Sometimes we adults need to get really childlike, Jesus did say after all we must be like a child to enter the Kingdom! I want to encourage you with simple biblical truths in creating an environment of love.
It is impossible to thrive in an unloving environment. The consequences of a sin-stained world are visible to mankind and even all creation, for in all areas of life we can take notice where sin is there is no love; in our own hearts, homes, work environments, culture, etc. At the root of sin is self. On a large scale, the sin-stained world and its effects are because of a lack of love that breeds rebellion, for true Biblical love is unselfish and seeks not its own. The external always begins with the internal, and while we may not be able to change the fallen world all at once or control others, we can learn to stay connected to Love and protected by our communing with God. This what we do as believers is change our inner environment (literally giving Jesus a place to rest His head, a place to live in our hearts and be changed by Him) to impact the external.
Living in a sin-stained world can feel daunting sometimes, but the good news is that Jesus made a WAY back to the heart of the Father WHO is love. Not only did He make a way, He manifested the true heart of the Father by giving His life for us. Jesus became the spotless sacrificial Lamb, His blood covered humanity’s stains, becoming the literal sin offering and propitiation for our sin. Jesus, in obedience to the Father in all selflessness gave His life for our souls, BUT also for the love and affection of our hearts! He was crucified and nailed to a tree, conquered sin, and resurrected from death while defeating its shame that we may be reunited to His heart. If we as Christian’s are in sin-cycles it is because there is a shame-cycle. We were liberated and freed upon receiving the Gospel of Salvation, but if you go back to the slavery of sin, you become a prisoner of shame. This is where we get really childlike! Receive His forgiveness, allow the blood of Jesus to wash and cleanse you, yield to His pruning, and walk in both divine grace and fear of the Lord to change.
Through Jesus, we can be restored to the original design through repentance and faith; for we all have been ‘unclean’ or in the old nature, though if we reach for the hem of Jesus’ garment like the woman with the issue of blood in bold faith, we too become whole and clean. We can enter boldly to the throne room of grace like Esther, and say, “I need Your salvation”. We like Moses can walk in the Fear of the Lord, and become His friend, we can rest in the cleft of His heart and say, “show me Your glory”. All Life is in the blood, Jesus is our heart health!
”And Moses said to Him, “If Your presence does not go [with me], do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we are distinguished, Your people and I, from all the [other] people on the face of the earth?” The Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have asked; for you have found favor (lovingkindness, mercy) in My sight and I have known you [personally] by name.” Then Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory!” And God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion (lovingkindness) on whom I will show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man shall see Me and live!” Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and while My glory is passing by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and protectively cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”Exodus 33:15-23 AMP
How are we distinguished from all others on the earth? The Presence of God; God is Love, Holy, Just, Righteous, Pure, Fearful, just to name a few characteristics. And the thing is we were made for more than just glimpses of this Love, and of God’s glory- we were made to live in it. And we do that by living or “abiding” in the Vine, who is Jesus.
”“ I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples. I have loved you just as the Father has loved Me; remain in My love [and do not doubt My love for you]. If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing.“ John 15:1, 7-11 AMP
Regardless of the external environment that is unloving, we can stay connected to Love within, as now the Presence of God has a resting place within us. We have to cultivate this for Him, like growing a beautiful garden within our heart, we through repentance and remaining pure in heart, allow Him to prune us and cut away anything that is dead or growing bad fruit (more of that in John 15). We allow the Holy Spirt to water the garden; washing us and nourishing us with the Word of God. Sin separates us from Him, sin is void of Love, this why we must REMAIN in Jesus. He is Holy so we ask the Lord to make us holy, and treat our heart as such by guarding and protecting our hearts, because out of them flow all the issues of life. We give up our life to become One with the Vine, and eventually become a branch, we too take up our cross and deny self, for Love; our Love of Christ and our love for others. As we continue to flourish on the Vine we mature, transformed more and more into the likeness and image of Christ, from glory to glory, where we bear good fruit in and out of season.
”Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]? If anyone destroys the temple of God [corrupting it with false doctrine], God will destroy the destroyer; for the temple of God is holy (sacred), and that is what you are.“ 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 AMP
”However, you are not [living] in the flesh [controlled by the sinful nature] but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God lives in you [directing and guiding you]. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him [and is not a child of God]. If Christ lives in you, though your [natural] body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness [which He provides]. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you. So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]— for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever. For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear [of God’s judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [the Spirit producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God. And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.“ Romans 8:9-17 AMP
”Beloved, let us [unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves [others] is born of God and knows God [through personal experience]. The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.] By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] 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 propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath]. Beloved, if God so loved us [in this incredible way], we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. But if we love one another [with unselfish concern], God abides in us, and His love [the love that is His essence abides in us and] is completed and perfected in us. By this we know [with confident assurance] that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given to us His [Holy] Spirit. We [who were with Him in person] have seen and testify [as eye-witnesses] that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses and acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him. In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completed and perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love]. We love, because He first loved us.“ 1 John 4:7-19 AMP