KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 11:5 KJV” Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.”

In our previous study, we were reminded of the great love our Lord Jesus has for all of us. His love is without partiality. He loves all men equally. Matters of appointments, elections, choices and mercies may appear as if God chooses some over others, or one over another. This is not the case. God’s appointments and elections are always made to fulfill His eternal counsel. It is always up to these people shown mercy to live according to the word of God so they will indeed experience His favours.

When God appointed Israel, He did that to use them as a means of showing to the rest of humanity, who He was, and how He relates with men. It therefore depended on the Israelites to accept that mercy by loving God, and then, living according to His revealed ways. If they disobeyed Him, He lovingly punished them. He had to establish a new covenant in dealing with all humanity, because the first covenant called the law was restricted to the Jews only. Its customs and ordinances were tailored for them, and that  could not be passed on to the rest of the world, because , of regional differences, environmental differences , which makes cultures to vary. Although God had the covenant with Israel, they were not His favourites. They only became favourites on the grounds of Abraham’s corresponding love and obedience to Him. God’s favour always extends to those who receive His love, by loving Him, and as a result keeping His commandments. Joh 14:21 KJV “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

When David whom God had covenanted to honour forever, turned away from God’s word, judgment came upon him and he nearly lost his throne. He was accepted when he repented and began to seek God. Dear one if God demonstrates any special favours towards you, let not that drive you crazy to dishonour him in any way. It is always God’s right to appoint, elect, or choose the people He so wishes to, yet it is expected of every man shown that mercy, to fear the Lord and apply God’ s word to his ways.

The other thing to know about God’s love is that, His love for us does not make His blessings automatically ours. We’ve got to receive them by faith. There are many good and faithful children of God yet they are suffering under all kinds of Satanic oppressions. The reason is that, it is one thing knowing about God’ s love and goodness towards us, and it is yet another thing to receive these blessings by faith

CONFESSION

God loves me, yet I only enjoy His love as I obey His word, honouring Him, in all I do. I experience His unfailing faithfulness by submitting totally to His love.

THOUGHT: GOD LOVES ALL, BUT IT IS ONLY THOSE WHO OBEY HIM THAT EXPERIENCE HIS FAVOURS.

FURTHER STUDIES

Mark 3:34, 35 KJV” And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.”

Rom 2:27,29 KJV “And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”