Dear Beloved of the Lord,
In The Message, Eugene Peterson's contemporary paraphrase of the New Testament, the familiar words of Matthew 22:37-40 are given this way: "Jesus said, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."
So how do we respond to our Lord's call? How are we doing as individuals and as a body in obedience to our Savior? Do we really love Him with all our passion, prayer and intelligence and even love others as much as we love ourselves? The apostle Paul tells us that this kind of love must always come first or we are nothing. We can think we are doing great things for God, even to the point of laying down our lives for the sake of the Gospel, but if we do not have true Christ-like love burning passionately in our hearts we are nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:3). If we as individuals or as a church think we understand the will of God and are busy doing kingdom work, but are not filled with the love of Christ for those around us we are missing the whole point. We are called to love as Jesus loved us! This love propelled Him to the cross. This love burned in the hearts of the first Christians. However in Revelation 2:2-4 we read the words of the Lord Jesus to the church of Ephesus. We are told that the Lord recognized their deeds, their hard work and perseverance. They are commended for not tolerating wickedness and untruth. They have endured hardship for the sake of Jesus and still not grown weary. But we are told in verse 4 that that is not what Jesus desired of them. He says, "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." How tragic! The believers of Ephesus did so much for the sake of the Gospel, but their Christian love was growing cold and were commanded by Christ to repent. Jesus also warns us that in the last days, "Because of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold". Only as we yield our lives to Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with God-like love will we be able to love the Lord our God with all our passion, prayer and intelligence.
As the new fall season is before us and as we seek to authentically live as individuals and as a body of believers that reflects the love of Jesus Christ please hear the words of our Master and guard your love. Do not let your love grow cold. Fan the flame. Let Him fill your heart once again with that all consuming passion. If your love is growing cold, repent. Return to the cross and confess your sin. Let the fire of His love fill you once again. May this year be a year powerfully transformed by the love of Christ.
All because He first loved us,
Pastor Fred
New Life in Jesus Christ is a free gift from God. The following truths from Holy Scripture declare the reality of this glorious gift.
-
NEW LIFE IS PROVIDED FOR THOSE WHO KNOW JESUS CHRIST. “Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the other man, will be given new life.” 1 Corinthians 15:22
-
NEW LIFE IS GIVEN THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. “He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5
-
NEW LIFE WILL LAST FOREVER. “For you have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living Word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23
-
NEW LIFE MAKES POSSIBLE A CHANGED WAY OF LIVING. “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
-
NEW LIFE REQUIRES A RESPONSE OF HOLY LIVING. “So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Galatians 5:16 “He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them.” 2 Corinthians 5:15 “Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.” Romans 6:13
If you already know Christ, thank God for the new life He has given you and the power He provides to live for Him.
If you have never received Christ, don’t be afraid to welcome Him into your heart right now. Simply say, “Heavenly Father, I am sinner in need of forgiveness and grace. I believe that Jesus died for me on the cross. I accept your offer of salvation. Today I receive Jesus Christ as Lord of my life. Thank you, Father! Amen. “But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12