For The Love of Christ

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: John 3:17

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Memory of the Month: John 10:27-28

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Today's reading: 2 CHRONICLES 1-3 JOHN 10:1-23

For the Love For Christ

One of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ was a thief. It says so in John chapter 12, verse 6. Jesus knew he was a thief because He knows the thoughts of men. For three years he could have rid himself of Judas but He did not. Why? Jesus knew that Judas helped himself to the money in the money bag because he was the 'treasurer' of the group.

Because Jesus knew the heart of Judas and Jesus knew the entire plan. He had told all of them that one of them was to betray Him-yet-He allowed the thief to remain one of the twelve. Jesus knew that all of them would die because of Himself. Judas would die because of his sin against Jesus and all the others would die because of their love for Jesus.

Saint Paul came after-after the cross-after Pentecost. The Lord also knew that Paul would die for his love for Christ. Paul knew it, too. After Calvary, all of the early men of Jesus lived knowing that their love for Christ Jesus would probably end their earthly lives.

Paul wrote:

Philippians 3:13--Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

But Paul had been, what we would consider 'as bad as Judas'. Paul had worked tirelessly to see as many of the 'Christians' imprisoned or dead as he could.

Paul saw Jesus in a flash on the road. Judas had lived on the road for three years with Christ. What was the difference?

Paul had abandoned his old life of sin for his love for Jesus. He said that he 'strained' for God's goal for him in Christ Jesus. Judas had clung to his sin and that would never allow love to grow in his heart for Christ. His only 'straining' was in calculating just how much he could steal before he was found out. He was only 'found out' by himself when it was too late-when he realized what the thirty pieces of silver in his hand really meant.

We see people down through the years who seem to get off track and leave God compleletly and wonder 'how?'.

Paul encourages us to strain for the goal-forget what is behind. In between the lines is also something we should all hear. Our love for Christ has to be pre-eminent. Sin leads to death and sin is from the old man. Strain for the love of Christ and sin is left behind. Jesus kept Judas because He wants us to see how near we can be to the love of God and still have sin control us.

Loving Christ is easy. But the war against that love's developing is why Paul strained. It is why God has us see that word recorded for all time in scripture. We strain to get away from sin and get to the love of God as the enemy gives us every reason to look back. We strain to look forward and see God's hand moving in our lives and to stay humble under That mighty hand.

See the goal-and straining may not be pretty or socially acceptable-but strain we must.

...

He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Teach me how to strain to look forward and strive to love You with all that I am and forgive me when I look back.

Merciful Father of grace and peace!

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen