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Message of the Latter Rain - Kelvin M. Duncan

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loves because she is forgiven. Her love is <strong>the</strong> grateful response <strong>of</strong> a heart that<br />

appreciates that she has already been forgiven. The intensity <strong>of</strong> that love is<br />

proportional to <strong>the</strong> magnitude <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> forgiveness that her heart has perceived.<br />

In o<strong>the</strong>r words, as long as we think that we have only been forgiven little, we<br />

are doomed forever to love but little. "We love Him because he first loved<br />

us" (1 John 4:19), and "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that<br />

while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He died in<br />

order to forgive our sins. Love and forgiveness are inextricably linked<br />

toge<strong>the</strong>r in <strong>the</strong> gospel.[4]<br />

A Story <strong>of</strong> Love and Forgiveness<br />

The Bible is a love story. It begins with <strong>the</strong> marriage <strong>of</strong> our first parents,<br />

and when <strong>the</strong> story <strong>of</strong> redemption is finally complete, it will end with <strong>the</strong><br />

"marriage supper <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lamb" (Revelation 19:9).<br />

Interestingly, <strong>the</strong> Spirit <strong>of</strong> Prophecy seems to capture this same dynamic.<br />

The story is told in <strong>the</strong> five volumes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Conflict <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ages series. Have<br />

you ever noticed how <strong>the</strong> series opens and ends? The first three words <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

first volume, Patriarchs and Prophets, read, "God is love." Some 3,600 pages<br />

follow before <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> series, and <strong>the</strong> last three words <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> last<br />

chapter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> last volume read, "God is love."<br />

The conflict <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ages is <strong>the</strong> story <strong>of</strong> God's love. It begins with God's<br />

love expressed in <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> a home for mankind. It continues with <strong>the</strong><br />

devastation <strong>of</strong> that home by <strong>the</strong> ravages <strong>of</strong> sin--a manifestation <strong>of</strong> man's<br />

failure to love God in return. It will finally conclude with <strong>the</strong> restoration <strong>of</strong><br />

that home after <strong>the</strong> restoration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> love relationship between God and His<br />

special creation, mankind.<br />

So in essence, God's side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> story could be told in <strong>the</strong> words, "I loved<br />

you. I lost you, and I'm going to move heaven and earth to get you back."<br />

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