Not too long ago I was in conversation with a woman who
is struggling to understand the meaning of true Christianity. She didn't think it
was right that a person be subject to all these rules and regulations, and try
to be religious. In fact, she believed
it was just as simple as "doing unto others what you would have them do
unto you."
I thought about that, and although it rings so true, I
immediately thought about the great cost that Jesus paid when He died on the
cross for us and He did it purely out of love for us. Then I thought about how we can take
too lightly this great love He has for us.
Perhaps we do this because after we've been a Christian
for awhile and we go through too many trials and tribulations, we can tire out,
lose heart, and we can lose the zeal and deep thankfulness for all that Jesus
has done for us. We may still do
things out of obedience to the Word, but our heart is not in it. We are not sold out
for God in a way that we pour our love back to Him, with a thankful and
grateful heart, and a mouth full of praise to Him just because of Who He is.
In fact, this is where the Church of Ephesus failed. They
did the good works, but Jesus rebuked them because they left the most important
thing undone, they left their first love.
Rev 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and
thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast
tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
Rev 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and
for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Perhaps we have taken for granted His unconditional love
for us, and fail to worship Him and serve Him with all that we are and have.
And yet loving Him is the greatest commandment He has given us.
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the
law and the prophets.
It's interesting how easily we can get into doing good
works and think that this is all that is required. After all it is much
easier than dying to our own self, and offer ourselves as a living sacrifice,
someone fit for Him to use to bring about His righteousness where evil wants to
prevail.
Loving Him is in response to the fact that He loves us
and proved it so by laying down His life for us, forgiving us of an impossible
debt we owed him and could not ever pay with our own good works.
Then there's the fact that He bought us, and we no longer
belong to ourselves to do as we please.
2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they
which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died
for them, and rose again.
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1Co 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be
not ye the servants of men.
In reality, we must love God no matter how we feel or
what we may be going through, and this involves trust. The more we pray and
read His Word, the more we learn to trust Him. This is the two-way
street in our relationship to Him. As in any
relationship, we need to do our part in order for things to work, and in our
relationship with God it is imperative that we respond wholeheartedly to this
great love that cost Him His life.
And so, how do we respond and love God in return? I found this one day
when I was thinking about how we can take God's love for granted and think that
there is nothing more we need to do. It spoke to me about
upholding His high standards not as a religious ritual but more as a response
to the great love He has for us.
Eph 5:2 And
walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Eph 5:3 But
fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named
among you, as becometh saints;
Eph 5:4 Neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but
rather giving of thanks.
Eph 5:5 For
this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is
an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Eph 5:6 Let
no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the
wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Eph 5:7 Be
not ye therefore partakers with them.
Eph 5:8 For
ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light
in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Eph 5:10 Proving
what is acceptable unto the Lord.
These verses are saying that the way we love God is to
recognize that we are set apart for the purposes of God, and we are not meant
to mimic the ways of the world. His Spirit produces
fruit that is good, righteous and truthful, all based on His great love for us. That should be our
barometer.
Are there conditions we must meet in order for God to
love us? Absolutely not. That’s the most astounding thing. But we
must never take His love for granted, and He clearly tells us in His Word how
to respond to His great love for us. In my own experience,
the love of God changed my life and continues to challenge me consistently and
insistently to love God first and also love others. Many times I will get
too busy and fail, and God will have to nudge me. He came to earth with one
sole purpose - to seek and to save that which is lost, and that is every single
one of us! His job is not done
for many are still lost and do not know this great incredible perfect loving
God who chooses to love us first and more than He even loved His own life. Let us keep this as
our driving force, to love Him with a zeal, a passion and a fervency, and to
spread it around every chance we get.
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