Being a Disciple (2): The Gospel of God's Love

The essence of discipleship is a love relationship with the Lord - a true disciple loves Him and seeks to express that in his life. Discipleship begins with the Gospel - the message of God's awesome love for us (1John 4:19). We need a revelation of His love for us, to receive His love and then give our love to Him. Once our heart is converted to Christ, we become His disciple and our whole life becomes an expression of our love for Him (the motivation of a true disciple is love for Jesus). If we detach discipleship from love, it becomes a religion of laws and rules, with little value or joy. God is not calling us to legalism, but the obedience of love, a real love relationship with Him, where we do His commands, because we love Him (John 14:15). This starts by us receiving the Gospel, the Good News of His love for us. Our hearts are converted to fall in love with Jesus, when we see how much He loves us personally, and how much He suffered to save us from sin and hell to have our love forever (Hebrews 12:2). The essence of the Gospel is the revelation of God's love for us. Its purpose is to win our heart. Mary demonstrated what it is designed to achieve – the total conversion of our heart to Him, so we give Him our worship and love, fully and freely, surrendering our lives to Him (Mark 14:3-5,9). Once our heart is converted, we naturally move into discipleship - the outworking of this love-relationship with Christ in the details of our life. Thus, the Great Commission is in 2 parts: (1) preach the Gospel to convert the heart (Mark 16:15). Then, (2) discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20). The life of a disciple, following and obeying Christ, is all from love, to please and glorify Him. We want to be like Him, because we love Him. Without that love, flowing from a converted heart, it loses its meaning. The Gospel is all about God’s everlasting love in Christ, which (1) began in eternity past, when He chose us, and (2) was manifested in history through Christ, and (3) came to us personally, when He called us to Himself through the Gospel and saved us, and (4) is continually sanctifying us by His Spirit within us, and (5) will ultimately be consummated in us, when we are glorified. To fully comprehend God’s love for us, we must go back to eternity past. God, in His Omniscience, before the creation of the world, knew all possible worlds He could create, with free-will beings in His image, to be part of His forever family, who choose to trust and love Him. He knew all possible freewill beings that could exist, and their choices in all possible circumstances. Then He sovereignly chose to set His love on certain ones (from the infinite number who might possibly exist) that He wanted for Himself, and then brought forth this universe where these ones exist and are saved (this is election). If you exist and have received Jesus, you are part of His elect. He has chosen you for Himself, for He loved and chose you from eternity, and created this universe to bring you forth. That's how special you are to Him! (2Thessalonians 2:13-14, Ephesians 1:4). His election means He set His special love upon us (Deuteronomy 7:6-8), as a man chooses a woman, based on his love for her. Since He loves us, He chose us to exist and be saved and belong to Him forever. God’s ELECTION is also called FORE-KNOWLEDGE (1Peter 1:2), which means He chose to KNOW us from BEFORE creation. He chose to create and know Jeremiah before he was conceived (Jeremiah 1:5). Likewise, from eternity He chose to know us, set His love on us, and have a love-relationship with us (Jeremiah 31:3). Romans 8:28-39 is a declaration of God’s everlasting love for us. Romans 8:29-30 describe the 5 manifestations of God’s love from eternity past to eternity future: “(1) Whom God FOREKNEW (chose, set His love upon), (2) He also PREDESTINED to be conformed to the image of His Son (to be glorified).” He planned our salvation, and then carried out that plan by Christ’s life, death and resurrection): “Moreover, whom He PREDESTINED, these (3) He also (effectually) CALLED (to Himself through the Gospel), and whom He CALLED, these (4) He also JUSTIFIED (when we responded to His call and received Jesus, He demonstrated His love for us by forgiving us and declaring us righteous through His Blood, putting us into right relationship with Himself, qualifying us to receive every blessing), and whom He JUSTIFIED, these (5) He also GLORIFIED.” On the basis of our justification, His Holy Spirit came inside us to sanctify us (make us more like Jesus), transforming us from glory to glory, and that process will be completed at His Return, when we will be GLORIFIED. The fact these verses talk about God’s relentless LOVE for us, in the past, present and future (the heart of the Gospel), is confirmed by the next verses (v31-39). God chose you and will glorify you. He has wonderful plans for you for all eternity. This is the Gospel of His love!