We interrupt the Christianly Thinking series to bring you a testimony, an encouragement, and a warning.

God’s Long-Suffering Persistence

Though I grew up in the most loving family anyone could hope for, I have, for much of my life, been handicapped in the exercise of love. Truly, the fault lies with no one but me and the enemy of my soul. The short version of the story goes like this:

In Junior High School, two classmates – who I am convinced knew nothing of what they were doing – injured me psychologically in what at the time seemed like a betrayal. From that point, I began building a protective shell, a shell which allowed a judgmental spirit to oppress my life and love for others. The shell also prevented the love of others and God’s love from finding its way into my heart. It wasn’t until I had children of my own that I realized this spirit was impacting my life in such a destructive way.

The revelation of this shell and its judgmental spirit began a deliverance and transformation that continues to this day (approximately fifteen years later). In just the last few months, my loving Father has chastened me about some of the after-effects. First, He said, “Lead with love,” from which I have come to understand that love is not to be a secondary matter in our relationships with others. Love does not automatically show up when we engage another person. Love requires deliberate forethought – at least for me.

After allowing “lead with love” to sink in for a couple of months, God then showed me that I had developed a twisted understanding of love as service to others. Most of you reading this know that service can be done without love, as a duty or manipulation. Just to be clear, this does not describe my motivation for service. It’s more like a habit I developed in my attempt to love others when the shell was still firmly in place.

Lastly, the Holy Spirit has taken me to two truths about God’s love in His word. The first is related to the fulfillment of the law. Bear with me, the explanation requires three related passages.

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Matthew 5:17-18

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4

Notice that Jesus came to fulfill the law in us! Not that we are under the law to fulfill it through our efforts, but that the fulfillment of the law, required by God, is an endeavor we participate in with our Lord and Savior. Now, that begs the question: How?

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14

Clearly, we participate with Jesus Christ in fulfilling the righteous requirement of the law by loving our neighbor as ourself. On the one hand, the connections make sense once you see it. On the other, God tying the fulfillment of His righteous requirement to our obedience is absolutely incomprehensible.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit showed me something in a passage I have read dozens of times and never noticed. See if it jumps out to you.

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:9-12

I know for some of you this is a “duh” moment; for me, it is closer to an epiphany. We abide in Jesus’s love (note this is right after the Parable of the Vine and Branches) as we obey His command to love one another as He has loved us AND His Father loves Him.

I believe God is trying to say that, in the beginning, at the end, and in between, love is paramount. There is simply nothing more important. I recognize this comes “naturally” to most of you, and it seems so obvious to say and think; but for me, this has been the challenge of my entire Christian life.

God’s long-suffering and persistence in my life leaves me incapable of expressing my awe and thanksgiving. His orchestration and timing are equally inexplicable. Only He knows what the future holds, but I am sure His deliverance and transformation have occurred in anticipation of the storms and chaos we have yet to face in this decade.

Indeed, the days are coming, and are already here, when our exercise of love will be sorely tested.

The Difficult Differentiator

Someone would have to have more than their head buried in the sand to miss the destructive divisiveness of our day. Satan has divided us within the Body of Christ, isolated us from our neighbors, and is effectively creating camps designed to hate one another. The stage has been set, the hand has been played, and the wheels are in motion. The lawless one has come forth and all hell is breaking loose. We are entering the days of trial and tribulation.

The storms and chaos we are experiencing are being allowed by God to force a decision. Indeed, we (i.e., Christians) have been loitering at a fork in the road longer than God will continue to permit. We have allowed too much of this world to infiltrate the church. The path He would have us take will separate us from the divisiveness, isolation, and hatred of this world and force us into an ever divergent, differentiating, and difficult road.

The most pronounced differentiator will be our love for one another, our neighbor, and our enemy. Consequently, the foreseeable future will test Christians like they have never been tested before. Remember what Jesus said when asked about our salvation:

Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Luke 13:23-24

I once thought the greatest inhibitor to Christians entering the kingdom of God would be our unwillingness to let go of the material things of this world. I would now have to amend that thinking to include our unwillingness to lead with love. We desperately require repentance and renewal of our minds.

May God bless us all with renewed minds and courageous hearts to love as Jesus loves us.

Have a strong day in the Lord,

Rob

#iamjustthepen