One of the things that God has really focused my heart toward is learning to love like God does. So today I want to begin a series of posts that first look at defining what love looks like from God’s perspective.

Then I would love to explore what it looks like for us to practically live that out day to day in the 21st century. What’d ya say? Will you join me on this journey to explore love and what the Bible says it is or is not?

First it would be good to define love. For this I dove into a recently acquired copy of the Zondervan Bible Dictionary. Here is a summary of what it said:

Love is the very nature of God – 1 Jn 4:8,16

It is essential to man’s relationship with God – Matt. 22:37-40

All the Law and the Prophets hang on love – Matt 22:40, Rom 13:8-10

In this superior attribute all other attributes are harmonized

Jesus Christ is the unique object of this eternal love – Isa. 42:1, Matt. 3:17, 17:5, Jn 17:5

Love is created in the believer by the Holy Spirit – Rom. 5:5, Gal. 5:22

Love is the chief test of true Christian discipleship – Luke 14:26, Jn 13:35, 1 Jn 3:14

As I think back over the last few days, there seems to be two main themes that God has been bringing to my attention. They are topics that I need to hear about because this is where I am at right now. Both of these two themes are important ones that I have written about before but are definitely worth taking a look at again.

Personal Revival
Ever feel like you spiritual life is just there? It is not moving forward and growing, but you really want it to be. What’s holding you back? What is keeping you from being all that God wants you to be?

Sin? None of us are perfect and we are all sinners. Could it be that God wants to use us to do mighty things for his kingdom, but we are not willing to humble ourselves and repent of the sin that is holding us down.

Revival can be defined as the “restoration of something to its original created state.” God did not originally design us with sin in mind. Every time we do anything that is counter to the will of God, we sin. In other words, we stray from the original design of what it means to be a human being as God intended.

We need to recognize that we have to realign ourselves with that original design. The first step in doing this is humility. “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:8b-10)”

The author of Hebrews puts it this way, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.(Hebrews 12:1)” Let’s not just wipe it off. No! He says “let us throw off.” When I hear that , I think of the baseball player who is deep in left field chasing down a ball. As he picks it up and turns to throw, he needs to use all the energy and force he has in him to get that ball to the second baseman as fast as possible.

We need to confess to God the sin that entangles us. It is at that point that we can experience the forgiveness of God. Micah 7:18-19 puts it this way “You [God] will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!”

It is at this point, when we are humbled and forgiven of all our confessed sin, that we are properly prepared for the filling of the Holy Spirit.

The Filling Of The Holy Spirit: Our Power Source
The Holy Spirit is our source of power. Just like a toy needs a battery to run or a car needs gas to make the engine run, to live our lives according to God’s will and to be on track with His plan we need to be daily filled with the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians about this saying, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Being filled with the Holy Spirit is giving God control of your life and direction. It is allowing the one who designed and created you for a purpose to lead you in the direction of that purposeful life He has for you.

Pastor James MacDonald recently defined begin filled with the Spirit this way:

1. It’s a command
- be filled

2. It’s Passive
- God is the source of the filling and He fills when we ask

3. It is Plural
- It is for everyone, it is for all God’s Children

4. It is Present Tense
- Literal Translation “Be being filled” We see an example in the Apostles who were filled with the Spirit in Act 2:4, the again in Acts 4:2

One very important point that Pastor James makes here that can not be overlooked is point number 2. God fills us with the Spirit when we ask to be filled. The Holy Spirit can be a daily source of strength for the Jesus follower but he/she needs to ask for that filling, it does not just happen.

There are three things that need to happen for this filling to take place.

1. Confess all known sin
2. Ask to filled

Finally, after asking to be filled we need to believe that God is willing to do it.

“[Jesus Speaking] Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” – Mark 11:24

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. – James 1:6

Do What You Need To Do
Now it is up to you. No one can make you be humble and confess your sins. No one can make you desire to be filled with the Spirit. It is up to you. Is this “God Thing” something you truly believe with all your heart and mind and strength?

If it is then give it your whole heart. Chase after it with all that you have and all that you are. Tap into the power source that God provides and allow Him to effectively use you to reach a world that needs to hear His message.

5. A continual submission to the work of God in our lives today through the daily filling of the Holy Spirit.

Once you are in God’s camp the journey is not over, it is just beginning. It reminds me of the movie, “Lord of the Rings-Fellowship of the Ring.” In the first film of this trilogy, Frodo and his friends embark on a mission to take the evil ring to Rivendale – land of the elves. When he arrives, he begins to dream of going back home to the shire but soon begins to realize that this journey he has begun is far from over, and it is not going to be an easy journey.

Embarking On The Journey
Like this journey, embarking on the journey to follow Jesus is not over after you pray and accept what Jesus has done for you. It is just beginning and you are in for quite a ride!

Sometimes this journey will mean enduring things that we never wanted to endure. Sometimes it will mean doing things we never intended on doing. And sometimes it will mean giving up things we never intended to give up. Just as Frodo saw his mission as more important than keeping himself comfortable and safe, we need to think less of ourselves and more of the greater good that God’s plan is seeking to accomplish.

This journey requires a continual submission to God and to the work He has called you to. The important thing to remember is that your dreams and goals need to be in submission to His. God has a plan and it is worth following it, why? Because it is His plan and He created you. Who better to submit to than the one who knows you better than yourself.

O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me. – Psalm 139:1-5

It Takes Commitment
Ultimately, Frodo commits to complete his mission no matter what it takes. At the end of “The Fellowship Of The Ring,” Frodo is off to accomplish his mission and he had no idea what he would be in for.

A relationship with God requires a similar type of commitment. It is a 100% commitment of our resources. Everything we are, everything we have, and everything we can do needs to be focused on the mission that God has given us to take on.

God is not looking for followers who are half-hearted or only looking for “fire-insurance.” Jesus made this point clear in a letter to the Laodicean church in Revelation.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. – Revelation 3:15-16

Think about that – Jesus would either have you 100% for Him or 100% against him but He can’t stand this wish-washy weakly committed “christian” thing.

Don’t Go At It Alone
As he continues on his journey, Frodo does not go alone. While Frodo felt this was his mission and he had to do it alone, his friend Samwise Gamgee would not let him go alone. Sam served as Frodo’s friend, guide, protector, and strength while they journeyed together on this mission.

On our journey with God, we have a “Sam” that tags along with us guiding, protecting and giving us strength. Jesus described our “Sam” this way

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. – John 16:13-15

The Holy Spirit comes on us at the time we accept and believe what Jesus has done for us. He joins us on the mission God has given us to accomplish.

The Holy Spirit is resident within us and willing to help and guide us down the path. Just like Frodo did with Sam, we have the choice to hear that guidance and follow it or to go against it and endure the consequences that result. But through it all, the Holy Spirit is 100% committed to us, not matter what happens. God would let us go at it alone. He loves us to much to allow that. Moses reminded the Israelites of this fact shortly before he handed the reigns of leadership over to Joshua. He said,

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. – Deuteronomy 31:6

Everyday we need to ask the Holy Spirit to make Himself obvious to us and guide us in the way we should go.

This commitment is needed to accomplish our mission is foundational to following Jesus because it is exactly what Jesus did. He came to earth to accomplish His mission and He gave up what He wanted to accomplish what God the Father had planned in order to redeem the world.

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will. – Matthew 26:39

If we are going to follow his example then we need to be 100% committed no matter the cost. We need to be willing to give up our comforts, dreams, and desires – just like He did.