See! I will not forget you... I have carved you on the palm of my hand. My love is ever before you.
And we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love Spirit cherishes for us. Spirit is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in Spirit, and Spirit dwells and continues in him.
In this (union and communion with Spirit), love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment (with assurance and boldness to face Spirit), because as Spirit is, so are we in this world.
THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE (dread does not exist), but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror. For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and so he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection).
We love Spirit, because Spirit first loved us.
In this the love of Spirit was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that Spirit sent His Son, the only begotten or unique (Son), into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love: not that we loved Spirit, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.
Beloved, if Spirit loved us so (very much), we also ought to love one another.
Who shall ever separate us from Spirit’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?
For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of Spirit.
May Spirit through your faith actually dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts. May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all of the saints (Spirit’s devoted people, the experience of that love) what is the breadth and length and height and depth of it; (that you may really come) to know (practically, through experience for yourselves) the love of Spirit, which far surpasses mere knowledge (without experience); that you may be filled (through all your being) unto all the fullness of Spirit (may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with Spirit.
Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for Spirit’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.
Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands. My walls (my love) are ever before you.
Beauty for Ashes