Being loved by God is a fixed reality. Why? Because his Love for us is based on [1]Christ'sperfect performance on our behalf and not ours. To say it another way, we don't have to be perfect anymore in order to be loved.
As a result there is nothing we can or should do to make ourselves more or less acceptable and lovedby God than we already are right now in Christ. We are the beloved child of God. Nothing we do can make us any more (or less) so i.e. cause God to love us more fully than he already does.
As a result there is nothing we can or should do to make ourselves more or less acceptable and lovedby God than we already are right now in Christ. We are the beloved child of God. Nothing we do can make us any more (or less) so i.e. cause God to love us more fully than he already does.
However pleasing God, bringing joy to his heart isbased on our faithful pursuit of him; our diligent obedience to him i.e. our action/conduct/"performance" if you will. This conduct has to do with our [2]relationship with God,the other is a matter of our status or legal standing before God.
The former (being loved by God) answers the following:
"Am I an infinitely and beloved child of God" to which scripture gives a resounding YES!!
"Is there anything [3]I must do to insure I am (and continue to be) an infinitely beloved child of God." The answer is an equally resounding NO!!
Nothing I do will cause, insure or preventGod's love for me. That was why Christ came. He took care of allof this for me. Our judgment is satisfied by Christ; our condemnation is gone because of Christ. Our standing as a beloved child of God is secured in Christ. God's love for us is absolute and infinite because of Christ. As Christ declared at the end of addressing all these things in and by his crucifixion, he said in a loud voice "It is finished!" then gave up his spirit.
The later (pleasing God) addresses a very different question. Which is, "am I a child that honors my Father to the utmost by my words and actions" Notice this question addresses our side of things, not God's side. His side is already taken care of.
Do I please him? It depends on if I am living for him and loving him with all my heart soul, mind and strength. This is a matter of my relationship with God evidenced by my trust in him. Do I fully trust that love healready has for me and act accordingly i.e. in faithful and loving pursuit of him? Again, this deals with myside of things. Justification deals with God's side.
Do I please him? It depends on if I am living for him and loving him with all my heart soul, mind and strength. This is a matter of my relationship with God evidenced by my trust in him. Do I fully trust that love healready has for me and act accordingly i.e. in faithful and loving pursuit of him? Again, this deals with myside of things. Justification deals with God's side.
Just like any Parent is most pleased when their kids heed their loving directions, so it is with God. And just as a loving parent will never love their child any more than they already do, so it is with God i.e. once we are a child (born into our family) we will always be the child of our parents i.e. loved and cherished by our parents.
However the truly loving parents also find great delight in their child when they faithfully pursue the parents wishes. In fact the more they love us the more delighted they are when we heed their wise, loving and perfect directions, because the more we trust and obey the more we experience their love for us and the fullness of life for us they desire and we were created for i.e. the more we flourish and blossom into who we were designed to be. What loving parent doesn't want their kid to know the fullness of their love and experience all the joy that comes with it?
Are we to obey because our parents need our trust and obedience. Not in the sense it addsanything to them as persons. But as loving parents they do "need" (i.e. want) to know their kids are doing well and desire with all their hearts the absolute best for their child.
Now if we assume our parents are infinitely wise and know exactly what that best is, than we know (trust) heeding their instructions is in our best interest and it will not be hard to do so. The parents already know this, we however must learn this.
And when a child heeds well his parents instructions, how do parents respond? They entrust that child with more because they long for their child to know an even greater fullness of their love. As the child shows greater trust in the parents, the parents have greater trust in the child. The relationship grows and strengthens i.e. the love and trust on which a relationship is built, grows.
Of course we all know there are [2]no such parents, at least not on earth. But human parents are a type of our heavenly Father who is perfect in every way. And God as our perfect parent delights in knowing we are experiencing the best he has and there is for us. And that best means our growing trust in him and obedience to him, doing as he says because he knows what that best is better than anyone, including ourselves.
In summary:
Does our faithful pursuit of God matter? No and yes.
As far as our being right (in right standing, justified) with God and his love for us being secured and set on us, it makes absolutely zero difference. Somebody else had to (and was the only one who could) take care of this side of things and did i.e. Christ himself.
As far as our experiencing the warmth of that love secured for us and the closeness of fellowship with him and our bringing him joy and delight, as with any love relationship, it makes all the difference in the world. And when we stray it hurts God, not because he needs us but because he wants us and wants us to know the fullness of that love secured for us by Christ and that joy that is their for us in him. The Father and the Son went to great lengths to insure all of this.
In summary:
Does our faithful pursuit of God matter? No and yes.
As far as our being right (in right standing, justified) with God and his love for us being secured and set on us, it makes absolutely zero difference. Somebody else had to (and was the only one who could) take care of this side of things and did i.e. Christ himself.
As far as our experiencing the warmth of that love secured for us and the closeness of fellowship with him and our bringing him joy and delight, as with any love relationship, it makes all the difference in the world. And when we stray it hurts God, not because he needs us but because he wants us and wants us to know the fullness of that love secured for us by Christ and that joy that is their for us in him. The Father and the Son went to great lengths to insure all of this.
Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him at all. For he who comes to God must of necessity in the nature of the case believe that He exists, and that He becomes a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him out. (Wuest).
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[1]This is what is meant by the frequent expression "in Christ" used at least 90 times in the NT.
[2]What about those who didn't have such perfect parents growing up?...
You have one now.
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. Psalm 27:10 (KJV)
(CEV) Even if my father and mother should desert me, you will take care of me.
(ERV) Even if my mother and father leave me, the LORD will take me in.
(ESV) For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.
(GNB) My father and mother may abandon me, but the LORD will take care of me.
[3]It should be pointed out that if we are now truly a redeemed child of God, we will be a new creature. Everything will be different. We will have new desires, a new vision of God's love for us resulting in a love for God that changes us and how we live. If there is no such change the bible cautions us to "make our calling and elections sure" i.e. do a spiritual self assessment and be sure these qualities are true in and of you. If they are not we have no reason to believe we are his child.
While living for God does not insure God's love, it is evidence of it. When we know we are loved we respond in faithfulness. If we don't live faithfully for God, this is an indication we have not experienced his love.
Being his child however of God however doesn't mean we are perfect. We all blow it, but once we are a child of God blowing it matters; it effects (bothers) us; it impacts our relationship with God, before it didn't.
But the most important point is it robs God of the joy and delight of seeing us participate in the fullness of his love and our experiencing the joy of seeing his kingdom (rule and reign of love) advanced through us to others.
(ERV) Even if my mother and father leave me, the LORD will take me in.
(ESV) For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.
(GNB) My father and mother may abandon me, but the LORD will take care of me.
[3]It should be pointed out that if we are now truly a redeemed child of God, we will be a new creature. Everything will be different. We will have new desires, a new vision of God's love for us resulting in a love for God that changes us and how we live. If there is no such change the bible cautions us to "make our calling and elections sure" i.e. do a spiritual self assessment and be sure these qualities are true in and of you. If they are not we have no reason to believe we are his child.
While living for God does not insure God's love, it is evidence of it. When we know we are loved we respond in faithfulness. If we don't live faithfully for God, this is an indication we have not experienced his love.
Being his child however of God however doesn't mean we are perfect. We all blow it, but once we are a child of God blowing it matters; it effects (bothers) us; it impacts our relationship with God, before it didn't.
But the most important point is it robs God of the joy and delight of seeing us participate in the fullness of his love and our experiencing the joy of seeing his kingdom (rule and reign of love) advanced through us to others.
