The Loveliness of Christ

 

 

 

Dearly beloved in Christ,

I woke this Sunday morning with a plan to finish an article about the violence and wickedness of Islam. I hoped to have it finished before I left for Church.  I turned on my computer, went to the article I needed to finish and for a few seconds I waited, staring at the screen.  The Spirit directed me to write first about Christ and His loveliness. Now that is the opposite direction from writing about the evils of Islam. We listen to the Holy Spirit and do what He says. Therefore, this is the message I send you today:  The Loveliness of Christ. Sounds like a good title; I'll go with it.  

 

In the Song of Solomon the Shulamite [the Lord] is called lovely. "Yes, he is altogether lovely.  This is my beloved, And this is my friend" (Song of Solomon 5:16).  Christ is altogether lovely and He is my friend.  Can you believe it?  Christ is altogether lovely and He is my friend.  I believe it. He is my friend, my brother, my love, my Savior, my Lord and my God. He is, undoubtedly, lovely. Jesus never struck me, He never cursed me, He never lied to me, He never stole from me, and He never deceived me. He is faithful and will never do any of these nasty things to me.  Yes, Jesus is altogether lovely.

 

.John said "God is love."  Everything Jesus did he did from His love for us.  Jesus never harmed anyone. He never struck anyone, or killed anyone.  Jesus healed. He is the great physician. He healed us physically and spiritually.  And He said "love one another as I have loved you."  For this all will know you are mind (John 13:34-35).  In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37) we see the love and care we ought to have for a stranger who needs help. We put our love upon others. And we care for all who need help and want help. We do not wage war, we fight against evil and the darkness of this world--it is a spiritual fight--good against evil.  There is the kingdom of God and light and there is the kingdom of darkness--the kingdom of Satan. We are in a spiritual war. We know the outcome of this war. Jesus is victorious. For, the darkness cannot comprehend the light. Satan's days are numbered and he and his demons know this and they want to take as many as they can away from God and His kingdom.  Do not succumb to the wiles of Satan, but seek first the kingdom of God and the provisions of God's promises will be yours.

 

Jesus said love your enemy.  Pray for your enemy. Forgive your enemy and the evil he does to you and others. A strong person forgives and the strong love. Wrap your arms around someone and tell them about God's love and His love for them. And then tell the person you love them. It does not take a lot of energy to love, but it takes a lot energy to hate.

 

Build your life with love. Love no matter what happens in your life. Make love your goal, seeking nothing in return. Love on somebody daily. Speak kind words. Do kind and gentle things for strangers. Be helpful. Love as Jesus loved.  And seek nothing for yourself. Will you do this starting today?  We know that the gifts of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is goodness, kindness, and gentleness, but the first gift is love. Yes, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).  The greatest of these is love.

 

God's love transcends all things and overcomes all that is evil. His love is beauty beyond man's comprehension, beyond man's imagination. His grace cannot be measured and His love for His creation and specifically for His children cannot be taken away.  God is faithful and filled with lovingkindness and tender mercies. God's love for us is deep and multi-layered.  If we measured the Lord's love by His sacrifice to save sinners we know (through our faith) more than most and He has revealed the truth to us.  And in his lovingkindness the Lord has drawn us to Him as He first loved us, that we might know and love Him and obey His commandments. And this commandment He gives:  "Love one another."

 

God's love is in Christ, the sacrificial Lamb He sent to be slaughtered on the cross as the atonement for our sins. What kind of a God does this great sacrifice of blood of His own Son? How could any father crucify his own and only son?   What kind of love is this?  What is the answer?  God [Yahweh] and His  beautiful Son, Jesus, loved us that we might be saved from eternal death.  He came to save sinners, and  it is by love for us that we might turn to Him and love Him, and have communion with Him for He loved us first.  A life giving spirit sent in love to reconcile us to the Father, for He, through our confession of sin, has forgiven us and filled us with His love that is everlasting.  How could we deny His love?  "Draw near, draw near." He says.  Let us draw so ever near to God that He fills us every moment with truth and love and peace. This world is wasting away and the lust of it.  Jesus died for the whole world, but many will not receive His love. Cry out for Him. Jesus loves you and He wants your love.

 

But why does God love  us? What did we do to deserve His love?  The Word of God does not offer an answer to this question.  We can only make assumptions. But, what is known is that all, as sinners, are not deserving of His love.  We are deserving of His wrath.  That's right.  We are deserving of His punishment because of our evil doings and pride filled hearts. We are consumed with the lust of the flesh, the lust of our eyes and the pride of life. Our transgressions have condemned us so easily. But, God said: "This is my beloved Son, which I am well pleased."  In essence, God is saying, "This is my perfect, wonderful Son. Since man cannot save himself, I will send my Son and make Him the sacrifice."  He is not a fated calf, a lamb or ram from the Old Testament sacrifices; He is my Son, and this is my blood offering to pay for the sins of man once for all. This way whomever believes in Him  and confesses with His mouth that Christ is Lord will be saved.

 

The Lord loves and offers His love. It is what God wants for His children.  He wants us to know Him and that He loves us.  He wants the best for those who are His. Are you His?  Do you love and obey Him? Are you devoted to Him no matter what happens--no matter what harsh, physical and mental persecution befalls you?  Can you call  God your Father and Jesus your Lord and Savior now and forever? 

 

When was the last time you blessed those who cursed you?  Do you forgive all who fate or have harmed you?  Do you not know that you will be known by your fruits? What fruit of the Spirit do you need to cultivate?  Is it love? What are you known by?  Are you known to be a lovely person filled with the Spirit of God?  Now that might sound peculiar to a man to be known by men to be lovely, but Jesus was lovely wasn't He?   Do we not belong to Him?  How does God see you?  God sees us, each one of His children as lovely.  He chose us individually. We are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10).  Do you think God would create anybody as a second class person?  We are all first class to God.

 

I believe the greatest complement anyone could give us is to be called or to be known as a Christian—a real, devoted Christian, unfailing in faith and strong in love for the Lord and love for others; this includes love for our enemies. Who are our enemies?  Everyone who is against God and Jesus is our enemy.  I love my enemies. Do you love your enemies?   Weren't we all enemies of God at one time?  So let us love our enemies and preach the truth of Jesus Christ to them in love; feed our enemies and preach the good news of Jesus Christ.  Care for and heal our enemies and preach truth, Christ crucified.  Dear Lord, bring salvation to our enemies and the truth of pure and holy love.  Love and forgive your enemies for they are the creation of God who one day may be your brothers and sisters in Christ, a member of the family.  Love brings us together, sinner and saint.

 

I have been complimented practically on a daily basis in public places when sharing the gospel. I often go about doing a Christian duty in a sea of the unrighteous by myself.  Most of the compliments come from professing Christians.  Yet, not surprisingly, those complimenting believers did not possess the love in their hearts to join me in the Great Commission.  They were complimentary but did not join me in passing out gospel tracks or witnessing to the lost. Why? Do they not know the laborers are few?  Perhaps, they do not know all believers are commanded to witness and to share the "Good News," even when it means persecution.   Perhaps, they are too busy and have to do other things before the day is done.  Perhaps the love in their heart was not stirred or the Holy Spirit was absent.   On Christmas Eve I was outside of Sam's Club, roaming the parking lot for about two hours, handing out gospel booklets and speaking to all who wanted to know more about God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. One man, a Christian, gave me a full jar of honey as a gift.  I asked him to join me in distributing gospel booklets. I had a trunk full of gospel tracts and booklets. He said he could not do it. We mustn't let fear steer us away from doing God's work.   This fear does not come from the Spirit of God. We have to fill ourselves up with God's love, and the love for others. Hell is a real place and those who do not receive Jesus will go there after this life. Yes, there are a million ways to get to hell, but only one way to get to heaven. "I am the way, the truth and the life; No one come to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6).  Let us love others by sharing the gospel with them.

 

It is sinful to not do the things we know we ought to do for God. But often we do not think about the things we should do, rather than the things we ought not do.

 

The Holy Spirit has revealed to me many situations where I should have been less aggressive at certain times and more aggressive at other times. My own past sins of omission are great.  But my sins of commission are greater.  We do not worry about this, but pray over it, asking forgiveness and asking the Holy Spirit to lead us each day in holiness and to do all things which please God for His glory.

 

On this Sunday and everyday hereafter may God the Father and Christ Jesus give you

grace, mercy and peace. And may you receive His illumination; for He is indeed altogether lovely,

 

Mihran Kulhanjian

Mihran Kulhanjian

President

Christian Revival Mission, Inc.