Before now I've always thought that scripture in Romans is talking about someone that has attained a height in God that he is so sure and bold enough to ask such a daring question "what can separate us from the love of Christ"
And the list apostle Paul made in vs 35 and 38-39 of that 8th chapter of Romans is scary, very scary, you read things like death nor life, things present or things to come (are you kidding me, what sponsors such confidence?).
I often ask myself can I be this confident about the way I love myself, not to talk of another, especially someone I don't see often, I just concluded that it's a realm, a height I must strive to attain.
However, reading your insight now, I got another perspective, a eye opener, the scripture is not only talking about someone confident in his love for a deity, but something more than that, it's a confidence based on an assurance that God loves him and won't stop loving him.
This revelation here makes more sense to me now, than I can put it into words, I now understand what scripture meant by "we love Him, because he first loved us" (1 John 4 : 19), it seems to me now that it means, our ability to love Him, comes from His love for us. Wow, just wow
Now I know why he (Paul) was so confident, this was a testimony of someone not just confident in himself, but confident in the love extended towards him (or better put, he's confident in his lover, to keep loving him, not the other way round), and that is enough, I don't need to get myself worked up, I just need to understand the depth of love God has towards me, and it will sponsor a level of confidence and dispense all doubts and fears because "there's no fear in love"
Thank you for sharing your insight to bless us, God bless you.
I'm glad you got this understanding. The entire book of Romans shows us how we cannot be confident in ourselves in the way you mention. Paul certainly was not ("all have fallen short of the glory of God", "wretched man that I am! who will deliver me from this body of death"). Instead, it is as you also said "we love Him because He first loved us".
Merry Christmas and happy new year in advance to you too :)
Wow!
A song writer said and I agree
"What you went through to love me
I'll never understand
What blows my mind away is
You'll do it all again"
Before now I've always thought that scripture in Romans is talking about someone that has attained a height in God that he is so sure and bold enough to ask such a daring question "what can separate us from the love of Christ"
And the list apostle Paul made in vs 35 and 38-39 of that 8th chapter of Romans is scary, very scary, you read things like death nor life, things present or things to come (are you kidding me, what sponsors such confidence?).
I often ask myself can I be this confident about the way I love myself, not to talk of another, especially someone I don't see often, I just concluded that it's a realm, a height I must strive to attain.
However, reading your insight now, I got another perspective, a eye opener, the scripture is not only talking about someone confident in his love for a deity, but something more than that, it's a confidence based on an assurance that God loves him and won't stop loving him.
This revelation here makes more sense to me now, than I can put it into words, I now understand what scripture meant by "we love Him, because he first loved us" (1 John 4 : 19), it seems to me now that it means, our ability to love Him, comes from His love for us. Wow, just wow
Now I know why he (Paul) was so confident, this was a testimony of someone not just confident in himself, but confident in the love extended towards him (or better put, he's confident in his lover, to keep loving him, not the other way round), and that is enough, I don't need to get myself worked up, I just need to understand the depth of love God has towards me, and it will sponsor a level of confidence and dispense all doubts and fears because "there's no fear in love"
Thank you for sharing your insight to bless us, God bless you.
Merry Christmas and happy new year in advance 🥳🎉🎁
I'm glad you got this understanding. The entire book of Romans shows us how we cannot be confident in ourselves in the way you mention. Paul certainly was not ("all have fallen short of the glory of God", "wretched man that I am! who will deliver me from this body of death"). Instead, it is as you also said "we love Him because He first loved us".
Merry Christmas and happy new year in advance to you too :)