IF YOU LOVE ME. (8 MAR 2016)

“If you love me, keep my commandments.”(A) And King David said, “I will delight in your commandments.”(B) And David basically repeats this 4 times in the 119th Psalm, “I will delight myself in thy statutes”.(C) And in JN 14, four times Christ repeats his idea that if you love him, he & the Father will love you in return, and their Spirit will take up “abode” with you.(D) Our loving Lord & Savior says, “Show me your love!” King David said, “Zeal for Your house has eaten me up!”(E)

THE JOY & BENEFITS of loving God by keeping his commandments, or THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS: First, when you keep your integrity you have the wonderful joy of SELF-RESPECT. You can hold your head up high, rather than hanging it in shame. Second, you will feel drawn intimately close to God, because the barriers to stop fellowship with a holy God evaporate. Poor integrity poisons intimacy with our loving God. Thirdly, your acts of integrity will build up good habits that turn you into a naturally godly person, in other words it builds assertive Christlike character. Fourth, your acts of integrity will inspire others to step forward and do what is right. So you will be leading others to do what is right. And last, it may even lead others to Christ. I can personally testify that when I have entered into acting with godly integrity…people witnessing it have surprised me by giving their lives to Christ.

Under inspiration Peter writes the elect of God, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time…That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold…though it be tried by fire, might be found unto praise & honor & glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ…Whom having not seen, ye love…As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance…Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”(F) So the Spirit by Peter talks of God’s power—but what if there is a power outage!?! And the Spirit talks about love & obedience, faith & trials,, and not being fashioned to the world, for we are to be holy. But what is obedience? How do we break from the world? How do we keep from letting the world mold us, as Rom 12:2 advises?? How is one to be holy??? Are followers of Christ sincerely asking these questions? When there is a spiritual power shortage, do people spend time examining themselves or blaming others?

BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WORLD’S SEDUCTION BEFORE YOU FEAR THEIR PERSECUTION. The lust of the eyes take our attention off the Divine. Don’t forget you were made in the image of God. Do you love Man or love God? The World will fog your mind & bog your body toxic smog. The World will hammer you. FEAR OF MAN vs. FEAR OF GOD. There is no future in the World. The World and its desires will pass away.(G) Your future lies with Christ in the Father. Elijah, speaking for God, asks, “My people how long will you be divided between Baal [idols of the world] and me [God]??(H) God wants to be respected as holy & honored by you. Elijah said, “But YHWH your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.”(I) Often, it is because of the fear of man, that men fail to keep their integrity. They are afraid to love God. In fear, they bow to idols. To paraphrase Elijah speaking for God, “Put your whole trust in God; let Him be your fear and your love. For men quickly change and soon fail; but Christ lives forever.” Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind & soul. Be concerned how you rate in God’s eyes. All is not too much to give for our love for our God of Love.

SHALL CHRIST FIND A PERSON WITH INTEGRITY WHEN HE RETURNS?? Christ wondered about this, and it is a sincere question. Most nominal Christians, even those who claim being devout, are disconnected to Christ’s way, His spiritual path. May the mind of Christ be renewed in our hearts & minds & mouths.(J) We witness the disintegration of the fabric of godly faith. Without faith it is impossible to please Him.(K) The just shall live by faith.(L) Brothers & sisters, what is faith?…because it seems to be scarce. God says He will give sustaining grace to those who are humble, and resist those who are proud. Help us Lord to be obediently humble, and humbly obedient.

“IF you love me, KEEP my commandments!”

(A) JN 14:15 (B) PS 119:47 (C) PS 119:16, 24, 35, 47 (D) JN 14:15-17, 21, 23, 24 (E) PS 69:9 (F) 1 PTR 1:5,7,8a,14, 16 (G) 1 JN 2:17 (H) 1 KG 18:21 (I) 2 KGS 17:39 (J) cf. 1 COR 2:16 (K) HEB 11:6 (L) ROM 1:7