A REFLECTION ON LOVE
We all know that God loves us.
As a matter of fact, you have surely heard several sermons and teachings expanding on how God loves us and on how great are His mercies and Grace.
Nobody can debate or deny the love that God has for us.
However, since many like to call the month of February 'the month of lovers', I thought it would be a good thing to discuss one thing: 'Your love for God'.
You see my friend, today's message is not about 'God's love for you'. Today's message is about your love for God.
One of the big question in the heart and on the lips of many is the following: 'How do I love God?'
To such question, many will respond with answers such as:
*You have to cry during the worship service
*You have to surrender in emptiness when you meditate
*You have to tell him that you love Him
*You have to focus on Him
There are so many answers that 'Scriptureless' people will give you (I call them Scriptureless because they do not use the Bible as an authoritative source).
One of the best way to deepen Scriptural understanding consists in:
* Letting the Bible define Itself
* Letting the Bible respond to key life questions.
For example, whenever we ask the question: 'What is Faith?'
For many, the temptation would be to seek the answer from a personal development book or secular show written or produced by someone who does not even read the Bible or believe in God.
On the other hand, the right attitude would consist in finding the response in : Hebrews 11, Romans 10:17 and James 2:14-26. Reading and meditating those passages will be a good start in finding the answer to question: 'What is Faith'.
Do not fall for the trap of trying to define a 'Biblical concept' with worldly views. By doing so, you will hinder your spiritual growth.
The same principle applies to the question: 'How to love God?'
By letting the Bible respond to the question, you will discover that Jesus said:
'If you love Me, obey my commands.' (John 14:15)
Jesus did not say :
*You love me by crying during the worship service
*You love me by saying bubbly words during prayers
*You love Me by crying every time you think about me...
Look my friend, I have no problem with people expressing emotional-body reactions when they pray or worship. Whether you feel goosebumps, or whether you cry during a (Christian) meditation...I have no personal issues about it.
However, as a teacher of the word, I would have concerns if a person ,who experiences goosebumps and emotions during prayer or worship time, would not bother to do the will of God.
I have been in 'the House' for a long time. I have seen church worshipers singing that 'they would do anything that pleases God' in songs, and yet, they would not do what God commanded them to do in their private lives.
Don't you find it strange that Jesus said:
''These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’
(Matthew 15:8-9)
Jesus was talking about people who honor God with their lips (mostly during public prayer time and worship segments) but who value the teachings and reasonings of men above the true word of God. In other words, when people refuse to obey God, it is often because they choose a reasoning rooted in the flesh and they make a decision according to that reasoning.
Back in the days, the Pharisees and teachers of the law had personal preferences that they would package as doctrine or commandments as more valuable than the Torah. They would take those precepts and impose them on the people, thus leading the people of God away from the true commandments of God.
We have closely similar situations today where:
*a person would cry and feel goosebumps during prayer and worship time,
*then God will give him/her an instruction or a directive,
*But the person will choose his/her own personal preferences (or precepts) above the will of God.
And this not how to love God. We cannot claim to love God if we choose our personal precepts or personal preferences above His commandments (His will).
As I mentioned earlier, this post is not about 'how God loves you' but it is rather about 'your love to Him'.
It is not about 'you telling how much you love Him' but it is 'about you showing that you love Him'.
BONUS THOUGHTS:
While you meditate on the above message, I want you to add the following two verses on your meditation:
I know that many people may feel uncomfortable with what I just wrote. One of the reasons you may feel uncomfortable is because you have been fed with an erroneous grace teaching that casts a total ban on the word 'command'.
But let me help you further by mentioning two more verses:
'Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
(John 14:21)
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
(John 14:23-24)
Don't just say that you love Him. Show him that you love Him.
As a matter of fact, you have surely heard several sermons and teachings expanding on how God loves us and on how great are His mercies and Grace.
Nobody can debate or deny the love that God has for us.
However, since many like to call the month of February 'the month of lovers', I thought it would be a good thing to discuss one thing: 'Your love for God'.
You see my friend, today's message is not about 'God's love for you'. Today's message is about your love for God.
One of the big question in the heart and on the lips of many is the following: 'How do I love God?'
To such question, many will respond with answers such as:
*You have to cry during the worship service
*You have to surrender in emptiness when you meditate
*You have to tell him that you love Him
*You have to focus on Him
There are so many answers that 'Scriptureless' people will give you (I call them Scriptureless because they do not use the Bible as an authoritative source).
One of the best way to deepen Scriptural understanding consists in:
* Letting the Bible define Itself
* Letting the Bible respond to key life questions.
For example, whenever we ask the question: 'What is Faith?'
For many, the temptation would be to seek the answer from a personal development book or secular show written or produced by someone who does not even read the Bible or believe in God.
On the other hand, the right attitude would consist in finding the response in : Hebrews 11, Romans 10:17 and James 2:14-26. Reading and meditating those passages will be a good start in finding the answer to question: 'What is Faith'.
Do not fall for the trap of trying to define a 'Biblical concept' with worldly views. By doing so, you will hinder your spiritual growth.
The same principle applies to the question: 'How to love God?'
By letting the Bible respond to the question, you will discover that Jesus said:
'If you love Me, obey my commands.' (John 14:15)
Jesus did not say :
*You love me by crying during the worship service
*You love me by saying bubbly words during prayers
*You love Me by crying every time you think about me...
Look my friend, I have no problem with people expressing emotional-body reactions when they pray or worship. Whether you feel goosebumps, or whether you cry during a (Christian) meditation...I have no personal issues about it.
However, as a teacher of the word, I would have concerns if a person ,who experiences goosebumps and emotions during prayer or worship time, would not bother to do the will of God.
I have been in 'the House' for a long time. I have seen church worshipers singing that 'they would do anything that pleases God' in songs, and yet, they would not do what God commanded them to do in their private lives.
Don't you find it strange that Jesus said:
''These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’
(Matthew 15:8-9)
Jesus was talking about people who honor God with their lips (mostly during public prayer time and worship segments) but who value the teachings and reasonings of men above the true word of God. In other words, when people refuse to obey God, it is often because they choose a reasoning rooted in the flesh and they make a decision according to that reasoning.
Back in the days, the Pharisees and teachers of the law had personal preferences that they would package as doctrine or commandments as more valuable than the Torah. They would take those precepts and impose them on the people, thus leading the people of God away from the true commandments of God.
We have closely similar situations today where:
*a person would cry and feel goosebumps during prayer and worship time,
*then God will give him/her an instruction or a directive,
*But the person will choose his/her own personal preferences (or precepts) above the will of God.
And this not how to love God. We cannot claim to love God if we choose our personal precepts or personal preferences above His commandments (His will).
As I mentioned earlier, this post is not about 'how God loves you' but it is rather about 'your love to Him'.
It is not about 'you telling how much you love Him' but it is 'about you showing that you love Him'.
BONUS THOUGHTS:
While you meditate on the above message, I want you to add the following two verses on your meditation:
I know that many people may feel uncomfortable with what I just wrote. One of the reasons you may feel uncomfortable is because you have been fed with an erroneous grace teaching that casts a total ban on the word 'command'.
But let me help you further by mentioning two more verses:
'Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
(John 14:21)
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
(John 14:23-24)
Don't just say that you love Him. Show him that you love Him.