Illustrations can sometimes help us to better understand truth. Just as Jesus has been called the "lily of the valley" so also is love often compared to a tender plant. It must be cultivated and cherished, and the roots of bitterness all have to be plucked up around it in order for it to have room to circulate, and then it will bring in under its influence all the powers of the mind, all the heart, so that we shall love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves. (Ephesians 3:17-19/Colossians 2:6,7)
What causes roots of bitterness to spring up ? The absence of the grace of God working in the life prepares the way for this to happen. An act, a word, a thought, cast into the minds of the great concourse of humanity, if it bears the heavenly endorsement, will yield a harvest of precious fruit; but if it is inspired by Satan, it will cause the root of bitterness to spring up, whereby many will be defiled. (Hebrews 12:5/Jeremiah 2:19, 4:18)
Every deed of thoughtful kindness, of obedience, or of self‑denial, will reproduce itself in others, and through them in still others. So every act of envy, malice, or dissension, is a seed that will spring up as a "root of bitterness," whereby many shall be defiled. (Matthew 7:17,18/Galatians 6:7/Proverbs 22:8) This root of bitterness can only be plucked up by GOD who then sows the soil of the heart (which is the mind) with the incorruptible seed of the woman, JESUS CHRIST, the WORD of GOD. Our heavenly FATHER watches over the heavenly SEED as it grows in the heart (mind) and the Bible says regarding that Seed that “he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground...” (Isaiah 53:2)
Christ should never be out of the mind. because as Christ the Pattern is constantly kept before the mind's eye, new habits will be formed, powerful hereditary and cultivated tendencies will be subdued and overcome ,self‑esteem will be laid in the dust, old habits of thought will be constantly resisted, love for the supremacy will be seen in its real, despicable character, and will be overcome. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
JESUS said,“Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” (MATTHEW 15:13)
Love is a plant of heavenly origin. It is not unreasonable; it is not blind. It is pure and holy. But the passion of the natural (unconverted) heart is another thing altogether, While pure love will take God into all its plans, and will be in perfect harmony with the Spirit of God, passion will be headstrong, rash, unreasonable, defiant of all restraint, and will make the object of its choice an idol. Infatuation and human passion are often mistaken for love.
Passion may feel like the love that many human beings understand but pure love originates from only one source. This heavenly plant only flourishes where Christ reigns supreme. Where love exists, there is power and truth in the life. (Psalms 138:2,26:3/2 Timothy 1:7)
CHRIST and the love of CHRIST can only reign supreme in a converted heart; in the heart of someone who has had the experience of “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 PETER 1:23) Just as the planted seed after being submerged in the earth will eventually spring forth and bear fruit, so likewise... When self is submerged in Christ, true love springs forth spontaneously. (John 15:5,12:24)
By the grace of God, we will continue to study these things in another post.
T.K.
© 2009 Tyrone Keels
www.issues-of-life.com
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You state "Passion may feel like the love that many human beings understand but pure love orginates from only one source. I AGREE but, usually when human beings (and they could be saved)find someone they find attractive or are attracted to, Jesus may be in the heart, but at that particular moment not on their minds. I recently had a friend who recently married and prior to the wedding they went to pre marriage counseling at the church where the scriptures were searched and studied for I think about 6 weeks. At the conclusion of the six weeks, they were given a test to see if they were compatiable, mind you they both professed to be Christians. Well according to the test results, they were told they shouldn't get married...Now my question to you is...The Bible states you should not be unevenly yoked, and this couple was not, but according to the Christian counselor they could be headed down a road of misery if they tied the knot, can your love of God be enough??
ReplyDeleteThe answer to your question, if I understand it correctly is yes and no.
ReplyDeleteYes our love for God can be enough...
1. Yes if both parties truly understand what it means to love God. Truly loving God is a constant victory over self and all its peculiar manifestations.
Personalities often clash and make people incompatible because there are elements of self in everyone. It is not love that prohibits unity and harmonious relationships but selfishness.
Even though 2 people may have different personalities, backgrounds, etc., if the love of Christ is predominant in their characters, there will be unity and a determined effort to do good to each other for Christ's sake.
The love of God is enough to bring anyone filled with that love into harmony with anyone else who is filled with that love.
If this were not true, how would the billions of righteous, holy angels and unfallen beings in the universe be able to live together in peace throughout eternity ?
No our love for God may not be enough if it is not mature..
If we don’t have an intelligent love for God that is actually demonstrated in our lives..
2. The love of God may not be enough for the person who is determined to have their own way without any regard for whether his or her choice pleases Christ and our heavenly Father.
Some of these principles are talked about in a booklet that I put together entitled, "Marriage Counseling With The Wonderful Counselor".
Look for it in future blog posts...