Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.1
God upholds us with his righteous hand. Others trust in the strength of their own hands, but for God's people he strengthens, helps, and upholds them. It is truly not our righteousness or strength that we trust in. For God holds our right hand; it is He who says, Fear not, I am the one who helps you.2 God's servant came not crying aloud, lifting up his voice, so as to be heard in the streets but He came to establish the law, justice on earth.3 He called his people in righteousness and took them by the hand, to establish a new covenant with them, a light for the nations. To establish justice; to open the eyes of the blind, to free the prisoners from darkness. The former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare.4
For He so loved the world, that he gave his only Son... He shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us.5 God establishes a covenant with us, when we believe he seals us with his spirit as a guarantee of inheritance. It was love that established this covenant, unmerited, unconditional, Grace. His love is eternal, his covenant everlasting. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? ... we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.6 We are more than conquerors, we are one with the Father. We came to know and to believe the love God has for us. God is love.7 Oh Jesus loves me, this I know, what great love the Father has bestowed.
God upholds us with his righteous hand. Others trust in the strength of their own hands, but for God's people he strengthens, helps, and upholds them. It is truly not our righteousness or strength that we trust in. For God holds our right hand; it is He who says, Fear not, I am the one who helps you.2 God's servant came not crying aloud, lifting up his voice, so as to be heard in the streets but He came to establish the law, justice on earth.3 He called his people in righteousness and took them by the hand, to establish a new covenant with them, a light for the nations. To establish justice; to open the eyes of the blind, to free the prisoners from darkness. The former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare.4
For He so loved the world, that he gave his only Son... He shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us.5 God establishes a covenant with us, when we believe he seals us with his spirit as a guarantee of inheritance. It was love that established this covenant, unmerited, unconditional, Grace. His love is eternal, his covenant everlasting. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? ... we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.6 We are more than conquerors, we are one with the Father. We came to know and to believe the love God has for us. God is love.7 Oh Jesus loves me, this I know, what great love the Father has bestowed.
Through faith Christ dwells in our hearts, this is how love is established, rooted, and grounded in our hearts. Through this established love we are increasingly comprehending the dimensions of this great love, and through this transcending knowledge of the love of Christ we are being filled to the fullness of Christ.8 Amazing. I am justified by Grace and I am being sanctified, purified into the image of Christ through this amazing love God has for me. By our love for one another the world will know we are followers of Jesus. By our unity they will know Jesus is God. Change the world, change the heart.
In this is love, not that I was righteous or that I loved God but that He loved me and revealed His love for me.9 He died for me, there is no greater love than this. I am to die to self if I am to love like Christ. I die to self by putting my brother or sister before myself. This is the essence of the greatest commandments of God; to love Him, to love others. He gives this new command to love one another as He does. This knowledge of His love for us has been revealed to us so we are to love like he does. Greater love than this no one has, that one the self (soul, life) of him lay (I put, place, set, fix, establish) for the friends of him.7 This is not just a physical death, it is a death to self, period. To lay aside self for another (my pride, my way...) so that love might be established in another, this is the greatest love of all, this is the love of Christ.