Love is the only true motivation for faithfulness. There is no abiding in Him unless we have vacated the worthless abodes that once held our residence.
Do you find yourself trying to abide in Christ while putting up curtains and making your bed elsewhere? It just doesn't work. Where our treasure is, our hearts will follow...where our hearts lead, our actions echo.
We get it so backward at times: Striving to clean up our actions so that our hearts may be free of guilt, that our treasure might be found in Christ.
No...this is the upside-down amazing message of the Gospel:
Christ loves and pursues you.
Christ calls you to vacate the slum you think is a palace.
You follow Him, and He becomes your dwelling place.
You abide in Him because He's received you.
Christ is your treasure because He freed your from sin, and makes you free to be holy.
He enables and you obey. All because He begins the work that He finishes.
Spurgeon:
The knowledge that God loves me casts out my tormenting dread of God: and when this is expelled, there is room for abounding love to God. As fear goes out, love comes in at the other door.
So the more faith in God the more room there is for soul-filling love.
Our soul is satisfied with marrow and fatness when we know that the whole heart of God beats towards us as forcibly as if we were the only creatures he had ever made, and his whole heart were wrapt up in us. Love to God produces a desire to be with him; a desire to be like him, a longing to be with him eternally in heaven, and this breaks us away from worldliness; this keeps us from idolatry, and thus has a most blessedly sanctifying effect upon us, producing that elevated character which is now so rare, but which wherever it exists is powerful for the good of the church and for the glory of God.
How grateful are we...that LOVE has come in the door, has made itself at home, and that because we abide in that love...we can draw close to Him, and STAY.
I'm drawing close to Christ, and his wondrous hospitality to his redeemed...
Join me everyday this month for the Drawing Close series.
Day 1: Drawing Close Intro Day 2: A Portrait Day 3: Parts of A Whole Day 4: Be Strong and Courageous Day 5: A World Where There Are Octobers {My Birthday} Day 6: Keep Moving Forward Day 7: Bearing Fruit Day 8: Capturing Life In Motion Day 9: Real (Uncomfortable) Hospitality Day 10: In Process, In Progress Day 11: Beginnings Day 12: Underpinnings Day 13: Rest In Him Day 14: The Mercy of Layers Day 15: Tulips For Morocco Day 16: On His Side Day 17: Dear Soul Day 18: Flowery Beds Of Ease Day 19: Dogwoods Sketch Day 20: Weekend Watercoloring Day 21: Because Love Abounds And We Abide Day 22: The Water To My Color Day 23: Significance of Dogwoods Day 24: By Faith Day 25: The Old Toolbox Day 26: Thankful For Breath Day 27: Number 4 Day 28: Nothing More and Nothing Less Day 29: He Calls Us By Name Day 30: It Takes Time Day 31: Ars Longa, Vita Breva