What is the greatest gift we can give another person? To some extent that seems to depend upon what the receiver of our gift values. Since we all do not value the same things the same way, not all of us appreciate the most valuable gifts as much as we should.
Luke 7:36-50 explains one reason why we may not value the most costly gifts as much as we should. We may not understand how much we need forgiveness. When He forgives a sinner, Jesus explains.
Luke 7:47 New American Standard Bible
For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little.”
The Apostle Paul, because he had persecuted Christians, saw himself as the foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Therefore, he very much appreciated the forgiveness of Christ Jesus. Like Paul, until we appreciate our sinfulness, our need for forgiveness, we cannot appreciate Jesus’ sacrifice, His choice to die upon a cross for our sins. We will not understand how much He loves us.
John 15:13 New American Standard Bible
Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.
Until we understand that we are sinners and need God’s forgiveness, we also won’t appreciate the fact we do not deserve the gift of God’s love. We will not learn, as that prostitute did, how much we should love God.
Romans 5:6-8 New American Standard Bible
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us
Even though we are sinners, God still loves us. Does that mean it is okay for us to sin? No. God commands us to love Him (Deuteronomy 6:5). If we love God, He expects us to obey Him (John 14:15). Therefore, we must strive to love each other as He loved us.
John 15:12-13 New American Standard Bible
“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.
God loves us in spite of our sinfulness. Because He loves us, God wants us to stop stop sinning. Similarly, we should love each other. Even though we are sinners, we should love each other. Because we love each other, we should help each other to stop sinning.
Prince William-Manassas Family Alliance 
In a nutshell, Jesus spoke of the need for Spirit in the receiver of the gift, space in other words, not hearts filled with resentment towards others, no matter whom. If our healing world is to heal, we need to accept the current situation to be one of our own making, and in this regard, we have to ask, why so many in positions of power,tried to deny climate change because they were protecting the interests of the few, amen..and worse, how they convinced millions to accept a lie as a truth…
@bwcarey
The Prince William- Manassas Family Alliance doesn’t have a position on Global Warming. So, I can only state my personal position. I agree with the first part of your comment. When you get to the part on Climate Change, I don’t agree.
Climate Change use to be called Global Warming. Then the powers behind the movement changed the name. Why? Well, many of us infered what seems obvious. The weather is always changing, but there is not much evidence that man has changed the global weather.
Has mankind changed the weather? Perhaps, but I think we have been more effective in changing the local weather. Do a search on the expression “heat islands.” When we spread asphalt and concrete all over the areas where we live, we replace green vegetation with materials that absorb the energy of the sun quite a bit differently. As a result, it is warmer where most of us live, but we only live great densities on a small part of the globe. Hence, it may seem like the whole globe is warming, but it is actually only getting warmer where have spread asphalt and concrete all over the landscape.
Think! What is it like in a parking lot when the sun is overhead?
All of us are sinners. That includes both the global warming activists and “deniers.” Since the Federal Government funds most weather research, the mass media avidly supports global warming, and the Democratic Party is eager to mandate global warming initiatives, it is obvious that many of those in the positions of power back global warming as an article of faith, but the general public doesn’t. Does that make the people in the positions of power more virtuous and the general public more sinful? Depends upon the motives of those involved, and that can be difficult to determine.
as Jesus said, will there be any faith left. You cannot worship God without honoring His creation, amen, and that includes stewardship of the vineyard, amen, the parable. I know there is a lot of misinformation out there, recall Isaiah, and his words. Thanks tom, hope all goes well, amen
@bwcarey
I agree we need to honor God’s Creation. That is one of the reasons people choose to become scientists, to worship God by praising the marvel of His Creation.
We are part of God’s Creation. If we do what the Global Warming activists want, it doesn’t fix any problems. Their proposed solutions would give the government more power, their solutions don’t fix anything. They just result in more poverty and starvation. Government exists to protect us. In fact, one motive for being good stewards of the earth is we need a heatlthy environment to survive.
Please think about what you are doing. You have assumed climate change is true and proven. I have just pointed out it isn’t. Then you try to shame the “deniers” a second time. Is that a virtuous way to persuade anyone of anything?
Consider the consequence of the Greenhouse Effect. If the Greenhouse Effect is real, does anyone benefit by ignoring it? What good does it do to make a fortune off coal if it destroys the earth’s climate? On the other hand, if the climate change “crisis” can be used by politicians to increase their power……. Well, don’t we know there are politicians who never let a crisis go to waste.
Reblogged this on Boudica BPI Weblog.