How Much Do We LOVE GOD?
Can we share the love of God with another who we do not really love?
Must we love people before we can share the Word of God with them?
Do we have to love a certain person before we can go as a missionary to the person?
GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE!
God loves all of humanity!
God created ALL of humanity & God wants ALL of humanity to come to know Him as Savior!
GOD DESIRES THAT NO ONE REMAIN LOST, UNSAVED!!!!
God loves; God sends His children; God expects obedience; God saves; THEN, once we share time with others, we too will fall in love with them. As we serve others (our neighbors), God reveals Himself to them. We go; We serve God in going to the lost; We further the Gospel as we are obedient to God!
THEN, as God saves, there is rejoicing in heaven!
Today, I am compelled to focus upon two particular situations: Our Comfort & Our Commission.
Comfort clearly is a word that fits us. In fact, whenever I speak of the clothing brand I most “love,” then it is the brand of “COMFORT” that I most wish to purchase. Laughingly, that is the joke we enjoy sharing, but there is a spiritual truth found deep within this humor. Do we enjoy comfort more than we desire the salvation of another’s soul? Would we rather stand silent than step forward and share Jesus? Can we say that we would rather walk in discomfort as we step into a situation that may be rather “uncomfortable” IF we knew God was sending us “there” so that His Gospel could be shared with the lost?
Our Comfort—vs—Our Commission.
Which team is winning?
Which camp is more compelling?
Which place would we rather live—Total Obedience to Our Selfish Desires—OR—Total Obedience to God’s Purpose?
Simon Peter understood this tug-of-war that struggles within us. See with me what the apostle says about God’s calling upon our lives and the divine power God filled us with when He moved into our whole being.
“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”
(2nd Peter 1: 1-3 NASB)
How Much Do We Love God?
C.S. Lewis lived most of his earthly life as a non-believer, as an atheist, as one who did not believe in the existence of God—Until He Did—Believe & Confess & Accept GOD!
It is Lewis, a child of God, who wrote these words:
“Every Christian would agree that a man’s spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God.”
- Do we love God more than we love ourselves?
- Do we love others as we love ourselves?
- Do we love God more than we love our comfort?
- Do we love those who walk in darkness, who are lost, more than we love our silence?
- Do we love God more than anything?!!!!!!!!!!!
- Or do we love ourselves more than God?
- And do we love ourselves more than we love those who have not heard the Gospel message?
- How Much Do We Love God?
Pat Barrett sings the melody “Build My Life” that proclaims upon WHOM we are to build our lives—upon WHOM we are to trust—upon WHOM we are to be led by as we walk throughout our minutes, hours, & days. As we do allow God to “build” our lives, then we allow God to lead us to those who need to meet Him, to learn of His love, and to come to know Him as their Savior.
Can we share the love of God with another who we do not really love?
YES, WE CAN IF WE LOVE GOD MORE THAN WE LOVE ANYONE OR ANYTHING!
Must we love people before we can share the Word of God with them?
WE MUST LOVE GOD MORE THAN ANYTHING AS WE SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH THOSE WE DON’T YET KNOW!
Do we have to love a certain person before we can go as a missionary to the person?
OF COURSE, WE MUST LOVE GOD MORE THAN OUR OWN COMFORT BECAUSE GOD COMMISSIONED US THROUGH THE WORDS OF HIS ONLY SON—JESUS—OUR SAVIOR & LORD!
“And He said to him [Jesus said to the one who asked] ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
This is the great and foremost commandment.
The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ “
(Matthew 22: 37-39 NASB)
“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, [to his eleven disciples after His resurrection from the dead] saying,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28: 18-20 NASB)
- Who do we worship? TRULY!
- What commands our attention each day? A SPIRITUAL DAILY DECISION!
- Where are we in our obedience? A QUESTION EACH BELIEVER MUST ASK—EACH DAY!
- When Jesus speaks through His Holy Spirit, do we listen to Him and obey? WE MUST!
- Why would we not—obey God’s Commandments & Commission? WE MUST ALWAYS!
- Why would we not obey God when Jesus gave us so much? WE SHOULD ALWAYS OBEY!
- How can we ever doubt the authority of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? WE MUSN’T—EVER!
Let us ask ourselves Daily—How Much Do We Love God?
I’m glad to read this today .It makes me ask Myself. How. Much do I love God and the people. I willl meet today.? Thank you for this message. Love you Nancy NEW. Aunt Verne.
Aunt Verne, you inspire me. Thank you for taking time to read this blog. The next time I come to Dayton to visit, I want to be there on the day you are leading the Bible study. When you spoke of this the last time I visited, it brought such joy to my being.
Have a most blessed day, as you enjoy THIS DAY the LORD GOD has made!