I think we need to examine this love that is so crucial to our ministry. Most of us would say that we really do love the Father and the Son. Some would be highly offended with any accusation otherwise suggesting that they did not love God.
However, we do find ourselves living beneath the mark of perfection, after having known the Lord for many years. Why is this the case? Why do we not love the Father after all that we know He has done for us? Why is there a lack of love for Jesus who gave His life for us? With all that we have experienced of the Father and the Son why do we continuously fall short of loving Him?
Deuteronomy 6:5
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
This was the commandment that was given to Israel in the Mosaic Law. We are also commanded to love one another as we love ourselves.
Now we know that Israel did not keep these two great love commandments, for to keep them would have left no need for a deliverer. So then, was God unjust to give them such laws that He knew they would not be able to keep? I dare say not, but quite the contrary.
God made provisions for the failure of Israel in keeping His laws. He installed sacrifices and diverse offerings to cover their sins. In addition, the law and the prophets pointed them to Jesus, their Messiah, and the One ordained to be the fulfilling of the law.
This is important in that the summary of the law is love. It is the love of the Father and the love of your fellowman that characterizes the law.
Jesus declared that we would keep the Father’s commandments if we truly loved Him. However, the only true ability to keep the commandments lies in Christ Jesus. He is our ability to fulfill the law of God. Therefore, if we can only keep the commandments by Jesus Christ, then it follows that we can only truly love the Father by Jesus Christ.
THE ONLY LOVE THAT IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO RENDER OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW IS GOD’S OWN LOVE. It must be the agape love of the Father that is made available to us through Jesus Christ.
This means that we can only fulfill the law of love by walking in the Spirit. The Soul must submit to the Spirit of Christ within us. We must not allow our fleshy mind to lead us. Otherwise, we will fail to manifest love and obedience to the truth.
Once again the answer to pleasing the Father is walking in the Spirit. Failure to do so results in a lack of true revelation of the Word and ways of God, therefore the presence of the Lord will not be revealed in situations where it is needed.
To walk in the Spirit is to submit totally to the present truths given to us by the Father. We need to get real and just admit that we are not walking in the Word that we have already received. We have not completely given over to those truths. Nevertheless, we seek after more and more truths. It is time to carefully evaluate your own spiritual disposition.
It is possible that understanding is darkened in some cases due to the hardness of the heart. Of course one does not want to think of oneself as having a hardened heart toward things pertaining to God. Nevertheless, if you do not obey the things you do understand, then the question is why.
The answer is simple; we do not love the Father with the love we are capable of. We are trying to love and serve Him with our fleshy minds. That simply will not work.
You are the sons of God. New Creatures fashioned by the Holy Ghost. You are the offspring of God, having all His attributes and abilities to love and obey. Then why do you refuse to obey?
DISOBEDIENCE IS DISAGREEMENT WITH GOD. It is a manifestation of our lack of agreement with the Word God gave to govern our life. If you agreed with present truths then you would walk in them.
However, because you do not agree, you justify your disobedience rather than simply admitting that you do not agree with the restraints and/or demands placed on the flesh. Your pride will even tell you that you have a right to disagree.
You may be one of those who are constantly seeking counsel or a deeper revelation that will supposedly explain your lack of submission. You are convinced that it must be something other than sheer disagreement with God.
When we do not agree with the demands God places on us, our pride causes us to seek out the deficiencies of others and build a case that justifies our disobedience. This is deception and will be answered by chastening from the Father. I only hope that you are careful not to allow this chastening to harden your heart.
Beloved, do not allow the enemy to deceive you. Submit to the present truth. God will do the rest through you.
