I bet that if asked you whether or not you love God, you’d probably say “yes.” And for genuine Christians, that is the God-honest truth. But what if I ask it this way: Do you always love God? I mean, are there times in your life when you question God, question His motives, and question whether He really loves you back?
I think that everyone has done that at one time or another. Yes, even those saved by His most passionate grace.
Failing to love God is the very foundation of all sin. A lack of loving God agape-style is the basis for all of our problems. It was also the main problem with regards to the letter that Jesus sent to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7.
The apostle Paul was instrumental in founding that Ephesian church and he pastored there for about three years (c.f. Acts 19 and 20). Both Timothy and Tychicus ministered there from time to time and the apostle John himself ministered in and around Ephesus up until he was arrested and banished to the Island of Patmos.
That cluster of Ephesian Christians had rock-solid leadership and rich doctrine. Even Jesus Himself confessed that they “cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false” (Revelation 2:2). As if that was not impressive enough, the dust never settled on that flock of believers, either. Armed with godly leadership and sound theology, the church went out into their local community and ministered the gospel on a regular basis.
It seemed as though the Ephesian church had hit the bull’s-eye of what most churches strive for today: sound doctrine and active participation in ministry.
Jesus did not fail to take notice of that fact, either. He acknowledged their admirable affection toward ministry, saying, “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance” (Revelation 2:2). Our Lord had no qualms with their commitment to Scripture or ministry. He commended their hard work and tireless attitude. What Jesus did find revolting, however, was the fact that they had vetoed any love for Him!
That was the error of their Christianity. Jesus complemented their heresy-free theology and perseverance in ministry; He just didn’t want to be ignored while it all took place.
What offended God was that they brandished successful ministries and yet possessed little affection for the Savior. They had abandoned their first love.
Imagine—Christianity with no love for Christ. Godliness with no passion for God. Absurd! They studied and toiled in ministry, yet lost sight of their primary objective: worship.
Knowledge of God’s holy Word should have led them to a more radical love for Jesus, but it did not. Perseverance in ministry should have been the supernatural response to their passionate love of the Savior, but it was not. And because this was the extent of their cold and shallow orthodoxy, Jesus had nothing more than a stiff rebuke for that church as a whole.
He said, “Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5). To put it another way, Jesus was essentially telling them, “I will close the doors of your church forever if you do not make love for Me the motivation for both your pursuit of theology and ministry toward others.”
It is amazing, really, how totally unconcerned Jesus is about the number of churches there are in a given city. Or even the number of people in a particular congregation, for that matter.
Worship is always the target—never popularity.
Frankly, this is what many in the American church need to be reminded of today as well. And soon, before their lampstand gets permanently removed once and for all.
Great Commission Discipleship is exciting work and promises tremendous blessings to those who walk by faith, teaching right doctrine in their course of going. But do not be so foolish as to think you can accomplish anything to make God smile unless love for Jesus is the driving force for everything in your spiritual walk—including ministry.
To think otherwise could lead to, as with Ephesus, the demise of your local assembly.
Sadly, I believe this may be the very reason why so many churches around the world do not prosper and must, therefore, close their doors for good. They may have had solid theology and a gripping ministry or two, but it is quite possible that Jesus would have felt uncomfortable sitting in their pews. I may very well be wrong in many cases, but I am saddened to think I could be right on target with some.
Beloved, do not lose sight of your passionate love for Jesus Christ and His mandate for Great Commission Discipleship. This is most certainly God’s revealed will for your life today!
QUESTION: At what times in your life have you questioned God’s love for you? How did you handle that and what did God show you through that trial?
* Photo credit: Flооd (Creative Commons)
At what times in your life have you questioned God’s love for you? How did you handle that and what did God show you through that trial?
Then why does Galatians 3 tell us that we are no longer made righteous by our ability to follow the law but because Jesus died to restore our righteousness on the cross.
I understand the premise of your post but I’m confused by its origination. If its required for us to prove our love for God to receive his blessings, then why did Jesus need to come and die for our sin?
Hello Kevin, and thanks for dropping a note.
There’s a difference between salvation and that of ongoing sanctification. The Law is the tutor that leads us to Christ. But once we place our faith in Christ, the Law doesn’t lose its significance or necessity in our lives. We don’t try to keep the Law with the hopes to earn or maintain more of God’s grace, but the keeping of God’s commandments is good becuase God is good.
The problem with the Ephesian church in Revelation two was that they were busy for the Lord but forgot to love the Lord. It wasn’t wrong for them to be doing all the things they were doing. Their error was in doing all those things with a wrong motive and the absence of loving Christ. The Law, ministry, etc., should all lead us to a greater love for God.
Does that answer your question?
So then why do so many focus on the law, instead shouldn’t we focus on the Love of Christ?
My study of the scriptures tells me that Jesus died to bring a Covenant of Grace that made us right with God not because of our ability to keep and maintain the Law of Moses but because of the perfect love of Jesus Christ.
In several cases Paul spoke of the ministry of faith replacing the ministry of the law which he termed the “ministry of death”.
I’ve also concluded that God transferred the law from tablets of stone to the Holy Spirit who was sent to guide us without the condemnation presented by the law.
So, shouldn’t it be our ministry, just like that of Paul’s to focus on a ministry of faith and allow the Holy Spirit to correct a believer?
I’ve certainly questioned God’s love for me but that was before I found myself under a ministry that taught the love of God and not His judgement for not following all of the commandments.
So, I speak as a person who grew up in churches where I felt guilty and condemned and turned from the church completely. It wasn’t until 2006 that I found my way back to God through a church, as I said, that taught the love of Christ.
I’m now in the process of becoming a minister myself and I’m trying to read as many perspectives of the Word as I can, so please forgive me for having so many thoughts and questions.
Moreover, with regards to my last question, I think that many (if not most/all) people tend to question God’s love for them when they endure severe trials in their life. We certainly can’t underastand all that God is doing behind the scenes, but we should test ourselves and ask ourselves if there is a particular reason for our suffering. The answer could very well be no. But it could also be yes. It is interesting when you read the Bible how often challenges, trials, and even persecutions came into the lives of God’s people because they weren’t doing what they should have been doing.