1st John 4:7. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.” BORN OF GOD. There is no doubt, it’s an accomplished fact, Not of me or men, but a gracious act Of God Himself. He’s the One who moved Toward darkened, dead ones deep in sin and showed The life-giving truth to me that I might live. And by His Holy Spirit, power came to me to give Life: unable to gain or earn or make to be. Life came from God the Source through Word to me; And I am born of God.
Born: not because of works or prayers or water. Born: not because some other man or others said I ought to. But by an act of God in sovereign electing grace, By the Gospel news and convicting Word, made me to trace The Person and work of Christ from eternity to the cross. Where in my lost, condemned, undone condition, with works but dross; The light dawned bright in this my longing searching soul. And mercy shown by blood that flowed from Him, made me whole. And I am born of God.
And now with life divine and nature given from God to make me new; I rise from death to life, and sounds and signs of life I show. Because from deep within the Life-Source to this heart of mine; Has come a nature-new, the seed of God implanted, pure, divine. The life of God cannot be hidden, Evidence is there to see. God has convicted, worked, empowered and a work began in me. And interests changed; ambitions, hopes, dreams and passions too. My “dead-life” now is gone and real life from God; life anew. And I am born of God.
My brothers, sisters, saints, believers – even those in sin; I not can’t help but loving; because from deep within There is begotten a love that is real, that burns so bright; That I truly know it’s not from me, but Him whose light Shone in my darkness and now with love divine imparted; It goes unsaid, that God Himself in grace and love has started To work His love to others, out through me. It’s not of men; But God who now indwells – the power that comes from deep within, Because I am born of God.
Love shows itself – through vessels clay or gold; That God has worked His work unique, begun in days of old. And now that longed for, sought for, greatest missing need, Is now supplied. God’s love made manifest is seen In lives, and words, and deeds in men and women –peculiar, Because it is different from those around. It’s life unusual. Unusual, because the one who loves no matter what or who Deserves the love or not. They love with love they never knew. Because they’re born of God. So now through fleshy bodies, souls redeemed; lives made light through grace, There is throughout the world so dark and lost, light-rays in every place. Some brighter true, than others; yet in every case where love brought life; There is from far and distant isles, cities, towns, countries torn with strife: Evidence undeniable, proof seen; there can be no mistake. God has worked and loved; and seed spread far and wide; and people take The Word, the Water, the Spirit of Truth then quickly works; And cold, dark, dust of sinful man; now lives – the pure seed takes. And men are born of God.
“Heavenly Father: I am wondering why love seems so evasive. Maybe evasive is not the word, but many of us are afraid of making expressions of love a habit. I don’t want to seem distant and hard to reach, especially to my family, but also to these people I work with. If there is any apparent barriers in me that makes me appear distant and foreboding to them, I really want to deal with that perception that the love of God can be truly evident. Then perhaps they will be able to see something of my Lord in me. Amen.”