2-2-2026    How Much do we Really Love the Lord?

                      

How deep is our love for Jesus?

In 1054, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches split and the protestant reformation began in 1517.  According to the National Congregational Study Survey, in the U.S. alone, there are more than 200 Christian denominations.  All declaring allegiance to Jesus Christ, our Lord.  These splits all came from ‘theological differences.  Everybody didn’t believe exactly the same.  Many claiming that if one didn’t believe exactly as they declared, that soul was not saved.  We are one body and that body has many parts (1 Corinth. 12:14-27) yet were are still one in Christ Jesus (Rom. 12:4-5).

So!

What did Paul tell the Romans?  When we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe with our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, we shall be saved (Rom. 10:9). Then he clarified that those stronger in the Lord should bear the infirmities of the weak (Rom.15:1).  Our job is not to tear down but edify the church, the body of Christ.  We all may not sit as one of the 5-fold offices, but we all do have a part in the 5-fold ‘ministry’.  Everything that we do stems from the 5-fold ministry – Evangelist, Apostle, Pastor, Teacher and yes, even the Prophet. (Eph. 4:11-12) We are God’s temple (1 Corinth. 3:16 – naos G3485, temple, dwell)!  Bear in mind that these offices are manifested through the many talents contained in the body.  In his own eyes, the devil has done well in dividing the body of Christ and fracturing the love the body represents.

Note, that Romans 10:9 says ‘shall’, not ‘are’.  Paul cautions the Romans that “it is impossible for those who once were enlightened, have tasted heavenly gifts or are partakers of the Holy Ghost (associated with, partnered with, allowed Him into our lives) and tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come. Should God permit them to fall away (return to that sinful nature)?   Then repenting again of their sinful nature, are they crucifying the lord Jesus again putting Him to shame” (Heb. 6:4-6).  What this passage tells is that when we truly love the Lord, with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, we will not turn from Him. 

However, there is a flip-side to this coin.  Should we turn away from Jesus, after we have confessed and were baptized, our original confession is in jeopardy because it implies that we may truly have not given our hearts to Jesus.  Note the commitment to depth of faith in this passage, it is secured in ‘as we believe’.  If we profess Jesus, then turn back to the old ways, how sincere was our original commitment?  Did we really believe what our mouth was saying?  However, John tells us that should we sin (we are sinful creatures by nature), we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus (1 John 2:1-2).  Even though that sinful nature fights us to gain control, we have God’s Spirit of love in us as we live in God’s love, we win the battle (Gal. 5:17-25).  Should we fall, confess lth sin and Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

(1) Just knowing about Jesus (being enlightened) is not a guarantee for our salvation.  Satan and his devils believe and know that God exists (James 2:19).  In fact, the first two chapters of “Job”, God issues a challenge to Satan concerning Job’s faithfulness (Job 1:6-12, Job 2:1-6).  Satan believes God IS, what about us?  Ananias and his wife Sapphira showed their true hearts when they lied to the Holy Spirit by holding back part of what they promised God (Acts 5:1-11).  Man can believe in and be baptized in Jesus but that is just the beginning.  Jesus tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15).  His commandment is to LOVE (Matt. 22:36-38) and as we love Him, we will do so with all our heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:30).  That means with everything that we are!  That lack of true commitment was displayed when many of the people decided to no longer follow Jesus because they felt His teachings were too hard (John 6:59-66).

Paul tells the Corinthians that even though only one crosses the finish line first, all run the race expecting to win.  A man strives to master all things he encounters (resist the devil’s attacks) to receive an incorruptible crown.  Know what our goal is, and don’t be like a boxer who shadow boxes, just punching the air, but bring our bodies under subjection (of our heart) so we will not nor have not run the race in vain (1 Corinth. 9:24-27).

Have we confessed Jesus, been baptized in water then we come to a screeching halt in our relationship?  Have we become content with where we are?  Are we still living in salvations shallows?

(2) Even though we have received blessings from Father, that does not guarantee our eternal life.  Later in life, I realized how Father has been watching over me.  Blessing me even when I didn’t acknowledge Him.  My dad worked for the department of Interior and would occasionally go to audit various national parks.  When I was going into the third grade (@ 7 years old), that summer, he brought the family to come be with him in Boulder City, Nevada.  There was a rock formation protruding into Lake Mead called Black Rock which, as a family, we walked up the path.  Dad had gone a little farther ahead and I was with mom and my sister when I decided to go catch up with my dad.  I saw him up ahead, but as I went up the path I found a split in the path so I stretched my seven year old legs across the gap to the other side.  Uh oh!  I spanned the gap but I could neither pull myself forward nor could I back up.  I don’t know how high we were up on Black Rock, I just knew I was higher than I cared for being in my predicament.  Mom yelled for dad and honestly, the last thing I remember is seeing my dad running back to get me.  I know I didn’t fall because I’m here writing about this today.  Thinking back, that was a huge blessing for me – I’m still here (Psalm 121:5-8)!  Father knew me and He was watching over me.  Obviously even though I didn’t know Him.  He loved me.

Father will bless us to get our attention, even when we don’t acknowledge Him (personal life experiences), yet He does tell us that as we obey Him, blessings will come our way (Deut. 28:11-14).  Jesus tells us those who hear the Word of God and do it shall be blessed (Luke 11:28).  As we keep God’s law and keep His commandments Father will bless us with long life and peace (Prov. 3:1-2) and more.

Father keeps bringing Job to mind.  A man who endured much hardship without denying God and though he lost all that he had, in the end, Father blessed Him many times over because of his dedication and obedience (Job 42:10-17).  Job recognized Who God is and showed God his love for Him through his obedience.  Can we show Father our love through our obedience?

But bear in mind, Father does bless us according to His will but those blessings don’t bring us a guarantee salvation nor are they a guaranteed product of professions of faith, but Father uses them as encouragement for our continuing obedience to our Lord Jesus!  Blessings are great but how long will we stay just waist deep in God’s love? abiding in God’s love, but not growing.

(3) Even if we’ve memorized passages from (or even) the whole bible, it is not a guarantee for a blessed life ‘ever after’. 

Isaac was the son of Abraham, and Abraham was considered the ‘founding’ patriarch of Judaism, and Christianity sprang from Judaism.  In the natural, Jesus was born into this world a ‘Jew’ via his mother Mary.  He was obedient to His Father (God).  So, as we confess and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become His brothers, therefore we fall into that Spiritual lineage in our rebirth into the New Covenant (in Jesus).  In his old age, Isaac’s eyesight dimmed which enabled Jacob (his son) to trick him into receiving the blessing of the eldest son (Gen. 27:15-30).  In short, we age and often natural, physical attributes slow us down.  We may assume that it is by Father’s design, for whatever His reason, our life flows as it does. Yet He’s is always in control yet He gives us free choice (Josh. 24:15, Rev. 3:20-22).  How freedom affect our choices?

In our youth (in church) we are encouraged to read and memorize bible verses and this continues into our adulthood, or it should.   This is good!  The more Word we have in our heart and mind, the better for us.  Paul encourages us, in his letter to the Romans, to present our bodies a living sacrifice to the Lord by renewing our minds as an expression of our faithfulness (Rom. 1:1-2).  Father also tells us to receive His Words, know His commandments, desire understanding and seek knowledge with all our heart, so we will come to understand who God is and we will gain His wisdom (Prov. 2:1-5).  Father has given us the written Word for our learning that through our patience in so doing, we find comfort and our hope is reinforced (Rom. 15:4)

A parrot can resound the words which we teach it.  The bird knows the words, but he has no understanding of what they mean, it is just imitating sounds.  We go to school to, among other things, learn words and their meaning so we can appropriately communicate with others. 

Most biblical speakers cite ‘book, chapter and verse’ help us understand what God is saying?  Knowing the words and being able to use them correctly in a sentence is good, but if someone asks us “what do you mean, do we just give them a blank stare?  Or are we able to relate to the deeper understanding of what is being said?  Do we have that deeper meaning of what Father is saying in our own heart?

It is great to have read the whole bible (Genesis to Revelation) once, twice ten times or even more.  What I am asking is ‘what are we retaining’?  What are we absorbing?  For myself, I have learned that reading a verse, a passage, a chapter, a book, etc., I learn.  PTL!  But I have found that each time I’ve read that verse, passage, chapter or book, Father takes me to a deeper understanding of what that portion of the bible actually means.  He shows me something more, something deeper than what I have seen in all the times before.  AND, even though I made no deliberate attempt to memorize many of these passages, I find Father brings many back to my memory when needed!  The Holy Ghost will give us what to say (Mark 13:11).

We’ve grown in knowledge and, at least, a basic understanding but are we still just chest deep in the lake of our understanding?  How much of God’s love have we learned to apply and effectively live in?

(4) Even as we have learned about future heavenly existence, it is not an indication that we are signed, sealed or delivered.  Understand that ‘delivered’ implies that we would then be in the literal presence of Father, face to face, mano e mano.

No one knows when the lord is coming back (Matt.24:44).  For this reason, we should always be ready and watching (Matt. 25:13).  However, Jesus does give us some things that might give us a hint.  False prophets, wars and rumors of wars, nations, kingdoms and even families divided, disease, famines, earthquakes in unusual places, and Jesus says, even with these things, the end is not yet (Matt. 24:4-8).  Look at history, these things have been happening ever since Jesus ascended (Acts 1:9), even since the beginning of the world (2 Peter 3:4).  How many people have tried to predict when the end times or even tribulation period will be (it signals Jesus’ return) - ?  Even today, how many of us look at the world situation and say “the end times are near?  Even before, but certainly since Jesus’s time, there have been false prophets, wars, famines, etc. and here we are, experiencing the same things, and still we are waiting.  When Jerusalem is surrounded by the armies (Luke 21:20-28) the Lord will come with the shout of the archangel and the trump of God (1 Thess. 4:16-18),

In the meantime, are we yet totally immersed in Jesus’ ocean of love?  Totally committed in living for Him?  Totally enveloped in that sea of love?

Getting our feet wet is just the beginning.  Waist deep, we are learning.  Neck deep shows our commitment.  Totally immersed?  Knowing and living in God’s Word and sharing it with those whom we encounter, is this total immersion?  Absolutely and completely but the question is “Are we totally immersed in love” – in God’s eyes? 

Enoch pleased God, so God took him form the earthly realm (Gen. 5:21-24).  Neither did Elijah see an earthly death (2 Kings2:11-12).  The testimony of both men is that they pleased God.  We don’t know if Enoch had a task to complete when God took him but Elijah had to wait until his mission was complete before being taken up.  Have we actually given our complete heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30) over to the Lord?  How much do we really love Him?

When we willfully sin and turn our backs on Jesus, the odds of our repentance becomes less and less a possibility.  The farther we stray, the harder it will be to come back.  For when we turn from Father, we put Jesus to shame because we have called Him a liar.  – has He truly saved us, but do we live like it?  Yet we know that if we should stumble or fall, Jesus will pick us back up.

Jesus says “Abide in Me (John 15:4).  As we grow in Christ Jesus, we venture farther and farther out into the water (God’s love).  Endeavoring to become totally immersed in His love.

Peter walked on the water (Matt. 14:22-33), but Father promised Isaiah to be with him through the waters and fire and that he would not be harmed (Isaiah 43:2-3a).  Promises like these are also ours.  Are we living our lives as we expect good things to happen?

So, just how deep is our water?  Our love?  Do we get our feet damp by walking in shallow waters (love)?  How about waist deep as we grow in the waters of love?  Are we neck deep In the waters of the knowledge and living in God’s will and doing it?  Have we totally immersed ourselves by walking into and being totally overcome by the waters of Father’s love?  Is Father’s love a part of our love – life? 

Father brings to my mind the song “Rush” by the group Voux.  I first heard this song at church and I was so-so with it.  Later, I looked up the lyrics and then I understood.  To be totally overwhelmed with God’s love.

Learning to love Jesus and others will also help us to love ourselves.  We are wonderfully made because God’s works are marvelous (Psalm 139:14) and we are God’s creation (Eph. 2:10).  Men, are we not commanded to love our wives for if we love our spouses we should love ourselves (Eph. 5:28).  If we have no confidence (don’t love) in ourselves, how can we truly love others? 

Amen

I presented this a year ago to the fellowship I attend for the bible study but Father has made some additions for deeper understanding.