Paul's ministry

"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and THE MINISTRY WHICH I RECEIVED FROM THE LORD JESUS, TO TESTIFY SOLEMNLY OF THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD."  — The Apostle Paul in Acts 20:24.

"GRACE to you, and peace" (Rom 1:7);
"being justified as a gift by His GRACE" (Rom 3:24);
"through whom we have obtained our introduction by faith into this GRACE in which we stand" (Rom 5:2);
"the GRACE of God and the gift by the GRACE of the one Man, Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:15);
"the abundance of GRACE and of the gift of righteousness" (Rom 5:17);
"where sin increased, GRACE abounded all the more...so GRACE would reign" (Rom 5:20-21);
"for you are not under law but under GRACE" (Rom 6:14);
"Shall we sin because we are not under law but under GRACE? May it never be!" (Rom.6:15);
"But if it is by GRACE, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise GRACE is no longer GRACE" (Rom 11:6);
"by the GRACE of God I am what I am, and His GRACE toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the GRACE of God with me" (1 Cor 15:10);
"For all things are for your sakes, so that the GRACE which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God" (2 Cor 4:15);
"we also urge you not to receive the GRACE of God in vain" (2 Cor 6:1);
"For you know the GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 8:9);
"God is able to make all GRACE abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (2 Cor 9:8);
"the surpassing GRACE of God " (2 Cor 9:14);
"My GRACE is sufficient for you" (2 Cor 12:9);
"I do not nullify the GRACE of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly" (Gal 2:21);
"to the praise of the glory of His GRACE, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved" (Eph 1:6);

"the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His GRACE" (Eph 1:7);

"the surpassing riches of His GRACE in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Eph 2:7);
"For by GRACE you have been saved through faith" (Eph 2:8);
"the stewardship of God’s GRACE which was given to me for you" (Eph 3:2);
"the GRACE of our Lord was more than abundant" (1 Tim 1:14);
"who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and GRACE which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity" (2 Tim 1:9);
"therefore...be strong in the GRACE that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 2:1);
"GRACE be with you all" (Titus 3:15).

Love produces love

"I love you.  Through thick and thin, my love for you remains the same." 

How do we usually respond to someone who's made a declaration like that?  Hurl rocks at them?  I guess that might depend on who said it.  But under most circumstances, wouldn't our natural inclination be to love them right back?  I know mine would.

This is consistent with the message specially entrusted to the Apostle Paul, "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).  Interestingly, Paul never speaks of his love for Christ or instructs us to love Him.  Instead he keeps talking about Christ's wonderful love for him and how Christ loved — and loves —us.

While the Law says, "You shall love the Lord your God" (Matt.22:37; Deut 6:5-25), law can't produce love.  Despite this, many preachers today still preach law, telling us that we must love God.  But the Law only convicts — it is meant to show us our need for a Savior — so rightly it only produces guilt. 

But now God comes to us in total grace and says, "I love you".  This is why Paul's epistles are so filled with "the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8:39).

The fact that God deals with us in grace doesn't mean that we should not, or do not, love Him. The very opposite is true. It's when we come to know the love of Christ, and His Spirit has come to indwell us (Rom 5:5; Gal 5:22), that our hearts respond to Him in love; "we love, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).  In the same way, the more we are convinced of Christ's love for us, the more we naturally love our brothers and sisters in Christ, who then naturally respond in kind to us — because love produces love.  The law could never accomplish that (Rom 13:10; Gal 5:14)!

Knowing and loving Christ brings inexpressible joy (1 Pet 1:8), but we can't love Him, or others, by trying.  Instead, we must accept His love for us in faith so that our hearts may naturally respond.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word (2 Thes 2:16-17).

A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity.

(Prov 17:17)

Love

"Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained."

— C.S. Lewis