Our Love For Christ

Our Love for Christ

Grace to you peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Today I want to explain how we can deepen “Our Love for Christ.”

A personal relationship with Christ is a transformative connection with Jesus Christ, characterized by faith, trust, intimacy, and a commitment to follow His teachings and example. Love is a commitment not a feeling. Love is founded on the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, who died for our sins and rose again, offering forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. That is Love. It involves actively engaging with Christ through prayer, studying His Word, and striving to live according to His principles, leading to personal growth and a closer walk with God.

As 1 John 3:1 says Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Now that we have seen how the Lord loves us as His children, let us see and envision how we as His children ought to love our Father.

Our Love Toward Him

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)

Today I will give the congregation a new perspective on Matthew 16.

Why do we love? Do we love in expectations that we might receive love? Or out of selflessness and compassion? We often chase God so that He might bless us. We search for our own will in Him. We have hope that if we pray enough or meditate on the word enough, maybe He would honor the Lord and Savior of Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost q our will and desires. God has no such obligations. Instead we should chase God, searching for His will in the renewing of our minds.

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will be for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? - Matthew 16:25-26

Do not show affection to the Lord for your desires, rather love the Lord and fulfill His desire in your life. There is a huge difference between enjoying a person who gives gifts and enjoying the gifts instead of the person. God is our all satisfying treasure and Father and Friend and Savior.

Seek the giver through the gift and seek the giver in the gift. Now what does this mean? When you are with your spouse do you love them because of what they do? or do you love them for who they are? Do you love your husband because he placed a roof over your head, or do you love your wife for the delicious food she cooks? No, because that doesn’t make sense. You love your wife and you love your husband because of who they are. The same way we should love God for who He is not for the blessings itself. Love the Lord for He is good. Love Him for who He is, not for what He gives. If you don’t seek God before you seek His blessings, then there will be certain things that will cause you to miss the mark. When you don't receive said blessings, you will gain a spirit of discontentment and disappointment. But if you had only sought the Lord first, you would have been satisfied with the goodness of God.

These two verses emphasize the importance of seeking God and praising Him in every circumstance:

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. - Matthew 6:33

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:12-13

If you were to receive the blessing of your desires you would idolize it or “not have been prepared to receive it. There is a reason you have not received the blessing you have fervently prayed for. You start praying over a blessing you desire - instead of God's desire for your life. Your consistency, and your focus on God is replaced with wasted time on your desires. You slowly lose yourself while thanking God for something that was never meant for you. You can’t ask God to bless the food so that it may be good and nutritious when the food is poor and unhealthy. God meant for you to eat a salad but you and your selfishness is eating a mcdonalds and thanking God.