And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16). Jesus told us, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). The scripture goes on to tell us, “He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive” (John 7:39a). God is Love, and we have received the Spirit of Love, and love shall flow like rivers of living water. What does that look like? “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me’” (Matthew 25:34-36).
James wrote, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). Is he telling us our righteousness will be judged by works of the law? For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). Mercy is an act of favor, from someone with the authority to do otherwise. If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:15-17). When the Love of God (Spirit of God) abides within, the outpourings in the physical world are blessings. Blessings are transferred unwarranted prosperity and/or joy. Grace is mercy triumphing over judgment. Blessings are works out of faith. James is saying that words of blessings mean nothing without the blessing being manifested – the blessing manifested is love (God).
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we?'” (Matthew 25:37a). The righteous don’t know they do works of faith because the works flow from what abides within them. The righteous do not hold a debt over someone because of the works, because the works are born out of the Love of God towards us all. The works are not remembered as something done to or for God, because the work was done by God working within the believer. Righteousness has a manifestation in the physical, but physical works are not what imparts righteousness; righteousness is imparted by the Love of God (Spirit of God) by the acts of God. God showed us His faithfulness by His actions. When do we? We do when we willing turn to God. We do when His works flow from our belly like rivers of living water. We do when our actions follow God’s faithfulness.
“The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there’ for indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20b-21). God is love and, if you dwell continually in love, you dwell continually in God and He dwells continually in you. The kingdom of God does not come because of the things you observe, because the kingdom dwells within you continually. We pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). The kingdom is within us. Let the kingdom out, let it flow from your belly like a river of living water. How? Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in a stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick, and go to those in prison. Let the Love of God out!
When things look bleak, it is easy to think we need to store up for our own. The circumstances tell us to close our doors and protect what we have. The hungry are hungry because they are lazy. The homeless are homeless because they don’t work. It is dangerous to take in a stranger. The sick are contagious. Those in prison deserve to be isolated. Grace is mercy triumphing over judgment. Grace and mercy sees beyond the circumstances to the Love of God. Grace is the gift of God’s love to us.
© 2009, Tim D. Coulter Sr.