Admin
|
Do you really love Jesus? Really?!
Posted : 28 Aug, 2009 09:01 PM
Hi Everyone,
Several weeks ago I began to ponder in greater depth about my love for Christ Jesus and it's direct relationship with being obedient to His Commandments. My Pastor a couple of weeks ago began a series in John and First John which is where I had already been studying. I knew for myself that this was an area that God clearly wanted me to dig deeper and I began believing that it is an area that all of us could use some help in. Let's look at what Jesus had to say.
John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
John 15:9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
I want to briefly make a distinction here concerning what He means by keeping HIS Commandments. Jesus is not referring to the Old Testament Commandments of the Mosaic Covenant as that Covenant was replaced by the New Covenant. Jesus gave us New Commandments in the New Covenant starting in Matthew 5, 6 & 7.
Above we see that obeying the commandments "of Christ" are a direct reflection of our Love for Him as also disobeying them is a direct reflection that we actually do not love Him, at least not like we are suppose to. Notice that Jesus did not say "if you TRY to keep my Commandments, but that we DO keep His Commandments! It makes me wonder and grieves my heart that we have taken our relationship with Christ for granted and in some instances we have even abused His Grace. Have we not at times taken our "Liberty in Christ" and used it to sin? Have any of us ever had the attitude " well God will forgive me/us anyway?" We do not have Liberty to sin nor cause another to sin! Who or what do we love more....the sin or sins we commit or Christ our Lord and Savior?
1John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. NKJV
As I ponder this passage, I clearly see that my obedience in keeping Christ's commandments are in direct proportion to whether I truly love Him or not. Perhaps it may be more of the degree in which I love Him . When I commit a sin I am being disobedient, plain and simple. No justification for it. That demonstrates that my love for Him is not what it should be at all. (4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him)
Isa 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
Are we "lip service" Christians? God recognized Israel for giving Him lip service but yet their hearts are far from God. Are we not in the same situation when we disobey Christ?
Mat 24:12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love [agape] of [THE] many will grow cold.
13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. NKJV
In the "Last days" Jesus said that the majority of Christians love for God will wax cold and it will be due to "lawlessness abounding". The translators missed putting the word "THE" before the word "many" showing that it is the majority of Christians who will fall away. No doubt the influence of the pagan world is having it's effect upon us. We are assaulted every day of our lives in every conceivable manner. Every where we look there are False Teachers who deceive us. TV commercials and programs telling us how we are to live and think and feel. Hollywood movies twisting truth and seducing our minds. Music also impacting our thought processes and emotions and seducing us away from God and Christ Jesus. Seducing us away from the truth and our First Love which is Christ. Do you want to be among the majority of Christians whose love for God will wax cold and thereby "Fall Away" from the faith and forfeit your salvation?!
Rev 2:1 "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
2 "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary.
4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place�unless you repent.
6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." 'NKJV
Luk 14:25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
What does this word "hate" mean?
G3404 ισέω miseō mis-eh'-o
From a primary word μῖσος misos (hatred); to detest (especially to persecute); by extension to love less: - hate (-ful).
So what is Jesus saying here? Are we suppose to hate those we are suppose to love? Of course not. Jesus is telling us that our love for Him must be so much greater that in comparison it would seem like we do not love others nearly as much. He is our first love!
Mat 10:37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Sin is a dangerous thing my Friends. It is not only because it offends God and Jesus but it can lead to a hardening of the heart and a forsaking of Christ which causes Apostasy and that is a permanent forfeiture of one's Salvation.
Heb 3:12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "TODAY," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, NKJV
Let's examine some key points here.
1) This passage is clearly addressed to the "Brethren". These are Christians. Jewish Christians but Christians nevertheless.
2) The warning is concerning Christians possibly developing an evil heart of "UNBELIEF" and if so, their departing from the living God. You cannot depart from God unless you are with God to begin with. How does this occur?
3)" lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin".
Here we see that staying in a sinful lifestyle can harden a Christian's heart. That is what sin does. It hardens a person's heart to a point that they can fall back to a state of UNbelief and depart from God. This is what Apostasy is. A total rejection of Christ BY a Christian believer. Hardening is something that does not occur over night. It takes time but for each individual that time will vary.
4) 14 For we are made partakers of Christ,.... IF.... we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
Here is the condition placed upon our salvation. We are made partakers of Christ, ..."IF" we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end. What does that mean? It means that as long as we continue to believe in Christ, then we will remain a partaker of Christ. So it is extremely important to stay holy and keep away from sin or practicing sin . That will harden your heart and can eventually lead you down the path of destruction. Stop and get right with God! Press toward the finish line of the race that has been set before us.
Rev 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. NKJV
We all need to overcome, to endure in our Faith in Christ. We must all repent of any sin that ensnares us and get our relationship back on track with God and Christ Jesus.
It really boils down to this. If we really love God and Christ, then we will put Him first in our lives and Keep His Commandments!
Blessings!
In Christ's love,
Walter
Post Reply
|
