Love One Another

John 15:12-14  
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

This is My commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you! If that was the only scripture in the New Testament (after Pentecost), I think verse 12 would suffice... IF we would accomplish it. And make no mistake... we CAN accomplish it by walking and living in the Spirit...by abiding in Christ.

Partakers of the Divine Nature

2 Peter 1:3-4
As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption and moral decay that is in the world through lust.

ANGUISH

Isaiah 53, but first I’d like to read in Luke 22:44,
“And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” 

There is a song which reads...
    "May I be willing Lord, to bear daily my cross for Thee;
     even Thy cup of grief to share; Thou hast borne all for me.
     Lest I forget Gethsemane;
     Lest I forget Thine agony;
     Lest I forget Thy love for me;
     Lead me to Calvary."

And Psalm 22:14-17, which prophesy Jesus was so aware of, says...
I am poured out like water; all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaw; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me.

SALVATION

Why is there this need for salvation... and from what?

The greatest danger we face in life is the holy wrath of God against our sin. But the glory of the gospel is that the One from whom we need to be saved is the very One who saves us.
   ~ R. C. Sproul 

For a great many people, this “concept” of needing salvation is very alien and inconceivable because they perceive nothing wrong or dangerous in their lives and have limited awareness, if any, of eternity or spiritual matters.
But as an example of impending danger... if a jet taking off from the airport were losing altitude and heading straight for you in your house, you would need to be saved, but you wouldn't know it unless someone came running in there and shouted what was about to happen. So one can see that "feeling" safe is no proof that one is safe at all.
Man desperately needs salvation but does not feel the danger at all.

TRUTH

John 18:37... Jesus is brought before Pilate and interrogated to some extent, then Pilate said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the TRUTH. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.