Love Fulfilled Ministry

Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous on behalf of the unrighteous so that he might bring us to God, putting to death the flesh, now, making alive the spirit. * Why did Jesus suffer and die? So that he might bring us to God. To bring to; to approach, come near. *  This was what God purposed in Christ, Paul writes, " even as he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy, in his presence, in love, he predestined us for adoption as his own in Jesus Christ... which He purposed in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time bringing together all in Christ, in heaven and on earth in Christ. We have obtained an inheritance, predestined according to the purpose of the one accomplishing all according to the counsel of His will ." *  This was God's plan, that purposed in Christ, to bring us to God, so we could approach Him, be in His presence, he planned this before he created the world. This was what we were made for, to be in His presence, ...

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all inviting near ( paraklēsis ), who calls us near ( parakaleō ) in all our troubles so that we are able to call near ( parakaleō ) those in any trouble through the invitation ( paraklēsis ) which we ourselves are called ( parakaleō ) under God. * We see the Greek words used here that are similar, παράκλησις ( paraklēsis ) and παρακαλέω ( parakaleō ) were  Para is the same for both words, meaning near, beside, alongside. Kalēo expresses the idea of "to call." Klēsis expresses the "act of inviting" or "official summons." So we see the concept that God is a God that invites or summons us near, always. Paul writes in Ephesians that God purposed this in Christ, that we are chosen to come near into his holy presence, without blame, and in love. Christ has made a way for us to come near, to boldly approach His throne of grace to receive mercy in our time of ne...