See how you can finish this phrase using the correct word. There is no inspiration in all the world like…… I posed this before the Tuesday Bible Study last week at the conclusion of studying Romans 6:1-14. The first responses included “grace”, “forgiveness”, “eternal life”. Although those words could fit the phrase, it took some prodding because each of those responses as good as they were, have an inspiration that led to them. Finally, someone said it – “Love”. The key word in the phrase to get the proper ending was inspiration. Love inspired God to grant us grace, to give forgiveness and offer eternal life. Of course, this love comes from God sending his only begotten son, Jesus, to carry out what we could never do for ourselves.
However, if God was so inspired to love us in such a way, should not that love be the inspiration to be a better person? As Barclay stated it, “Many a man has been saved from sin, not because of the regulations of the law (which defines sin), but because he could not bear to hurt or grieve or disappoint someone whom he loved and someone who, he knew, loved him.” Simply put, God’s love inspires us to love God and all that God loves. And we wouldn’t want to do anything to disappoint that love—such as to continue on sinning when we know out of love God extended his grace to us. Our inspiration comes not because of fear of what God will do to us, but from the inspiration of what God has done for us, and to know the entire motivation of God’s action was/is pure love.
Jackie DeShannon sang a song from the 60’s, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love, not just from some but for everyone.” True, everyone needs love. True, if everyone would love the world could be different. But since God so loved the world then it has the love that makes the difference and becomes the root of inspiration.
Be Encouraged by God’s love. Be inspired.
Ray
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