Jesus
calls us to be both holy and loving. We need both - holiness and love.
We're not to be hypocrites who've given up on holiness. We're not to be
content with keeping up appearances. We're to seek holiness of heart.
This is the heart of holiness. We're not to be hypocrites who show no
love for other people. How can we have much love for God if we don't
have much love for other people? A life that's centred on ourselves is
very different from a life that's centred on Christ. A life that's being
shaped by Christ's love will be a life of receiving His love and
sharing His love. He's teaching us how much He loves us. He's helping us
to show His love to other people.
“At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem”, the keynote of the service was joyful thanksgiving. They gathered together “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving” (Nehemiah 12:27). “On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). They sang “songs of praise and thanksgiving to God” (Nehemiah 12:46). This joyful thanksgiving is only a foretaste of the greater joy and thanksgiving of heaven: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). In the city of God, “the glory of God” will be shining with everlasting brightness (Revelation 21:23). The Church of God will be “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). The beautiful picture of the godly wife in Proverbs 31 gives us an outline of what God is seeking to do in His people. It is summarized in Proverbs 31:30: “A woman who fears the Lord is to be
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