His Most Excellent Way examines the topic of "agape love," the central doctrine of the Gospel, as well as what it means to participate in the divine, sacrificial love of God. Written by longtime pastor Gary Strong, this spiritual guidebook explores being "born again." Find out how God helps the faithful, and discover the doubts, fears, and perplexities believers face in various life situations and how they find comfort in the Bible. By focusing on biblical teachings and the word of God, you'll discover how to attain perfect love; how to fulfill God's greatest desires; and how to become "born again" and begin a personal relationship with God. You'll also learn how loving both your neighbors and enemies can improve your life, as well as how God works through different traits, such as dominant, influencing, stable, and compliant personalities. By broadening your own personality, it's possible to make your life more meaningful. The Scriptures convey that God's love continues to be of central importance to humanity. His Most Excellent Way is about nurturing a healthy relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

His Most Excellent Way

A Biblical Approach to Living a Life of Christ-like LovingBy Gary Strong

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Gary Strong
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-5654-5

Contents

God's Love, Our New Birth, and a New Life.....................1Divine Love and Human Personality.............................17Perfect Love and Personality Profiles.........................33Perfect Love: How to Attain It................................45The Power of Perfect Love.....................................67The Evidence of Christ-like Love..............................71The Miracle We Need...........................................83

Chapter One

God's Love, Our New Birth, and a New Life

God's central purpose for creating and saving us is for us to have, by means of the new birth, a loving and eternal relationship with him as his newborn sons and daughters. The New Testament is infused with this truth. The Lord Jesus died to make this eternal relationship a reality.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his One and Only Son that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

The famous London preacher Charles Haddon Spurgoen was asked why he so often preached on the text, 'You must be born again.' His simple and profound exclamation was, 'Because you must be born again!'

The way by which we enter into this relationship with God is through the new birth. When people are born again, they become the eternal children of God through faith in Jesus.

John 1:12-13 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husbands will, but born of God

The importance and crucial nature of the new birth is stressed with great emphasis when the Lord had a night visitor, Nicodemus.

John 3:3-8 In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. 'How can a man be born when he is old?' Nicodemus asked. 'Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!' Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.... I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless He is born again of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.'

Here is an unmistakable declared truth: people who are not born again can neither see nor enter God's eternal Kingdom. Heaven is closed to them until the miracle of the new birth takes place, and through the new birth, everything in heaven and earth becomes possible. Through the new birth a person is born into the awe-inspiring love of the Father. Those who are born again become his Royal Children, and they commence their eternal life here on earth, and they are also destined for eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Turning to the miracle of human birth, let us notice an important factor. Where love is not present in the conception of a child, and where it is not followed up with loving and supportive care, that child will more often than not suffer inbred and emotional trauma. Inward, deep insecurities and inconsistencies are often a part of such children's existence. A lack of real love can destroy them. Many of our prisons and psychiatric hospitals are full of adults who are passing the distresses of their childhood into their 'grown-up' status. God does not want his children to grow up that way. He loves them far too much, so much so, that the Lord Jesus died both to save them and to convince them of God the Father's incredible, immeasurable love.

Where love is present in the conception of a child and, after its birth, is followed up with true love and care, will grow up emotionally secure and wholesome.

Love must conceive, create, and continue to care for the spiritually newborn child. God the Father miraculously brings about the new birth of a Christian because he loves spiritually born-again children, of all ages. The Lord Jesus, in Matthew's Gospel, demonstrated his concern and love for his children.

Matthew 18:1-6 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones, who believes in me, to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.'

God desires to bring children 'of all ages' into His Kingdom. By the creative power of the Holy Spirit and through the cleansing power of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father brings children to spiritual birth. He also provides the love and care to sustain them as they grow towards spiritual maturity. Thus does God the Father enjoy the satisfaction in fellowship with His newborn children.

After we have been born again, the love of God becomes central in our lives. In that experience there are three important and ongoing features of God's love. They were written into the Word of God in Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth.

II Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Here is the Divine Benediction for all Christians. Paul sees God's desire for Christians to have a deep relationship with Himself, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. One Saturday morning when I was in training for the ministry, I met the principal of the college, Dr Harold Roberts, at the entrance hall of the college. The question arose as to what my sermon would be on the following day. I told him that it was on the closing benediction of Paul's second letter to Corinth. He said something that I have never forgotten. 'Gary, that scripture has a divine construction. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ introduces us to the Love of God the Father, and through this we enter into the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit.'

God's greatest desire for us is to have a deepening relationship of love with him. As we stand before Jesus and contemplate what he has done for us on the cross, his grace explodes into ever more wonderful vistas of God's redemptive love. I remember the great preacher, Dr W.E. Sangster, calling out from the pulpit of the Central Hall, Westminster: 'I don't know all there is to know about the Cross.' And then he said, as if with the sound of a muted trumpet, 'Nobody does!'

As we contemplate the vast revelation of the love of God through the Cross, the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ enters into our hearts and minds with growing reality. From the cross of Jesus God opened the reality of his love to us all.

Luke 23:44-45 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the Temple was torn in two.

There, on the Cross, the heart of God was laid bare—the full and perfect disclosure of his immense and unfathomable love made clear for all to see!

As we use the gift of imagination and consider the incredible love of God revealed on the Cross, we are left awestruck! His love went beyond human reason! When He cried out in all his physical and spiritual pain, 'Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing', our minds are silenced! Such love is beyond human comprehension. Why did He do it for sinners such as we are?

Charles Wesley's great hymn, 'O God of all Grace', expresses this love and grace with rich and profound meaning:

    O God of all grace,
    Thy goodness we praise;
    Thy Son Thou hast given to die in our place.
    He came from above
    Our curse to remove;
    He has loved He has loved us, because He would love.

    Love moved Him to die,
    And on this we rely;
    He has loved, He has loved us; we cannot tell why;
    But this we can tell,
    He has loved us so well
    As to lay down His life to redeem us from hell.

In God's Word, his Love, mercy, and grace break out everywhere. Ours is a faith that centres on God's love in and through us. The understanding of the Trinity, as declared in Paul's Corinthian benediction, opens up the entire spectrum of the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. To put it simply, we see the many different dimensions of his love.

God the Father cares for us with His Providential Love.

God is always seeking ways to guide us into his loving and generous will. Only then will we live life to the full. Spend a little time thinking about all you have received from him and you will find that his immeasurable love has been guiding your life even though you were not conscious of it.

A doctor visited a crippled girl who lived in a poor area of London. Because of her condition she had to spend most of her days and nights in bed. The doctor found her cheerful and content. When he asked her why she was so cheerful and happy, she replied, 'Doctor, at night I look out of my window at the stars and I count off one star for every blessing that I have. And do you know, Doctor, I am running out of stars!' God the Father's love and providential care is more present than most people realise. The Lord Jesus expressed this loving care in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith. So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you have need of them. But seek first his Kingdom, and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The key to discovering God's complete providential care is to seek His Kingship and Kingdom over our lives. We soon begin to see doorways opening for all our needs to be met. God's providential care for you and me begins with His Lordship over us here on earth.

God the Son sustains us by His Grace.

Jesus is always present to show us the way forward when we are in a corner. Paul knew this experience. When he was imprisoned in Jerusalem, facing death at the instigation of the Jewish leaders, he felt that certain death awaited him. However, the Lord's sustaining grace was there to guide and uphold him.

Acts 23:10-11 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.'

On another occasion the Apostle was under severe mental, physical and spiritual attack.

II Corinthians 12:7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

It could have been physical or spiritual torment, or both. That is not the issue. The important thing is that the Lord's grace came through for him.

II Corinthians 12:8-9 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

When we face problems, difficulties, and trials, look for the grace of God that is present to sustain and guide us through them all. It is there!

God the Holy Spirit fills our lives with all of God's immense Love.

God the Holy Spirit carries us into the full spectrum of the life and love of God the Father and of God the Son. His presence leads us into sanctification, holiness, and, ultimately, Christ-likeness. The Father and the Son have the great pleasure of sending us the Holy Spirit to communicate every good thing from God to us. In every situation the Holy Spirit is present to give us hope and to increase the depth of God's love in us.

Romans 5:2B-5 ... and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who he has given us.

His wonderful, all-pervading presence is ours for the asking. There can never be a situation that prevents us from 'drinking' into our lives the depths of God's perfect love.

John 7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God are our constant resources, available to us by faith. When we go to the Lord and drink of the Holy Spirit's life, his loving presence is lavished upon us. In Paul's letter to the Ephesians (3:14-21), God clarifies what he longs to see happening in the lives of his children. I have written out this passage as a prayer that we can use for ourselves or for those for whom we intercede:

I kneel before you, my heavenly Father, from whom your whole family in heaven and on earth receives its name. I pray that out of your glorious riches you will strengthen us with power through your Spirit in our inmost beings, so that you, Lord Jesus, may live in our hearts by faith. I pray that we will be rooted and grounded in love and that we may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is your love, and to know your love which surpasses knowledge—that we may be filled to the full measure of your life, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now to you who are able to do immeasurably above all that we can ask or imagine, according to your power that is at work in us, to you be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever! Amen!

The love of God is not to be taken for granted. His love is ours, not by right, but by grace. We must with all humility, seek and ask for His presence to saturate our hearts with the desire to have the full love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit flowing through us. This overflowing love must become our central aim. Paul said to the Corinthians, 'Make love your aim! Follow after love.' Set the love of God at the forefront of every aspiration!

When we place our lives, by faith, into His Kingdom and His purposes, we are in a position to exercise our priesthood ministry. In that lovely position as His Royal Family, we can reach out to others who do not yet have our confidence in the Father's love. Our prayer for them must be, 'Father, bring them to yourself so that they too will share in the security of your guiding and loving care.'

(Continues...)

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