When we realize the depth of God’s love for us, we are free to love as we have been loved
A few underlying beliefs are fundamental to move from a functionary Christian to being a disciple alive in the Holy Spirit.
Most of us grew up with misconceptions about God’s promises, and we have lived our whole lives by them. Those misunderstandings of God’s relationship with us may have cost us years of agony and anxiety. Amazingly, as we begin our Ordinary Time of the Church year, the Church offers us an incredible renewal of the promise and a reminder of God’s relationship with us.
While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. In this weekend’s letter from St. Paul, we are reminded of that truth. We are reconciled by God’s action, even while we are His enemies. How many of us have tried to live our lives, becoming more and more perfect, believing that our perfection is our goodness and reconciles us to God? Notice that our reconciliation to God has nothing to do with our goodness, but only with the action of love that comes from God to us through Jesus. But why is this fundamental truth so important to move from being functionally Christian to being an on-fire disciple of Jesus alive in the Holy Spirit?
We could live our lives looking over our shoulders and wondering if God loves us, or whether we are reconciled to Him. That kind of discipleship causes anxiety and frustration. If we have lived long enough, we know that our willpower does not make us perfect. Coming to understand that God has already initiated reconciliation with us frees us from that anxiety and worry. It allows us to look forward rather than over our shoulders.
If we truly realize the depth of God’s love for us, not based on our accomplishments but on who God is, we would be free to love as we have been loved, rather than trying to earn that love over and over again. Allowing ourselves to drink deeply of the unconditional love God has given us sets our hearts on fire. Notice what happens to all the disciples’ gatherings after Jesus has risen from the dead. They begin in fear, isolation and seclusion. When they have their encounters with Jesus, His love and presence free them from fear and He permits them to speak everyone’s language so they can come to know the love of Christ.
So what do you say? Imagine any other relationship that you have. Imagine you say to the person you love, “I am only doing good things with you and for you because I’m afraid of you.” Imagine us saying that to God. I’m only being good because I’m afraid you’re going to throw me into hell. Or imagine that we live a life so isolated because we’re afraid of doing something that’s going to make God mad or not love us. That kind of relationship really can’t become deeper or more intimate. It dies from the inside out.
Imagine being able to put our total life on the line because at its foundation is God’s unconditional love that can never be lost. We are invited, as the original apostles and disciples were, to take God’s love seriously as seen through Jesus. That means we have to trust that we have been reconciled with God. We have to trust that God’s love is unconditional. We have to trust that God’s love is a solid foundation to stand on and out of which to act for the rest of our lives.
