Faith in Christ is Love Plus Nothing 11-8-10

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As the sun rises on the horizon, let the Son rise in my heart. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I entrust my heart and my day into Your care. … “Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? …” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Am I living in the faith, Lord? Do I realize that Jesus Christ is in me? Is the Spirit of Christ in me? Am I willing to test myself? I am I willing to examine my heart, my attitude, my actions to see if I see the nature of Christ is being formed in me? And if I am willing to test myself and my faith, what would be the measure? These thoughts rise up from my heart and come to my mind, as I wait upon the leading of Your Spirit: “The measure of your faith is the measure of your love. For I Am Love. I Am not merely One who loves, but One who is Love. Out of My nature of Love, I choose to love; I cannot help but to love for that is who I Am. And this is My love for you and for all—that while you were yet sinners, I gave My best for you; I gave My Son for you, that you might know and embrace My love for you. This is My grace for you, the power of My love for you. As you trust Me in this, you embrace My nature, you embrace My love. Then, as you are loved, so you will love—you will love Me and you will love one another. This is the faith I desire; this is the love I desire. This is My nature, the nature of Christ revealing My love by My Spirit living in you and in all who will embrace my love by this faith. This is the nature I desire to form in you. Test yourself, examine yourself by this measure—and no other.” Yes, Lord. The measure is not our goodness and self-righteousness. The measure is not all the good things we do or teach or insist upon from others. The measure is our heart of love. And this is a heart we can only have through embracing the love of God through Jesus Christ as Lord, as You change our hearts to be more like Your heart every day by the Spirit of Christ living in us. This is the test of faith, which is the test of love. And here is love: “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is Love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit” (1 John 4:7-13). So as best as I can and all by Your grace, let this kind of faith be found in me—faith revealed in the love of God living through me. The grace and power of God through faith in Christ is Love plus nothing. Faith is love plus nothing. This is the measure; this is what counts. “The only thing that counts is faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6). In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays The Fountain School of Spiritual Ministry, Level II, Nov 10-13, 2010, for Equipping, Training, and Impartation for Ministry, in Lexington, Kentucky with Messiah Ministries & Tommy Hays. Please contact Marilyn Walker, our Director of Ministries for Information or to Register: DirOfMinistries@aol.com or 859-317-1594 Tommy Hays & Messiah Ministries "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" Messiah Ministries 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky 40502 www.messiah-ministries.org MessiahMin@aol.com To order Tommy Hays' books and our ministry resources or contribute to our ministry on-line: www.shop.messiah-ministries.org God bless you