We went out for a drive last Sunday, but were unable to make it to our favorite park. While we are missing our friends in Park Security, the view across the snow-covered fields has been quite beautiful. Did you see the almost-full moon rise on Sunday night?
In other business, do you remember “hissing Confetti”, the stand-offish kitten that wouldn’t allow herself to be touched? Well, she is now very affectionate, as long as I don’t try to pick her up, and waits for me in the mornings when I take pictures of the sky!
This last week has been packed full of world news, and I won’t comment directly on that, but I just wanted to share the thought that came to me:
In this corrupted, perverted world, God will fight for us, but He will not fight over us.
There will not be a tug of war between God and the world/the flesh/the Devil over you. If you believe in Jesus and keep His commandments, then you have chosen God, and evil has no authority over you. But if you choose to walk away from the invitation God has given you, then you have made your choice, and God will not interfere.
The point is that we have agency in this situation. God gives us the ability to choose whether we will follow Him. As God’s created beings, made for His glory, God has every right to ask for our loyalty. And when we choose Him, He rewards us.
But if we do not choose God, then we have chosen the Betrayer. God will not interfere with our choice. No one goes to live with God that doesn’t want to be there.
But what happens when you believe in Jesus, but your love has grown cold?
Jesus warned us that it would happen:
“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:10-13)
This passage explains why many shall grow cold (because of all the open sin–sound like anything happening right now?), but what can we do to stop it?
Before I go any further, I just want to point out that if you are concerned about your coldness toward God, then it’s not too late. The fact that you notice and care shows you are being convicted by the Holy Spirit. “For whom the Lord loves, he chastens. . .” (Hebrews 12:6)
Repentance is a gift from God. (2 Timothy 2:25) If you feel bad about being cold and you want to come back, you can. Just. Turn. Around. (Repent) He will be right there, welcoming you home.
But how do we insulate our relationship with God, to make sure we don’t grow cold toward Him?
First, don’t forget who you were before Jesus.
“But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see far off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” (1 Peter 1:10)
When you get chilly, the first thing to do is go back to the foot of the cross and praise the Lord for how He saved you. When we forget what Jesus did for us, we forget to be thankful. Jesus said, “To whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” (Luke 7:47b) So remember what Jesus did for you, then you will feel, once again, your love for Him. Then thank Him!
But what “things” are lacking in the passage from 1 Peter? For the lack of these “things” is what leads to forgetfulness.
Before Peter gets into those “things,” he first assures us that God, in His divine power, will give us “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3) God will give us the power to “escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.” And the tools we use to escape corruption are God’s “great and precious promises” that give us the ability to become “partakers of the divine nature.” (2 Peter 1:4) Yes, read that last phrase again.
I John 3:3 sheds some light on what those promises are:
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”
We shall be like Him, and we shall see Him as He is. Wow.
Romans 8:29 tells us that those who love God will be “conformed to the image of His Son.”
Up until now, no one has been able to look directly at God and see all of what He is, but if we hold on until the end, we will be able to do that. In fact, going back to Peter, we will be “partakers in the divine nature!”
John continues in the next verse:
“And every man that has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure.” (I John 3:4)
You and I both know that we do not have the power to purify ourselves, but we know that the blood of Jesus Christ makes us clean. John is saying that the hope of being like Jesus Christ inspires us to take a part in making ourselves pure–this is after we have been released from the power of sin through the blood of Christ.
It all starts with the gift of faith.
“For by grace are you saved by faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8)
And with that gift of faith, Peter gives us the stepping stones:
“Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. . . give diligence to make your calling and election secure, for if you do these things you shall never fall:” (2 Peter 1: 5-7; 10)
Virtue, which must be added to the gift of faith, is moral excellence. And what is the moral law? The Ten Commandments. (These are found in Exodus 20: 2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21)
Jesus summed up these commandments in Matthew 22:37 – 40: “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it, ‘Thou shalt love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
So to be morally excellent is to love, with all that implies. In fact, Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 13 that you may have all the other spiritual gifts, but if you don’t also have love, they are worthless.
Peter’s progressive list continues with knowledge. Study the Bible, but also study nature, God’s other Bible, for by the creation is the Creator revealed. (Romans 1:20) And to knowledge add temperance (self control), and to self control, add patience, then godliness, then brotherly kindness, then charity (love).
I think it’s interesting that Peter’s list basically begins with moral excellence, or keeping the Ten Commandments, which Jesus defines as love, and then it ends with love. But in this case, love isn’t a feeling, it’s a verb: To love. It’s an action word: To show love.
Sometimes we don’t feel like showing love. That’s OK. Just get your hands busy doing something out of obedience to God. (There’s the “O” word!) When we will to obey God, He fixes our hearts.
Enthusiasm is what we lack, but that word literally means “God within.” He has to fill us with Himself, and then we will have all the emotional love and the desire to serve that we need. And God fills us with Himself when we obey.
Our obedience makes God’s job of guarding and providing for us that much easier, but more importantly, it proves our loyalty. Obedience proves our love. Jesus said, “If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love.” (John 15:10)
“But since God chose you to be the holy people whom He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for other people’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” (Colossians 3:12-15 NLT)
It’s easy to obey when we love the person we are obeying. And when our love grows cold, our will to love, expressed as obedience, warms our own hearts and creates a reaction within God as well. As we move closer to Him, we warm up!
And so, I wish you warmth, my dear friends! I wish you love! I pray for your enthusiasm! And when you get good and hot, go warm someone else up, OK? Much love to you!
The Fullers Four 