Love & Maturation in Jesus Christ’s Kingdom
This teaching was first shared on-line on 7:20 PM CST on September 12th, 2013 at End Times Ministries Virtual Church. It is a compilation of information from a few of my already published books and new material added to balance the rest. All scripture is from the King James Version.
Let us begin with prayer. Thank you for your presence Lord. Even though I am sharing the lesson, I humbly acknowledge that I am presenting mere words. Your Word and Your Spirit teach us. I pray for Your blessing and anointing. Please open our hearts and ears Lord so that we may learn from You tonight.
Love and Maturation in Jesus Christ’s Kingdom
Love is not the sum total of what the Lord uses to train us up in the way we should go as servants in His Kingdom. Character building, studying the Word, and developing our giftings, are also important. If we have vast knowledge of the scriptures, but do not have God’s love, we may think we are doing the work of the Kingdom, but for the most part we are merely making a great deal of noise and putting on a show that is intellectually earthy rather than spiritual in substance.
The farther along we are in development from conditional love to greater degrees of unconditional love, the farther we are along in our spiritual maturity. In other words, the strength of our love is a good barometer for how much we have allowed the Lord to mature us and make us more and more the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. I like to think of a line graph with the left side labeled conditional love and the right side unconditional love. The longer we have had a relationship with Jesus the farther to the right that slider should be located. If we are young in the Lord or if we are full of strongholds that hinder our relationship with the Lord, the more likely that slider graph will depict a reading farther to the left. Whether our love is more on the conditional side, or the unconditional side of the spectrum, is very important to our walk, and how fully we mature. Physical maturity does not always equate to spiritual maturity.
Eph 4:13 And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure (metron= degree, implication: varying portions, many levels) of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
Eph 4:14 so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit.
2nd Sam 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
A Davidic Christian will say, “I will not offer up to God that which costs me nothing.” Their love for Jesus is strong enough that, even if they don’t like what Jesus is asking them to do, they react like Jesus at Gethsemane and say, “Take this cup from me, if it is possible, but not my will be done, but Your will be done.” A Saulish Christian will not have the maturity and character necessary to do the same. He or she may try, but will most likely fall short of the goal. Or they won’t see the need to try at all.
LOVE SCRIPTURES
John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 15:13: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Matthew 5:43-45: Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
(Mat 5:44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
(Mat 5:45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
1 Cor 12:4-8: Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
(1Co 12:5) And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
(1Co 12:6) And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
(1Co 12:7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
(1Co 12:8) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
Mark 12:30-31: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
(Mar 12:31) And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
John 13:34-35: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
(John 13:35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
FIRST LOVE
What is first love? What is old love? First love is fresh and new. Many Christians start out with this love after giving their heart to the Lord. First love is like butterflies in our stomach that seem to tingle all over, filling us with happy thoughts. Why does Jesus ask us to “return to our first love?” One of my mentors once said, “If things aren’t going right, get back to basics. Start at square one and let Jesus show you how to get back on track.”
Jesus asks us to return to our “first love” because it is the place where we first began our walk with Him. That is where the basic building blocks of our relationship start. It is there that Jesus begins to work or rework our relationship with Him.
Old love is stale. Old love is cold love. Old love does not have the power to cover a multitude of sins or help us react to trying situations with grace. What I am saying is that some good can come from “old love” but that “first love” is better.
What is best is matured first love, which is stronger, more unconditional, and tried in the crucible of the Lord’s refining fire. I have heard older Christians laugh at the over zealousness of young Christians and predict that they’ll calm down sooner or later. Sometimes the older Christian is speaking with wisdom, but it is also possible that the older Christian is speaking from a heart grown cold.
CHRISTIAN LOVE AND THE CARES OF THE WORLD
Mark 4: 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
If we allow the cares of this world to choke our first love for Jesus our hearts will grow cold. If we have to choose between Jesus and something or someone in this world, and do not choose Jesus, we may begin to love, or actually, idolize that person or thing. Matthew 10:37 says, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” If we do love someone more than Jesus, that’s spiritual adultery. With some of us, if we lose our first love, it is obvious; with others it is hardly noticeable. Either their first love wasn’t that strong to begin with or they have developed skills that camouflage their inner coldness.
DAVIDIC OBEDIENCE LOVE VS.
SAULIC SACRIFICIAL LOVE
Decades ago the Lord showed me that there are two kinds of love that Christians exhibit for Him and each other. David (obedience) love and Saul (sacrifice) love. Saul and David’s contrast is a very illuminating teaching. While David was not perfect, he had a heart for God.
Psalm 119:47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
Psalm 119:48: My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.
Why do you think God loved David so much, despite his mistakes? David’s character was such that he habitually delighted himself in the Lord and strived to meditate on his commandments. While David was not perfect his heart’s desire was to obey God and serve him.
1 Samuel 13 and 14 detail how King Saul showed poor decisions and poor character. I am not going to discuss this information, but if you don’t remember concrete examples, you may wish to read those two chapters to refresh your memory.
1 Sam 15:22 And Samuel said, Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
What does the Lord say is better, obedience or sacrifice? Obedience. God desires obedience more than sacrifice.
Saul had a heart for himself and was more concerned with saving face than obeying the Lord. David had more unconditional love, while Saul’s love was very conditional.
Obedience love has more unconditional love while sacrifice love exhibits mostly conditional love.
Psalm 37:4-5
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
While Davids enjoy pleasing God, which is natural when you have unconditional love or a measure of first love, Sauls have love that is totally conditional and has as its emphasis independence and selfishness. A Saul’s love response is based on getting something from God rather than simply delighting in the Lord. Also, a Saulish or conditional love has a difficult time with simple obedience. They either react to a disfavored request from the Lord by withdrawing their love from Him or trying to appease Him by making a counter offer in order to avoid obedience. Saulish Christians often verbally attack other servants of the Lord while adamantly justifying their sin.
Christians with conditional love tend to love God and other Christians for what they can get, while Christians with stronger Davidic love tend to love Jesus for who he is and are less likely to exhibit selfish love to the brethren.
Why do you think a strong matured love for Jesus and each other is important?
1st Peter 1:13-16: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
(1Pe 1:14) As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
(1Pe 1:15) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
(1Pe 1:16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
1 John 3:22: And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
John 15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
SACRIFICING
Prov: 21:3: To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Christians with Saulish love are prone to “sacrificing.” They tend to find many great works to do, while rationalizing away the one thing God is really asking them to do. Or they put their utmost, most of the time, into being a good Christian example at fellowship, but during the rest of the week, their prominent examples are marked by great carnality and selfishness. That is, they tend to exhibit more fruit of the flesh than fruit of the Spirit.
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Galatians 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
(Gal 5:23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
What are the fruits of the Spirit?
- LOVE
- JOY
- PEACE
- LONGSUFFERING
- GENTLENESS
- GOODNESS
- FAITH
- MEEKNESS
- TEMPERANCE
THE FRUIT OF THE FLESH
What are the fruits of the flesh? Fruits of the flesh are the opposite of the fruits of the spirit!
- LOVE – HATE (or indifference in some cases)
- JOY – UNHAPPINESS/DEPRESSION
- PEACE – ANXIETY
- LONGSUFFERING – IMPATIENCE
- GENTLENESS – HARSHNESS/ROUGHNESS
- GOODNESS – EVILNESS
- FAITH – DOUBT
- MEEKNESS – PRIDE/INTIMIDATION
- TEMPERANCE – INTEMPERANCE
THE LUST OF THE FLESH
What are the lusts of the flesh?
GALATIANS 5:16 – 21
(Gal 5:16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
(Gal 5:17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
(Gal 5:18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
(Gal 5:19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
(Gal 5:20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
(Gal 5:21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
FRUITS OF THE FLESH & LUSTS OF THE FLESH: BESETTING HINDERANCES
If someone has more fruit of the flesh than fruit of the spirit, how will that hinder their ability to serve Jesus and each other? If we have more fruit of the flesh than fruit of the spirit in our lives how will we tend to react to testing that comes into our lives from physical and spiritual family or challenges that come into our lives? If we engage in the lusts of the flesh how will that hinder our walk with God? These are intended to be rhetorical questions. The answers should be obvious. Moreover, if we refuse to repent we will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Although there may be exceptions, most Christians start out with conditional love. Yes, they have a first love, but if you weigh it in the balances, they have a lot less unconditional love than more mature Christians. Conditional love is, like the word implies, based on conditions. I love you Jesus because you saved me. I love you Jesus because you help me. I love you Jesus because you provide for me. Yes, Jesus said that he who is forgiven much, loves much, but let us not use that as an excuse.
We need to allow the Lord to continue the work that He has started in us. As a Christian’s love matures, he or she still appreciates the fact that Jesus is their savior, protector and provider, but he or she begins to love Jesus for whom He is. Simply put, they love Him for more than just what He can do for them.
Shepherd David’s love, I expect, started out fresh and giddy like that of many new Christians, but his love for God grew into a deeper, fuller, mature love as he continued to allow the Lord to mold him. David did make a few mistakes. David committed serious sin. David had times where God sent His prophets to confront him. The key is that when he did sin, David couldn’t stand being out of God’s love for long and was drawn to repentance. Unlike David, there are many examples in the Old Testament of kings who hardened their hearts and refused to repent until they died in their rebellion.
OFFENDED AND REBELLIOUS
John 6:60: Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
(Joh 6:61) When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
John 6:66: From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Incidentally I find it quite interesting that we have the number 666 (6:66) in the book of John. This may be a prophetic reflection of how, when the Antichrist comes, many “Christians” may become offended with God and “walk no more with Him.” Or, if that sign is actually representative of an Islamic sign that John saw in the Revelation vision, perhaps it represents those who will love their life more than their duty to honor the Lord, and refuse martyrdom. Instead they will bow their hearts to the Dark Caliph. See “Chuck Missler on the Mark of the Beast 666 – YouTube” for more information on the Islam/666 connection.
Matthew 13:57: And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
OFFENDED CHRISTIANS WITH COLD AND ANGRY HEARTS
Cold or angry hearted Christians, operating on conditional and immature love, often exhibit a reverse polarity effect toward the Lord. That is, they either push Him away or hide. Saul’s love stayed conditional and seemed to dwindle, over time, rather than grow. Saul’s love turned into terror, hatred and bitterness, towards God and others around him. Many Christians seem to hold onto their conditional love for God, for a long time, and some never seem to reach the place where they can love unconditionally, even occasionally. Many weak Christians when they are near more mature Christians often become offended. Mature Christians will by their character and closeness to Jesus, often bring conviction on Jesus-followers-in-name-only men and women. Would such an offended Christian be more likely to be operating in Saulish love or Davidic love? Again, the answer should be obvious: Saulish love which is also known as conditional love. This is not the love of God. It is the opposite of spiritual unconditional love. By nature it is very weak, dark, fleshly, earthy and soulish.
OBSTACLES TO MATURATION
I believe that ignorance, apathy, selfishness, stubbornness, pride or bitterness are the root factors that keep many Christians from maturing beyond conditional love into greater levels of unconditional love. Sins such as adultery, dishonesty, pornography or dabbling in the occult also hinder us from maturing spiritually. If we have any one of these strongholds in our life it hinders our relationship with Jesus and others around us. Multiple strongholds will intensify the situation. These same strongholds will hinder the process where Jesus continues to soften our wineskin and mature our love. These strongholds need to be surrendered to the Lord in sincere repentance, as often as necessary, or they will block our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and increase our susceptibility to being blinded spiritually. We also need to learn to discern between fleshly strongholds and demonic strongholds. Simple but fervent prayer may lead to victory over a fleshly stronghold. If a stronghold is demonic, a more specific type of prayer such as binding and loosing or deliverance prayer will be necessary.
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE TRAINING AND CHARACTER BUILDING
I believe that the Lord’s wish is to make every believer less soulish and more Christ-like. To do this He brings teaching into our life, speaks to our hearts, and allows events to occur that profoundly affect us. Change may happen so gradually that it escapes our notice or it may occur abruptly as we react to temptation and calamity.
Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purposes.” Whether we fail or pass such a test is a building block in our relationship with the Lord. Believe it or not, sometimes we have to fail in order to pass! What do I mean by that? Sometimes we have to be broken in a certain area. We must fall on the Rock Christ Jesus so that he can take our stronghold and crush it to dust, so that we can continue in His service without being defeated by that stronghold.
Growing from conditional love to more mature unconditional love takes time. Not surrendering our strongholds in a major reason why we don’t grow in unconditional love.
First, we have to want to change. In Hebrews 12:4 Paul the Apostle says, “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” If this level of determination is necessary, we must remember not to “strive” independently of the Lord, in a mental, fleshly, religious manner, but in full cooperation and servitude to our Master Christ Jesus.
Second, we need to allow the Lord to bring that change into our lives. The more we resist, the longer it will take. The more we try to do it ourselves, the more we get in the way. Fast food Christianity doesn’t work. Change takes time. God doesn’t want our fleshly intellectual white washed sepulcher kind of change. That we want to change is good, but the best change is that which is instituted by the Holy Spirit, so we change from the inside out, and become more and more like Jesus. That change is a cooperative process. Be thankful for that progress, but know that such change may take a life time. I would like to share with you a poem that I once wrote about how the Holy Spirit works with us, to the extent that we allow, to gain greater unconditional love and a stronger Christ-like character.
WALKING WITH THE LORD
IS LIKE TAKING
A COLLEGE CLASS WITH LABS
WALKING WITH THE LORD
IS LIKE TAKING
A COLLEGE CLASS
WITH LABS.
TO MATURE
YOU MUST NOT ONLY LEARN
WITH YOUR MIND
IN THE LECTURE HALL
BUT BE EXERCISED
IN YOUR SPIRIT
IN THE LABORATORY OF LIFE.
STUDY IS IMPORTANT
BUT IF YOU GAIN KNOWLEDGE
WITHOUT DEVELOPING
A RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE LORD
PUFFING UP
AND BECOMING
A WHITE WASHED SEPULCHER
WILL BE THE END RESULT.
ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS
YOU RECEIVE YOUR SYLLABUS.
JUST AS A STUDENT
WOULD FOLLOW THAT OUTLINE
AND TAKE THE LABS
STUDENTS OF CHRIST MUST READ THE WORD
AND NOT JUST TO LEARN ABOUT GOD
BUT SEEK TO FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM.
THEY MUST ALSO TAKE THE LABS
THAT THE LORD ORCHESTRATES
AROUND THEM
IN THEIR LIVES.
FAST FOOD CHRISTIANITY
AND SLICK MAN MADE PROGRAMS
MAY SEEM TO SUCCEED.
THEY PRODUCE NURSERIES
FILLED WITH PERPETUAL BABIES
THAT NEVER GET PASSED
THEIR NEED FOR WARM BOTTLES
BUT EVENTUALLY LOSE THE BATTLE
WITH WRINKLES AND GRAY HAIR.
WALKING WITH GOD IS A JOURNEY.
MANY SIGN UP FOR CLASS
AND LOOK AT THE TITLE OF THE SYLLUBUS,
THEN TUCK IT AWAY
IN THEIR FOLDER AND FORGET ABOUT IT.
YES, THEY GET EXCITED,
BUT RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON JESUS
AND ALLOWING THEMSELVES
TO BE TRANSFORMED
INTO HIS IMAGE,
THEY EXCLAIM,
“PRAISE JESUS! GLORY TO GOD!
I HAVE ARRIVED!”
RATHER THAN COMING TO CLASS
THEY SET UP A TAPE RECORDER
OR ARRANGE TO BORROW
A CLASSMATE’S NOTES,
SKIP IT
THEN MAKE THEIR MAJOR OF STUDY
LIVING THE GOOD LIFE.
SOME ACTUALLY ATTEND
THE CLASSES OR LABS
BUT LET THEIR THOUGHTS WANDER
OR MERELY REMEMBER BY ROTE
SO THAT THEIR MINDS
GET FILLED WITH FACTS
WHILE THEIR INNER MAN
DRIFTS INTO SLUMBER.
IF ONE HAS THE MOTIVATION
AND THE ABILITY
TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST
THAT IS A GOOD THING.
HOWEVER,
EVEN IF THEY TAKE THE CLASS
AND EXCELL IN THE LABS,
THAT IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
ONE STILL NEEDS TO TAKE
THE GRADUATE COURSES
AND THEN APPLY THAT WISDOM
OUT IN THE WORLD.
KNOWLEDGE IS GREAT,
BUT EXPERIENCE TESTS
AND HONES THAT KNOWLEDGE.
LEARNING IN THE CLASS ROOM OF LIFE
STARTS WITH KNOWLEDGE,
BUT WISDOM
AND DAILY EXPERIENCES,
AND LEARNING TO ADJUST
IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS
HELPS ONE IMPROVE
HIS OR HER SERVE
WHILE COMPLETING
THE TRIALS OF THE COURSE.
SO YES,
STUDY
TO SHOW YOURSELF APPROVED,
BUT REMEMBER
WHEN THE LORD GIVES YOU INSIGHT,
STAY HUMBLE,
LOVE YOUR BROTHERS
AND SISTERS,
AND KEEP IN MIND
THAT GOD HAS ONLY GIVEN YOU
A COURSE OUTLINE.
SEEK THE LORD FIRST
BECAUSE YOU LOVE HIM
NOT FOR WHAT YOU CAN LEARN
OR HE CAN GIVE YOU.
REMEMBER THAT EACH DAY
IS BUT ONE STEP
OF A LONG JOURNEY.
DON’T LEARN
FOR THE SAKE OF LEARNING.
SEEK GOD
NOT JUST KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HIM.
SEEK JESUS
TO LOVE AND EXPERIENCE HIM.
REMEMBER THAT THE LORD
MAY USE MEN TO TEACH YOU,
OR ARRANGE LAB TESTING AROUND YOU
BUT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT
IS YOUR TEACHER.
ALLOW THE LORD
TO USE HIS METHODS AND TIMING
AND THEN YOU WILL LEARN AND MATURE.
DO IT YOURSELF
AND YOU MAY BECOME
AN EXPERT ON THE SUBJECT,
BUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD
WILL BE SHALLOW,
YOUR KNOWLEDGE
WILL LACK TRUE WISDOM
AND YOU WILL REMAIN
A SPIRITUAL CHILD.
LEARN AS YOU WALK WITH GOD.
GAIN EXPERIENCE
AND WISDOM UNDER HIS TEACHING
RATHER THAN INDEPENDANTLY OF HIM
AND YOU WILL GROW HEARTILY
IN WISDOM AND STATURE.
WTO 9.13.11