receive God’s love, we learn to love Him because He first loved us, I John 4:19. My first understanding that God loves me, came as a revelation while I was pregnant reading, “The Child Within” by Mari Hanes. To tell you the truth, it brought me to tears. There I was a grown woman who came to the Lord late, active in Bible studies, busy as a church volunteer and finally understood God’s love for me. How about you? Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart? (Romans 5:5)

Intimacy with Christ through love helps us mature in Christ. We have an inner desire to be with the Lord and find the Spirit woos us to come into His presence and experience the depths of His love. Deep calls to deep.

Through the Scriptures on love, we learn God’s perspective. Romans 8:35 NKJV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 “Yet through all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us 38 for I am persuaded that neither death or life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present , nor things to come, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

   When we understand God’s love, that nothing can separate us from His love, we are better able to persevere in the tests, trials and tribulations of life. The Lord has much to say on love in His word. As we experience intimacy with Christ through love, we are able to love others with the love of God.

In closing, let us heed Paul’s charge to us in Ephesians 5: 1-2 NIV Be IMITATORS of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.