He First Loved Us
Twelve Lessons Revealing God’s Love
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
2 Relationships
We are created to have a relationship with God and to worship him with our lives. Dr. Tim Clinton and Dr. Joshua Straub, in their book God Attachment, stated, “Empirical evidence is now showing that we are born with a desire for a relationship with a ‘Transcendent Other’ and that longing begins to reveal itself in children as young as three years of age.”3
Dr. Jennings in “Is It Really This Simple” wrote,
“God tells us to worship Me because we actually adapt ourselves to the things we admire and devote ourselves to the things we idealize. Psychiatry calls it modeling, and in the Bible it is the law of worship: by beholding, we become changed. Our character actually becomes transformed to reflect that which we revere.”4
And Clinton and Straub wrote, “All scientific research now shows that from the time a baby is born, a baby’s brain is biologically already formed to connect in relationships.”5 They went on to say, “We are hardwired as human beings—truly created and programmed to long for deep, lasting, and satisfying relationships.”6
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18)
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12)
The “helper” was Adams’s wife, and the “many parts” of the body are the church, whose head is Christ. We are created to have relationships, first with God through Christ, then with our spouse (if married), our family, and God’s family, the church. We can have a closer relationship with the Lord because the Father and the Son make their home with us through the Holy Spirit (John 14:23). When you love God more than anything or anyone, your heart is open to receive all of God’s love, and then you can reflect more love to others. A close divine relationship with the Lord, gives us the security to reflect his love. We can open our hearts to truly love because we are sustained by God’s perfect love.
Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37)
Life is about relationships. Our worldly and Spiritual success in this life depends on our relationship with God and with others in relationship with family, co-workers, church family, friends, and strangers. We are created to have meaningful relationships, and God’s Word is all about relationships.
Explain why God wants us to love him more than anyone or anything in this life? How can close relationships help us through the difficulties of life?
3 Renewing the Mind.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)
God gave you the extraordinary ability to renew your mind. The ability to change the neural wiring in our brain is called neuroplasticity. This means that whatever we think about the most gets wired in our brain the most. The more we think about something, the more real estate it takes in our brain, and conversely, the less we think about something, the less real-estate in takes in our brain.
But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
It is a true blessing that our mind can be renewed, allowing godly thoughts to replace sinful, harmful thoughts. This means the longer you worship the Lord, read the Word, pray, and fellowship, the more your mind rewires to be like Christ. You are able to essentially be your own brain surgeon, removing toxic thoughts and exchanging them with godly thoughts by controlling the way you think.
In his book The God-Shaped Brain, Dr. Timothy Jennings said, “Just as the Bible teaches, to give is to live. This is how God designed life to function.”7 God is continually renewing our mind to be like the mind of Christ, as he molds us using all things that happen in our life.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Knowing that God uses everything to mold us to the mind of Christ helps us to understand his direction for us. God’s goal is to renew our minds to be like the mind of Christ enabling us to overcome the world, (1 John 5:4). Knowing that God wants to make us more Christlike, and that our brain renews by rewiring, helps us to pray for Spiritual growth, knowing it is the will of God. For example if you want peace, strength, wisdom, or to overcome a sinful thought, pray for it. If you are angry or fearful, give it to God and pray for peace and comfort. Ask God to help you to renew your mind and to control your thinking.
Describe what it would be like to have the mind of Christ.
What does it mean to “overcome the world”?
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
He First Loved Us consists of twelve lessons that reveal God’s love for us. The titled is taken from 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” We first have to give love to receive a response of love, and that is exactly what God did by sacrificing his son, Christ Jesus, for our sins. When we open our hearts to receive Christ as our Savior, his love will change us forever. His love brings us peace, joy, helps us in all our relationships, and brings us eternal life.
Satan’s goal is to keep everyone away from God, and he does this by filling our minds with lies about God and lies about the Christian life. He puts fear in our hearts so we tend to hide from the Lord just as Adam and Eve did after disobeying God, Genesis 3:9-10). This book was written to reveal the truth about God and his perfect love for us. As you read and study each lesson, open your mind for understanding and your heart for the truth. The Bible says this about Satan, “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies,” (John 8:44). And the Bible says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” (John 8:32).
Let God’s love set you free from fear, anxiety, worry, and all those negative emotions, for the word says, “Perfect love cast out fear,” (1 John 4:18). Christ said “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” (John 10:10). Fill your heart with God’s love and live life to the full.
About the Author
Robert Ridings is a member of the American Association of Christian Counseling, where he was trained in biblical counseling, and has received a diploma from the local college in addiction counseling. He leads weekly Bible classes in prisons, the Frederick Rescue Mission, and with seniors. He and his wife live in Frederick, Maryland.