06/11/2021
Do we love God, and Jesus Christ, as we should, like we did when we first believed? Or, have we allowed the mechanics of our religion to become the focus of our spirit’s efforts, and lost sight of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? We say we love, but do we truly love our Father, or just the things we believe that we are doing for Him? Do we say the repetitive words in worship that we believe will honor Him, but find that we have abandoned our walks with Him in the cool of the evening? Have we allowed ourselves to become as the Ephesians?
“I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.”
Revelation 2:3-4 ESV
As the days, weeks, and years have passed, what has happened to the dynamic, and ever faithful, and advancing, nature of the personal love for God, and Jesus Christ that was once so prominent in us? As the years, centuries, and millennia have gone by what have we allowed to happen to the direction of our corporate faith, and worship? We say we believe, and we do, but we have twisted that belief to conform to our own desires, and reconstructed the image of God to reflect our own humanity. We say we love Him, and yet, over time, we have abandoned the love God actually desires from us, and now we find that we are taking solitary walks in the cool of our evenings… alone.
“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”
Revelation 2:5 ESV
An elderly couple was married in their youth, and the love they had then was young, and vigorous. Their days were filled with joy in one another, and their nightly pleasures were rewarded with many children. Then came the years; years of raising children, and working at the routine mechanics of life. Their home flourished, and their children were well loved, but what once made them one had slowly evaporated, and they found themselves to be two again. The marriage endured, but ever so slowly, the effects of time, and the routine acts of life, had sapped the strength from their once overwhelming love for one another.
Then one day they found themselves alone in their same familiar house, but living apart from one another. The children were working at their own independent lives, they had now retired from work, and all the distractions of a once hectic life had faded into the distance. In this time of quiet, they found that the incredible love that had originally glued them together in their early years had dissolved, and it frightened them to death.
So they had a choice to make… they could rediscover that lost spark, they could simply live out the remainder of life pretending that all was well in their same old familiar house, or they could go their separate ways. This is often the story of our faith, and if we find ourselves in this situation its time to reinvigorate our love, and begin taking those intimate walks with God more before we too find ourselves living a life of faith that we don’t recognize anymore… walking alone, and wondering what happened to the loving relationship we once thought was eternal.
God never changes, Jesus is the same now and forever, but we find ourselves having been led astray by Satan’s lie that places the focus of our faith on what we do in, and for, the world. He has somehow convinced us that we can renegotiate our covenants with God, and make them to conform with our own will. Suddenly we find ourselves believing that sin is no longer sin, and that our love for God has become a love of self.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
Romans 12:2-3 ESV
So our message today is this… no matter how different the world seems to have become, we must remain firm in the Word of God which is unchanging. No matter how hectic life is, we must always make time for the intimate walks and conversations with God, and first, and foremost, we are to focus the full strength of our love on God, and Jesus Christ. To this end we ask… Holy Spirit, from your temple, which is our body, help us to remain strong in our faith, true to God’s Word, and surrounded, but not consumed, by the fire of our everlasting love for Him, and Jesus Christ.
“When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”
John 15:10-11 NLT
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your Son Jesus Christ who lived, died, was resurrected, and has ascended to sit at your right hand, so that we might walk without sin with you once again. Help us Father to grow in our love for you, and our faith in your Son, becoming stronger each day. Keep us safe from temptation, and deliver us from evil, so that we will remain founded in your Word, and compliant to your commandments and covenants forever. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who loved us while we were yet in sin, and made a way for our redemption, and return to righteousness. Praised be your name for your Holy Spirit who lives within us, and reveals the unchanging truth of your Word to us. Merciful are you Lord, for transforming us through faith, and your grace, into the perfected creatures you intended us to be…loving you, and obeying your Word; doing all things to bring you glory through your will. Cleanse us in the blood of Jesus, and see us pure, clean, righteous, and worthy in Christ on the day of judgement. Seat us at your table Father, and allow us to remain there, faithful in our love, as we worship you forevermore.
Rich Forbes