I was reading my friend Hannah's blog (you should check it out :) http://hannahborcherdt.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/algun-dia/), this post beginning with how women don't just want to be told we are loved, we want to be shown. That reminded me of the song "Show Me" from the movie "My Fair Lady"
God showed us his unconditional love when Christ took upon himself every sin that had or would be committed and died upon the cross. He payed the ultimate price so that those who trust in Him would be made holy. Without this gift, our sin would separate us from God forever. 1 John 1:5 says "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." Sin is darkness. Sin cannot be in God's presence just as darkness cannot be found in the light. How amazing it is, then, that God loves us regardless of our sin and purified us so that we could walk in the light and be in His presence. Too often, I think the "ultimate price" Jesus payed was death. Yes, His death was brutal, agonizing, unimaginably painful; but that only scratches the surface of what He did for us. The ultimate price paid for our salvation is separation from God. I don't remember which book it was (there are too many!) but a comment was made that Christians often misinterpret the reason God turned His face away from Jesus on the cross. Christians generally say, "God couldn't bear to see His Son suffering on the cross. That's why he turned away." But no, the author asserts. God turned His back on Jesus because He was laden with the sins of the world - darkness. God, in His holiness, could not have that darkness in His presence, so He turned away.
As people, we desire to be shown we are loved. God undeniably showed us His love. Now we are called to respond in kind. The Holy Spirit nudges us, saying, "Show Me. Show Me you love Me." This is different from simply believing in God. James 2:19 says "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder." Surely, we can do better than the demons! The hole in each person's soul cannot be filled with knowledge of God on its own. We are made complete by God's perfect love, but also by loving Him in return. How can we say we have a relationship with God if we take without giving? Stalin almost certainly believed Churchill existed. Did he love him? Probably not.
Furthermore, it is easy to say "I love God", but is it really true? Love is inevitably manifested in actions. This is why we crave to be shown love. If, for too long, we hear "I love you" without actions to back it up, a natural fear develops that we are not indeed loved. Love is inevitably manifested in actions. This is why we crave to be shown love. If we hear "I love you" without actions to back it up, after a while, a natural fear develops that we are not indeed loved. If we truly love God, we will show it. It’s the same idea behind the relationship between faith and works.
We show God we love Him by obeying. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15), which is reiterated throughout the gospel of John. This reminds me of a part of Pastor Brian’s sermon last week when he used an analogy from Francis Chan. If my dad tells me to clean my room, I have two choices: I can choose to obey or disobey. It doesn’t matter if I memorize my father’s command, analyze the Greek roots, and study it closely with a group of friends. If I choose not to clean my room, I am being disobedient – I am failing to show my dad that I love him. In the same way, I can constantly and eloquently profess my love for God as Freddy does to Eliza, but what good is that if my actions do not reflect my words? If I never said I loved God, would anyone be able to tell that I did?
Acknowledging these truths, I am forced to ask myself a series of questions. Do I believe in God? Do I say I love God? Do I actually love God? Is my love for God evident? Do I obey His commands? Finally, what is my attitude in obeying? Do I obey grudgingly or with a willing heart?
We would all be doomed if God had only the extent of Eliza Doolittle's grace and patience. Only God can love perfectly. We will always fall short, but we can improve with the aid of the Helper. What an amazing God we serve, who, even when we fail to reciprocate His love, turn our backs, or go as far as accusing Him of apathy, still loves us. Next time I find myself studying but not obeying God's commands, I might just exclaim, "This is no time for a chat!"
God is calling you and me to love Him. Do you love Him? Show Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment