A Holy Dichotomy

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A Holy Dichotomy

A Holy Dichotomy?

2/14/24 = Ash Wednesday + Valentine’s Day

Juxtaposition or placing our heart in just the right position?

Two apparently different observances falling on the same day, but more apparent is what they both have to say about the only true love we will ever know — the love of God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son.

And oh how this world desperately needs this love…

The holiest of juxtapositions for sure. The Bible is full of seemingly contradictory concepts, and yet, when we take time to “ponder anew what the Almighty can do,” the dichotomies we see just communicate His great love a little more clearly.

God’s GREAT love for us is just that — it is the GREATest of the loves that we will ever know.

It is a love that cannot be fully realized until we truly realize our GREAT need for this GREAT love.

In my opinion, the dichotomy surrounding love and lent is even more beautiful when the two are blended together.

Strength made perfect and weakness.

Fullness felt only after emptiness is indwelt.

The bondage of sin leading to freedom in Him.

Apparently, you can’t spell vaLENTine without LENT.

True love is experienced only in a relationship with Truth and Love Himself.

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬, ‭NLT‬‬)

“God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” (1 John 4:16, NLT)

{And as I just looked up these two verses, the similarities jumped out at me — John and 1 John, 14:6 and 4:16 — transposed numbers highlighting these holy juxtapositions}

Ash Wednesday reminding us as God reminded Adam: “for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬b, ‭ESV‬‬)

We are but dust. Our Creator formed us, and He alone can fill us. And when we go straight to the source to receive love, forgiveness, acceptance, grace, mercy, and truth, those are the things we can then give to others.

Valentine’s Day reminding us that Saint Valentine gave his life trying to keep love alive by marrying soldiers in secret since a Roman decree forbade it.

To love others well, we must dwell in Love.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬, ‭NLT‬‬)

“Man approaches God most nearly when he is in one sense least like God. For what can be more unlike than fullness and need, sovereignty and humility, righteousness and penitence, limitless power and a cry for help?” (C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves)

A Holy Dichotomy for sure.

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Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily — Reason 15: Obedience Borne of Love

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Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily — Reason 15: Obedience Borne of Love

June 15th. Day 15 of walking through “Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily” — Part 1 of “A Gospel Primer for Christians” by Milton Vincent.


Today’s reason — Obedience Borne of Love.


About this reason, Vincent says this...


“To love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength is the greatest commandment in the Law. {Mark 12:28-30} If I could simply fulfill this one commitment, I would gladly fulfill all others as a natural matter of course.”


He goes on to say...


“So how can I come to love God with all of my being? {1 John 5:3} The Bible teaches that genuine love in my heart for God is generated by an awareness of His love for me, {1 John 4:19} and nowhere is the love of God more clearly revealed than in the gospel.” {Romans 5:7-8, John 15:13, Ephesians 2:4-5}


And Vincent concludes with these thoughts...


“Therefore, preaching the gospel to myself as a great way to keep God’s amazing love before my eyes, so that I might experience its power to produce in me a passionate love for Him in return. Captured by His love in this way, my smitten heart increasingly burns to do His will and feasts itself on doing so.” {John 14:31, John 4:34, Psalm 40:8}


I couldn’t agree more with this reason to rehearse the gospel daily. If God is Love (which, He is {1 John 4:16}), our belief in Him and trust in His sin, Jesus, as our Savior (the way He made for us through the gospel because of His great live for us), then that great love MUST compel us to obedience borne out of a desire to reciprocate that love.


Changed lives change lives. Once God’s Love changes a life by the transformational truth of His Word, that life is spurred on to share that transformational truth with others through love for God and obedience to His Word.


There’s a little three letter word smack dab in the middle of the word “obedience” – DIE. We must die to ourselves daily as Christ died for us — every genuine act of obedience is borne of love.


The greatest of these is love. {1 Corinthians 13:13}


The greatest love is God’s. {1 John 4:16, Romans 5:8}

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Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily — Reason 10: Loving my Brothers and Sisters

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Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily — Reason 10: Loving my Brothers and Sisters

June 10th. Day 10 of walking through “Reasons to Rehearse the Gospel Daily” — Part 1 of “A Gospel Primer for Christians” by Milton Vincent.


Today’s reason — Loving my Brothers and Sisters.


About this reason to rehearse the gospel daily, Vincent says this...


“The more I experience the gospel, the more there develops within me a yearning affection for my fellow Christians who are also participating in the glories of the gospel. This affection for them comes loaded with confidence in their continued spiritual growth and ultimate glorification, and it becomes my pleasure to express to them this loving confidence regarding the ongoing work of God in their lives” {Philippians 1:3-7}


He goes on to say...


“Additionally, with the gospel proving itself to be such a boon in my own life, I realize that the greatest gift I can give to my fellow Christians is the gospel itself. Indeed, I love my fellow Christians not simply because of the gospel, but I love them best when I am loving them with the gospel! {1 Thessalonians 2:8} And I do this not merely by speaking gospel words to them, but also by living before them and generously relating to them in a gospel manner. Imparting my life to them in this way, I thereby contribute to their experience of the power, the Spirit, and the full assurance of the gospel.” {1 Thessalonians 1:5}


Vincent concludes with this...


“By preaching the gospel to myself each day, I nurture the bond that unites me with my brothers and sisters for whom Christ died, and I also keep myself well-versed in the raw materials with which I may actively love them in Christ.”


I am fully convinced that believers “doing life together” and “spurring one another on” to live out gospel truths before a world desperate for truth is one of the most powerful and effective fruits of this practice of rehearsing the gospel daily.


“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” ~ Hebrews‬ ‭10:24-25‬ ‭ESV‬‬


When we LOVE well, we SERVE better. When we SERVE well, we LOVE greater. The gospel empowers us to love and serve beyond our own means.


This reason focuses on our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we’ll see in the days ahead (spoiler alert), gospel driven love extends beyond “family” to “enemies.” The gospel compels us to practice it among believers that we may prove it to those who’ve not yet believed.


We have access to the POWER of the gospel that frees us and redeems us, but it starts with LOVE. God’s love for us was so great that He gave His life. What does our love look like? Does it follow Christ’s example? Does it nurture the bond among believers, and does it display the love of Christ to those who have not yet trusted Him?

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