By understanding the depth of love, the essence of God's heart, we can fathom His heart and share love with Him. Let us now delve into the depth of His love in order for us to measure the depth of our love, fill any deficiencies and shortages, and finally achieve the love of God.
First Level: Forgiveness
Jesus said that we should forgive not just up to seven times, but up to 'seventy times seven', which refers to boundless and perfect forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-22). In this first level, once we forgive, we do not remember the situation at all (Psalm 103:12-14, Isaiah 43:25). We willingly forgive others, even those who could never be forgiven otherwise (1 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33).
Jesus forgave the evil people who crucified Him, and He prayed earnestly for mankind who would walk in sins (Luke 23:34). He died for sinners so that they can be forgiven and reach salvation when they accept Jesus Christ. Therefore, God's children who receive such love should achieve the love of boundless and perfect forgiveness.
Second Level: Giving Life
'Giving life' in this sense has the meaning of 'giving opportunities'. In other words, we provide a person the groundwork of good conditions to live and encourage him to stand on his own feet. An example of such love is found in Genesis 4. After Cain killed Abel, he asked for God's mercy. Of course, his murder called for retribution. But God appointed a sign for him, so that no one finding him would slay him. That is, God gave Cain the opportunities for true repentance and salvation.
Peter denied Jesus three times, but after he thoroughly repented, he not only received forgiveness but also received the Holy Spirit and power to fulfill the duty as the Lord's apostle. Even at the last moment of his life, he repaid the love of the Lord by being crucified upside down as a martyr. This second level is the love that gives one the opportunity to regain the ability to live successfully as well as forgiving his wrongdoings.
Third Level: Patience
'Patience' in the truth means we are patient until one repents, becomes renewed, and bears fruit. In other words, although he was forgiven and revived, he might still be weak in faith. So we should be patient about his slow change. We should remain patient with goodness and love. Moreover, we should show this patience even to those who slander, judge, and condemn us; even extend it to people who betray and forsake the true love we give; and provide it to those who senselessly act in evil towards us.
Spiritual love is 'willingly keeping patient about all things' as long as it means the person's salvation (2 Timothy 2:10).
Fourth Level: Believing
The reason we can be patient concerning certain people is that we have faith in the outcome. Even if they commit sins, deceive us, and disobey, if we believe they will change and go to New Jerusalem, the best of the heavenly dwelling places, we won't be able to give up on them. We will have no hatred in heart because we believe that they will eventually change. We will only feel pity for them and pray with love for them to have faith.
In this level, we believe God can make the impossible possible. So we believe He will take the responsibility for them and believe they will be renewed. When we believe in heart and commit everything to God, He will be pleased with the faith and guarantee the faith.
Fifth Level: Hoping
'Hoping' refers to the level where we hope for and have expectation about a person's one good point when someone has 99 shortcomings and the good point is just only one out of 100. In this level, we think that if he enlarges the good point, the shortcomings will be thrown away soon. For example, we believe that a stubborn person will change into a righteous person, and a person stained with sins can change to be a person who works more faithfully because he received great grace. Although a person changes slowly, if he works faithfully with his ability, we feel thankful. Even if one received God's punishment due to sins, we will not give him up and hope that he will pass through the trial and become perfect.
In this level, we ask for God's forgiveness and mercy on him even by talking about the good deeds he did in the past in prayer. We believe that he will change quickly for a short while once God works. That is, we can see all souls with the eyes of hope.
Sixth Level: Waiting
In this level, because we believe with hope, we patiently wait until the person changes although it takes a long time.
Throughout the long period of human cultivation, the God of love has forgiven mankind who committed sins, given them chances to live, remained patient, believed, and hoped for them (2 Peter 3:8-9). He is still waiting patiently though there were not many fruits. We need to realize His love. We need to plant faith in people and deliver the message, and we have to commit the result to God (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). We wait with unchanging hope even if we are blamed and suffer from loss because of them. Even if they criticize and disrupt what we are doing, we just hope that they will accept the opportunity to turn back. Although we suffer while waiting for them, we can stand it with love for them.
Seventh Level: Shedding Tears
In the Bible we find that after God created man He felt a lot of pain and shed a lot of tears as He cultivated humans and waited for them. When the Great Judgment of Flood at the time of Noah began, tears welled up and fell from the eyes of God. However, He did not forsake His expectation towards mankind. Rather He showed His expectation again about mankind and made a strong resolution to achieve success in human cultivation.
Jesus also shed many tears when He came to this earth to fulfill the duty of the Savior because He saw the evil of humans. He preached the gospel of the kingdom all day and habitually prayed for His disciples and souls with tears at night. His tears for souls, even a single drop did not fall and disappear in vain, but they were offered up as fragrance to God and have borne abundant fruits (Psalm 56:8).
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