Jesus Christ makes it crystal clear that spiritual perfection means being willing to obey God to the point of losing everything we have. He tells us in Matthew 22:37 that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart...all our soul...and all our mind! What else could this mean except we are to love Him with our whole being and in every possible way! As God's own son, Jesus is more than qualified to teach us how to love God the Father and says this is the first and greatest of all the commandments (verse 38)! He is telling us that God wants us to love Him exclusively, above all else. Not halfheartedly, not apathetically – but with total devotion.
Let's take a lesson from King David – the man Paul quotes from the Old Testament as being a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). He had a singular passion for God, longing for Him as a deer longs for streams of water. Thirsting for Him and for the next time he could go and stand before God, (Psalms 42:1-2). David delighted in the praise and worship of God, with a longing and fainting for the experience of meeting with the Lord in His temple and singing for joy to be serving Him. David was not perfect as we are not. He did not love God perfectly and was often hindered by his human weaknesses toward sin just like we are. But when we fail, we turn to God as David did and declare, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever: (Psalm 73: 25-26).
None of us have any idea what will be required of us in our future. Many of us may indeed be called upon to literally give up everything we own and everyone we love for Him. One thing is sure, He promises not to place on us a burden that we cannot endure with His help (1 Corinthians 10:13). Difficult instruction, pushing, encouragement, and when necessary discipline will come our way at the hand of our loving Father for the purpose of growing us toward perfection; helping us to reach our full potential – not to destroy us. Our Father knew we could not do this alone, that is why He allowed His Son to be sacrificed to atone for our sins, and why he gives believers the gift of the Holy Spirit. He deeply desires that the ones He created for the purpose of being His family grow toward perfection as He is perfection. That is our goal, our hope, our home.
Without this exclusively intimate relationship with God, we are not able to have the love we want for others. God gives us a whole new capacity for love. In developing our relationship with Him, we learn to be humble which in turn allows us to love God and others with a pure love; not one of selfish desire or ambition.
Bình luận