Power, love, and sanity

WORDs of Saving Grace - power, love, and sanity

2 Timothy 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

When we are saved and feast upon God's goodness and His WORD the Spirit inside us is manifested in these characteristics: power, love and sanity.

First of all we see that these are not OUR traits - they are "GOD" given from His Spirit.

Power - we must consider the use of the word power in the context of God's Word and not our own use or interpretation. Power is used 156 times in the New Testament. It is refered as "thine is the Power" (Matthew 6:13), "the power to forgive sins" (Matthew 9:6), "power against unclean spirits" (Matthew 10:1), and this power can work through us by "scriptures" (Matthew 22:29). "All" the power of God (Matthew 28:18) flows to us through Jesus. This "power of God" comes through us by the gospel of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Love - the Love of God works in and through us. This is not referring to our love, but again it is God who IS love. If He simply loves, then He could stop loving, but He IS LOVE (1 John 4:8,16) and He will never stop loving us. Love goes beyond duty and obligation, it superceeds law and commands (Matthew 22:38). The everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3) of God is given to us BY HIS SPIRIT. And it is His perfect love that delivers us from ALL our fears (Psalm 34:4, 1 John 4:18).

Sanity (sound mind) - my absolute favorite demonstration of His power is the man with the legion of demons (Luke 8:15). This man was absolutely crazy. He dwelled on the fear of death constantly (Mark 5:3). He hated his life and showed this by harming and cutting himself (Mark 5:5). This insanity caused others to try to bind him with chains and fetters, but no one could cure (tame) his insanity (Mark 5:4).

Until he met JESUS!