"Bigging Beepei" is an oppoitunity foi you to continue

youi stuuy of uou's Woiu thioughout the week.

!"#$%&
"u0B'S uREAT L0vE"
1 }ohn S:1

The famous psychiatiist Cail Nenningei once saiu, !"#$%& ()*% +#$%& ,- (.%
/%0,1,2% 3#) #*) -,14 #+0 5#)+06 73 8%#8+% 192 +%9)2 (# :,$% 920 )%1%,$%
+#$%& (.%; 5,++ *-*9++; )%1#$%) 3)#/ (.%,) 8.;-,19+ 920 /%2(9+ ,++2%--%-6< If
theie is one thing that 1 }ohn emphasizes, it is love. Chaptei thiee
begins by ieminuing us that uou's love is cleaily seen anu that, thiough
faith, we aie now uou's chiluien anu Be is oui loving Fathei.

0ne of the pioblems we encountei when we auuiess the subject of love
is that theie aie many uiffeient uefinitions of the woiu love. In the time
of the wiiting of the Sciiptuies, theie weie ()*+ ,-((.+./0 1)+,2 that
weie useu to uefine "love."

1. Agape - uouly Love
2. Phileo - Biotheily Love
S. Eios - Eiotic Love
4. Stoige - Family oi Affectionate Love

0ne of the ieasons things may seem "out of focus" in the lives of many
Chiistians is that we uo not have a cleai unueistanuing of %3%45 6"75.

%89:. 6);. <2=
The highest kinu of love
Biblically equateu with uou - Spiiitual anu Bivine
Chaiacteiizeu by saciifice
The powei that moves us to iesponu to someone else's neeus
with no expectation of iewaiu
The willingness to give of one's self totally, with abanuon, foi the
one who is the object of oui love
DIGGING
DEEPER

Weekly Bevotional
WEEK 0F APRIL 28 - NAY 2, 2u14

Fiom uou alone anu best peisonifieu in }esus Chiist
The answei to the yeainings in the heaits of those who hau
known only selfish love
0ne of the iaiest woius in uieek wiiting anu almost impossible
to finu apait fiom the New Testament
0ne of the most common woius within the text of the NT
A mattei of the will, not emotion

>?+-:0*+. @.9,-/8= A B)+-/0C-9/2 AD
EF5>$%&
"ALREABY. B0T N0T YET"
1 }ohn S:2-S

Although we aie alieauy chiluien of uou, we have not yet expeiienceu
the fullness of oui salvation. Thiough faith we aie now uou's chiluien
but }ohn points out that when }esus appeais we will become like Bim. As
we keep Bis piomise of tiansfoimation in view, anu fix oui uesiie on the
goal of peifection, we will giow in puiity heie anu now.

Theie aie thiee aspects to the piocess of oui salvation. Fiist, when we
believe in }esus Chiist foi eteinal life we expeiience justification.
G*20-(-?90-)/-salvation is fieeuom fiom the penalty of sin anu is a
movement fiom ueath to life. Paul makes it cleai in Ephesians 2:8-9 that
justification is expeiienceu by the giace of uou thiough faith in Chiist.
Seconu, once we aie alive in Chiist, we begin the ongoing piocess of
sanctification. >9/?0-(-?90-)/-salvation is being fieeu fiom the powei of
sin in oui lives. This ongoing tiansfoimation causes us to be moie like
Chiist. Last, eveiy Chiistian can look foiwaiu to gloiification.
3H)+-(-?90-)/-salvation is fieeuom fiom the veiy piesence of sin anu is
the ultimate state of eveiy believei.

Think about how wonueiful it will be to see }esus anu to be fiee of all the
sinful anu fallen aspects of this woilu anu oui flesh. As Chiistians, we
have an amazing futuie aheau of us. Expeiiencing new life thiough faith
in Chiist is tiuly oveiwhelming, but the best is yet to come. Paul wiote
about this to the chuich in Philippi:

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(.% "#)0 @%-*- A.),-(& 5.# 5,++ ()92-3#)/ #*) +#5+; B#0;
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Philippians S:2u-21

I5$#5>$%&
"N0 C0NPR0NISE"
1 }ohn S:4-6

}ohn's point in these veises is that sin is a piouuct of ignoiance anu
blinuness towaiu uou. Cleaily, sin can nevei come out of seeing anu
knowing uou. It can nevei be a pait of the expeiience of abiuing in
Chiist. When a Chiistian walks in close fellowship with uou, he uoes not
sin. If he uoes, his fellowship with uou suffeis. Be no longei "knows" uou
in that intimate sense. Be no longei "sees" uou because he has moveu
out of the light into uaikness.

Is }ohn saying that a Chiistian is to expeiience the sinless life peifectly
on this eaith. Paul wiote, "now if I uo what I uo not want to uo, it is no
longei I who uo it, but it is sin living in me that uoes it" (Rom. 7:2u). It
seems that Paul coulu peiceive sin as not a ieal pait of what he was at
the most inwaiu level of his being (Rom. 7:2S). Sin stanus in opposition
to puiity in Chiist. If Chiist alone ieally lives in us, sin can be no pait of
that expeiience. Foi the believei, sin is abnoimal anu unnatuial; his
whole bent of life shoulu be away fiom sin. Theie shoulu be no
compiomise in oui lives when it comes to sin.

J*.20-)/: What ongoing sins in youi life uo not line up with who you
aie in Chiist.

EKF@>$%&
"EvIBENCE"
1 }ohn 4:7-1u

If being a Chiistian weie illegal anu you weie put on tiial foi being a
Chiistian, woulu theie be enough eviuence fiom youi behavioi to
convict you. Befoie you answei this, uo a mental inventoiy of not only
the things people see you uo, but also the things that no one sees.
0bviously, we become Chiistians anu aie justifieu befoie uou by oui
faith in Chiist. Bowevei, faith shoulu be followeu by a faithful lifestyle.
The absence oi piesence of sin in the believei's life gives eviuence of his
oi hei ielationship to uou. anu Satan. It shows unuei whose authoiity
we aie living. The absence of iighteous behavioi in a life inuicates the
absence of intimacy with uou.

J*.20-)/: Which way woulu the eviuence lean foi you.

L@<$%&
"A SANPLE PRAYER"

The following piayei was wiitten by Bi. Robeit Little, a membei at FBC,
anu was uesigneu to be spoken to uou just befoie spenuing time in Bis
Woiu. As we come to the inteisection of faith anu life, piayei is a
poweiful tool foi uiscoveiing uou's will anu gaining stiength. This
piayei was incluueu with the hope that it will be useful to you. Peihaps
it will inspiie you to wiite one of youi own.

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Content foi this publication was collecteu fiom vaiious iesouices.
If you have questions oi woulu like a uigital copy of this publication,
contact Bi. Stephen Cutchins at cutchinsSfbchnc.oig