THE UNFAILING LOVE OF GOD Kay Keith Peebles 7/31/2020 20.28
“Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].” 1 Corinthians 13:8.
We live in a world bankrupt of true love, and among a society filled with compromise and violence that proudly flaunts its perversion and immorality. However, God is still searching for those who will hear His call for repentance so that He can pour out His unfailing love upon them. It will be those who have acknowledged their depravity and cried out in surrender to the one true God who is Holy and Righteous in all His ways. True life and freedom only come from His River of unfailing love.
Looking back at the Garden of Gethsemane two thousand years ago, Jesus was trying to prepare His disciples for His death on the cross. At the Last Supper, He washed the feet of Judas and his other disciples knowing Judas would betray Him and Peter would deny Him. He was fully aware that all but John would run and hide during His crucifixion. Regardless, He knew His unfailing love and their full conversion would transform them into willing martyrs for the sake of the Gospel.
He brought them to the Garden so that He might pray in preparation for the temptation and fear He would face from Satan before His arrest and crucifixion. He called His three most ardent disciples to come closer to pray and intercede for Him as He faced the fierceness of all hell’s power when He laid down His life.
“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane (olive-press), and He told His disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John], He began to be grieved and greatly distressed. Then He said to them, ‘My soul is deeply grieved so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and stay awake and keep watch with Me.’ And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, yet not as I will but as You will.’ And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘So you men could not stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour?” Matthew 26:36-40.
Jesus gave them three chances to stay awake and intercede for Him and the hour of treachery He was facing. Peter, James, and John were His three strongest disciples and Jesus would be leaving the church in their hands after His death but they couldn’t even stay awake for an hour!
Imagine the temptation of the devil, showing Jesus every gory detail of the crucifixion He was about to suffer. Also, he exposed the weakness of Jesus’ disciples for whom He was dying. They could not even stay awake and pray for Him. His Jewish leaders would be the ones who instigated His crucifixion and many of the people who had cheered for Him as He entered Jerusalem the week before would yell “Crucify Him” at his trial. Satan provided Jesus with every opportunity to become offended with His disciples, the people, and the Jewish leaders for whom He would die. Why must He suffer the most horrible death contrived by mankind, for people who didn’t understand who He was and seemingly didn’t care? His willingness to endure the testing at Gethsemane, the trial, scourging, and the crucifixion is all undeniable proof of His amazing unfailing love for us.
“O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His unfailing love [compassion and lovingkindness] endure forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary…Hungry and thirsty, they fainted. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He rescued them from their distresses. He led them by the straight way, to an inhabited city. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love .”
“Some dwelt in darkness and in the deep darkness, prisoners [bound] in misery and chains, because they had rebelled against the precepts of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore He humbled their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled and there was no one to help. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the deep darkness and broke their bonds apart. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His unfailing love [lovingkindness].
“Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their sins, were afflicted. They detested all kinds of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and rescued them from their destruction.” Psalm 107:1-20 See all. Emphasis mine.
Last week a friend mentioned their adult son who had strayed from the faith and was living a life of sin and brokenness. Their heart was grieving for their son and the choices he was making. The Lord woke me at 4:30 the next morning and told me to pray that His unfailing love would become irresistible to the young man. I contacted my friends and gave them the word from the Lord and shared the references He led me to read- Psalm 107 (above), Psalms 85:4-7, and 94:17-22.
“Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your indignation toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will you prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not receive us and bring us to life again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your unfailing love [lovingkindness], O Lord, and grant us Your salvation.” Psalm 85:4-7 Emphasis mine.
“If the LORD had not been my help, I would soon have dwelt in [the land of] silence. If I say, ‘My foot has slipped’, Your unfailing love [compassion and lovingkindness], O LORD will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comforts delight me…But the LORD has become my high tower and defense, and My God, the rock of my refuge.” Psalm 94:17-22 Emphasis mine.
Our nation is in chaos which is the result of rebellion, lawlessness, greed, immorality, and violence. The desire is to remove every semblance of God and the influence of the church from the land. The Lord holds the church accountable because we were called to be His light in the darkness. Instead, we became comfortable and fat on the blessings of God while we compromised and made friends with the world. His charge is to repent (2 Chronicles 7:13-14) and confess our sin before Him so that He will heal our land. Scripture is very clear that judgment begins with the household of God-1 Peter 4:17.
It is the Lord’s gracious unfailing love that compels us to repent. He desires to heal our land and restore His righteousness in our nation. We must pray for the Lord to restore His ancient paths, laws, principles, and ways that were laid into the foundation when this nation was formed. Then we can believe in faith that His unfailing love will not only heal His people but also compel the sinner to be saved. His call to His church has always been and will always be to make disciples of all nations!
King David committed adultery and covered up his sin by indirectly murdering Bathsheba’s husband. Although he should have known he had sinned, his lust blinded his eyes keeping him from repentance. The prophet Nathan confronted David at the Lord’s request. See 2 Samuel 12:7-14. It was God’s unfailing love for David that the Lord sought for his repentance. Psalm 51 is David’s bold and deep-felt prayer to the Lord.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love (lovingkindness); according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is always before me, against You, You only, have I sinned and done that which is evil in your sight, so that You are justified when You speak [Your sentence] and faultless in Your judgments…
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know Your wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow…Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted and return to You…For you do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. My [only] sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, such, O God, You will not despise…” Psalm 51:1-19.
The Lord awakens and calls us to repent, because of His unfailing love for us. Jesus told His disciples, “At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved…” Matthew 14:10-14.
This scripture is being fulfilled as I write. Many in the church have agreed with secular humanistic beliefs leading them into approving and practicing gross immorality and deception. They have become mesmerized by the world’s doctrines and without repentance they will completely fall away from the faith. The simple confession of our sin is not enough. True repentance is forsaking our sin and turning in the opposite direction.
The chasm that exists between the Kingdom of God (good) and the kingdom of darkness (evil) is widening daily. Soon, the window of opportunity for compromised Christians to come back to God through repentance is fading. See Revelation chapter 2 and 3.
The Lord’s arms are open wide for both the unsaved and Christians who would turn from their sins and run to His unfailing love. May the fear of the Lord move upon the hearts of His people and may their hearts be set ablaze by His Unfailing Love!
