Devotion 5 - Love & Spiritual Stature
1 Jn.4:18 – “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
Since love and light are one spiritual force, the greatest love would produce the greatest light. And if Satan and the demonic fear light, it would mean also that they fear love. When light comes, darkness disappears. Thus, perfect love not only cast out fear, it also cast out darkness. This would mean that walking in love is the best way to defeat the power of darkness in our life situations.
James 4:7-8 – “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Our submission to walk in God’s Love will cause the devil to flee from us. When we do not walk in love, we do not have the power to resist the devil, as love and the power of God are one. Thus, the less we walk in the love of God, the less our light shines and consequently, our true spiritual authority in the spiritual world is diminished.
Love & Guidance
Gal.5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Very often, we use the fruit of the spirit to teach about Christian character. However, this scripture shows us how the fruits of the spirit are also related to how effectively we walk in the Spirit.
Desires of the flesh are against the Spirit. If we continue to walk or indulge ourselves in the things of the flesh which opposes the Spirit, how can we expect to be in tune with the Spirit? God never works apart from His nature. And no guidance from God can be against or contrary to the nature of God in our lives. It is impossible for us to manifest the fruit of the flesh in our lives and claim that we are walking in the light and led by the Spirit. Our character in Christ is in line to our sensitivity to the voice of God. The true manifestation of the Holy Spirit at work in our life is that we become more like Christ in both character and works.
When we make decisions not out of love, but out of pain, hurt or anger, it is definitely not guided by the Spirit. If our hearts don’t have the fruit of the Spirit, we are bound to be walking in error.
Love & Destiny
Rev.1:20 - “The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.”
Rev.2:1-5 – “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labour, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have laboured for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”
The Church in the city of Ephesus in modern-day Turkey was the first of seven churches addressed in Revelation. It was an outstanding assembly and commended by the Lord for her good works, diligent labor, patience and sound spiritual discernment. However, despite all these virtues, the Lord had a rebuke against them, and that is, their love towards Him had grown cold - “you have left your first love”!
Despite their fervency in the ministry, they were no longer passionately in love with God. It is highly possible that we can be fervent in ministry yet not fervent in love. The church was performing acts of love, yet in their hearts, they are no longer lovers of God. The true motive and motivation of worship and service were missing, and God was not pleased. He warned that if they do not repent and return to their first love, that is, restoring the first commandment to its rightful first place in their hearts, He will come and remove their lamp stands.
What does the ‘lamp stand” represent?
Rev.1:20 tells us clearly that the lamp stands which John the apostle saw represented the churches. Lamp stands were light bearers and were a fitting emblem of the destiny of local churches. If the lamp stand is removed, the church destiny is removed, and its testimony dies out. This is true corporately as a church and individually as a believer. If we do not repent and return to our first love for God, the purpose and destiny of our call in life is at stake.
Over and above all that we do for Him, what God seeks is ultimately our love and devotion. While serving, it is possible for our hearts to be deceived and distracted by impure motives and motivation. Hence, we can be ministering effectively even when the love of God within us is fizzling out. We can be deceived into thinking that as long as we are active in church ministries - be it serving as home cell leaders, teaching in Sunday schools or preaching and operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are okay, and is a sign that we are loving God and bringing pleasure to Him. This is obviously not true from the message He gives to the Ephesus Church. Do not equate work with walk. It is possible for us to be working for Him and not walking with Him. And when we lose our love, we will soon lose our light!