When we stop trying to love others in order to please God, God's desire is fulfilled. God does not care whether or not we please Him; He wants us to truly love. Despite what many think, God is not self-centered. He is utterly and completely others centered. If we do not believe this, we need to take another good long look at the cross.
'Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship in the spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of man. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ~ Phill. 2:1-8
When we work to please God through our obedience to certain commands, our focus is in the wrong place; because whether we realize it or not, this approach will always produce an operation of the flesh. It accomplishes this in several ways, but the root of the problem surrounding this approach is that it is based on self. Because the love we are attempting to give another or the goodness we are trying to accomplish is based on us receiving something in return; which unfortunately in this case is the love and acceptance of God. Something we should already know we have.
On the other hand, when our focus is on Jesus, and the fact that He has made us as loved and as well pleasing to God as we are ever going to get, there remains nothing to work for! Leaving only the pure motive of God's love to perform it's miraculous and eternal task.
'Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifest towards us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts our fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.' ~ 1 John 4:7-11, 18-19
Authors note:
While I was thinking about what the Lord just gave me to write, His desire, this is the scripture that came to heart: 'Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.' ~ Phill. 3:13-14 What an awesome ride brothers and sisters with so much to see and learn..amen!
Commentary by:
George L. Miller
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