Love & Spiritual Stature
Devotion 5 - Love & Spiritual Stature
1 Jn.4:18 – “There is no fear in love; but perfect
love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not
been made perfect in love.”
Since love and light are one spiritual force, the greatest love
would produce the greatest light. And if Satan and the demonic fear light, it
would mean also that they fear love. When light comes,
darkness disappears. Thus, perfect love not only cast out fear, it also cast out
darkness. This would mean that walking in love is the best way to defeat the
power of darkness in our life situations.
James 4:7-8 – “Therefore submit to God. Resist
the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and
He will draw near to you.”
Our submission to walk in God’s Love will cause the devil to flee
from us. When we do not walk in love, we do not have the power to resist the
devil, as love and the power of God are one. Thus, the less we walk in the love
of God, the less our light shines and consequently, our true spiritual
authority in the spiritual world is diminished.
Love
& Guidance
Gal.5:22-23
– “But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the
Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Very often, we use the fruit of the spirit to teach about
Christian character. However, this scripture shows us how the fruits of the
spirit are also related to how effectively we walk in the Spirit.
Desires of the flesh are against
the Spirit. If we continue to walk or indulge ourselves in the things of the
flesh which opposes the Spirit, how can we expect to be in tune with the
Spirit? God never works apart from His nature.
And no guidance from God can be against or contrary to the nature of God
in our lives. It is impossible for us to manifest the fruit of the flesh in our
lives and claim that we are walking in the light and led by the Spirit. Our
character in Christ is in line to our sensitivity to the voice of God. The true
manifestation of the Holy Spirit at work in our life is that we become more
like Christ in both character and works.
When we make decisions not out of love, but out of pain, hurt
or anger, it is definitely not guided by the Spirit. If our hearts don’t have
the fruit of the Spirit, we are bound to be walking in error.
Love & Destiny
Rev.1:20 - “The mystery
of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden
lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the
seven lampstands which you saw are
the seven churches.”
Rev.2:1-5 – “To the angel of
the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven
stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I
know your works, your labour, your patience, and that you cannot bear
those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are
apostles and are not and have found them liars; and you have persevered
and have patience, and have laboured for My name’s sake and have not
become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that
you have left your first love. Remember
therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or
else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless
you repent.”
The
Church in the city of Ephesus in modern-day Turkey was the first of seven
churches addressed in Revelation. It was an outstanding assembly and commended
by the Lord for her good works, diligent labor, patience and sound spiritual
discernment. However, despite all these virtues, the Lord had a rebuke against
them, and that is, their love towards Him had grown cold - “you have left your first love”!
Despite
their fervency in the ministry, they were no longer passionately in love with
God. It is highly possible that we can be fervent in ministry yet not fervent
in love. The church was performing acts of love, yet in their hearts, they are
no longer lovers of God. The true motive and motivation of worship and service
were missing, and God was not pleased. He warned that if they do not repent and
return to their first love, that is, restoring the first commandment to its
rightful first place in their hearts, He will come and remove their lamp
stands.
What does
the ‘lamp stand” represent?
Rev.1:20
tells us clearly that the lamp stands which John the apostle saw represented
the churches. Lamp stands were light bearers and were a fitting emblem of the
destiny of local churches. If the lamp stand is removed, the church destiny is removed,
and its testimony dies out. This is true corporately as a church and
individually as a believer. If we do not repent and return to our first love
for God, the purpose and destiny of our call in life is at stake.
Over and
above all that we do for Him, what God seeks is ultimately our love and
devotion. While serving, it is possible for our hearts to be deceived and
distracted by impure motives and motivation. Hence, we can be ministering
effectively even when the love of God within us is fizzling out. We can be
deceived into thinking that as long as we are active in church ministries - be
it serving as home cell leaders, teaching in Sunday schools or preaching and
operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are okay, and is a sign that we
are loving God and bringing pleasure to Him. This is obviously not true from
the message He gives to the Ephesus Church. Do not equate work with walk. It is
possible for us to be working for Him and not walking with Him. And when we
lose our love, we will soon lose our light!
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