FBCD_FaithEssentials_June_FlipBook

Todd Gaddis

guess, this tune tells the story of a heartsick person who wears scars and bleeds love over a severed relationship. It’s a powerful song, yet pales in comparison to the bleeding love that flowed down Calvary’s Cross outside Jerusalem 2000 years ago. Still wearing the scars, Jesus strongly desires that our relationship with Him would be fruitful. We must do our part, however, and willingly come to Him. As believers, we should anticipate this love/suffering connection taking place in our lives as well. Loving means exposing ourselves to suffering. In fact, those we love sometimes hurt us the most, and vice versa. Those we dearly love sometime slap us in the face, kick us in the teeth, and punch us in the gut—figuratively speaking. God’s Son received far worse and yet He poured out His love in even greater measure. From John 3:16 we also see the inclusive range of God’s love. Jesus said that “ whoever believes in him shall not perish” (John 3:16, emphasis added). The Gospel is accessible to all who believe, regardless of gender, race, nationality, age, economic status, etc. God used a dream to help Peter overcome his resistance to Gentiles becoming believers. In this vision, the apostle saw a sheet full of “unclean” animals and was instructed by God to eat from them. Grasping the truth from the dream, Peter later said to a Gentile named Cornelius: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34,35). He later wrote in one of his epistles that the Lord does not want “anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Paul said, “God . . . wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4, emphasis added). My local gym has a notice posted at the entrance that reads: STOP (THIS FITNESS CLUB) IS A MEMBERS ONLY FACILITY. Similarly, I’ve seen plenty of signs on doors inside large retail establishments that say: “Do not enter, employees only beyond this point.” Such is not the case when it comes to entrance into the kingdom of God. Scripture promises, “Everyone who calls on the name of

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