I believe that if you are to establish stability in your Christian life, you need to have a solid foundation. That means that we need to pay attention to the basics. Christianity 101 is where it’s at. A breathtakingly beautiful home without a solid foundation will crumble. So, pay attention to the elementary matters of the faith.
For the Christian, nothing is more basic than experientially knowing that God loves you. God’s very essence is love (1 John 4:8,16), but not just any kind of love. For some of you, this will be remedial, but hang in there. The question is not whether you know this stuff. Of course you do! The question is, are you experiencing it?
His love is unconditional (Romans 5:8). Do you know what that means? God loves you as you are, period. Nothing can disqualify you from His love. You matter to Him exactly as you are, even at your worst. God loves the unlovely and He forgives even our worst offenses. Virtually all Christians have a theology of God’s love. They can quote several verses on the subject. That’s a start. But, you know what’s coming- ARE YOU EXPERIENCING IT?
Even if you have experienced it, you need to keep experiencing it. God's love is designed to impart life to you. It imparts healing to your brokenness. It soothes and salves your many wounds.
It’s not likely that Christians haven’t had enough sermons. Most of us have heard plenty. Still, we find ourselves anxious and afraid. The best cure for feeling that way is a fresh baptism in the love of God. What if, when we gather next in a small group setting (whether yours is a house church or some other type of small group gathering), we spend the entire time just laying hands on each other and asking God to impart His amazing love through us to each other? What if we asked Him to remove all of the things that are inside of us that keep us from experiencing His love?
Study that doesn’t not lead to an encounter is a royal waste of time. Study to encounter God. Study to encounter and receive His love!