““If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”” John 14:15
We must be willing to look internally and not merely accept God’s love, but strive to love Him. This must be done in action and motive, not just our words.
We live in a generation that seeks reward without responsibility. We live in a society that is so willing to receive, but unwilling to give. Oh yes, our society has become eloquent with speech. We know the right words to say, but actions fail to proceed from what is said. We know how to draw a crowd, but we don’t know how to properly guide that crowd. We can preach and share partial truths that draw people in, but we neglect to speak on the tougher truths. For without tougher truths, we do not reveal the entirety of Truth Himself. We must realize that going to the Cross involves cost. We must be willing to look internally and not merely accept God’s love, but strive to love Him. This must be done in action and motive, not in merely speaking.
There is no longer a call to love God in the pulpits and preaching of today. Rather, it is all about God loving us.
Many clap their hands in church and go through the motions. They dress the best, but inwardly they are dead. Their hearts are open only to receive all God offers, but there is a blockade when it comes to His call to change. Anything that convicts man or speaks on being transformed from his old ways is excused. There is no longer a call to love God in the pulpits and preaching of today. Rather, it is all about God loving us.
Our faith must never be the same when we die as when we were initially converted. If this is the case, it shows there has been a lack in discipline, a gap of God’s call towards obedience and repentance, and no desire to love God and seek His face.
We have preached so much love that Satan has gotten a hold and infected what true love is. Satan has deceived multitudes into thinking we can accept God with no proceeding work after our conversion. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Lest we are on our deathbed, however, our faith must never be the same when we die as when we were initially converted. If this is the case, it shows there has been a lack in discipline, a gap of God’s call towards obedience and repentance, and no desire to love God and seek His face.
Anyone can profess Christ, but few actually possess Christ.
How it grieves the heart of God to give us all things so freely, and we neglect our call in loving Him. Anyone can profess Christ, but few actually possess Christ. “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19 ESV). Demons are bound for Hell. It is because of Lucifer and his fallen angels (demons), that Hell was initially created. ““Then He will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels’”” (Matthew 25:41 ESV). If demons, who are already bound for Hell, believe in Jesus, so can humans believe in Jesus and still go to Hell. We can have people say the name of Jesus from the rooftop, but their inward disposition towards following His Word is but the dust of the ground. There is no desire to love God, for true love acts and desires to respect and obey our Heavenly Father.
Many are willing to accept the blessings from Christ, but are not willing to endure the sufferings for Christ.
It is amazing how many fall away from the faith because they never fully pressed into Christ. They were so willing to accept all the blessings from Him, but were not willing to endure the sufferings for Him. They were so willing to go to church on Sunday, but live like the Devil every other day. They came to Christ only for selfish gain. They refused to look at their sin with holy disdain.
O how God longs to indwell in each of us His true love. Not just merely revealing His Love upon the Cross, but sending Love Himself to rest within our soul. Would it be that we would strive more to love God the way He has loved us. Would it be that we would hate everything contrary to God and continually seek His face and press into His Love.
We must not be like the religious heathen, but we must seek to glorify and honor Him Who is in Heaven.
We must not merely speak, but teach. We must not cling to self as our idol, but we must lovingly disciple. We must not be like the religious heathen, but we must seek to glorify and honor Him Who is in Heaven. It is solely by Christ’s Blood that we are saved, but our faith is secured only when we have received the Holy Spirit. True faith leads to repentant faith. True faith desires to love God and obey Him. True love does not merely take God’s love and fake the Christian walk. True love recognizes the sinfulness of man and seeks God for His consolation and assistance. We are all sinners deserving damnation. Our thought life alone has produced hundreds of millions of sins. It is only when we desire to love God when we have truly received God’s love. For it is the Holy Spirit in us Who draws us into the Father's Divine presence. It is the Holy Spirit Who desires to love God through us. Anyone can accept that we must love our neighbor, but few there be who accept that we must love God - not merely with our lips, but with our desires, passions, thoughts, motives, and actions.
Let us not merely accept what Christ has done. Let us desire to walk in the revealed Truth of His Holy Word. Only then will we love Him Who died for us.
This may seem like an impossible task, and it is apart from the Holy Spirit. Only by His power can we continually be sanctified and set aside the things of this life and strive to live for our Heavenly Father. Only those who believe in Christ and die to self will become holy citizens of Heaven on that Final Day. Glory be to God the Father that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 ESV). Glory be to God that “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 ESV). Let us not merely accept what Christ has done. Let us desire to walk in the revealed Truth of His Holy Word. Only then will we love Him Who died for us and gave His life for those who would freely repent of their sins and turn to Christ for salvation.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that You loved us and sent Your Son to die for our sins. Lord, we desire to love You in the same way You have loved us. Though we will never be able to reflect that love perfectly, we desire too in the best way we know. Only by Your Spirit may we learn to walk in obedience. Only by Your Spirit can we be sanctified and hate sin. Lord, may we not merely accept all that You have offered to us so freely, but may we desire to reveal our love for You by walking in the way of Your Word. May we be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, lest we deceive ourselves. May we learn to love You and love others. Lord, let us not live in a halfway conversion. Lord, save us in full that we may become those who seek after righteousness. May we desire godliness over sinfulness in every facet of life. For this is the way towards eternal life. By the Blood we are saved. By the Holy Spirit we walk in the Word. By the sacrifice of self we desire all that is pure, righteous, and holy. Guide us down the eternal path of Life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lance VanTine