Lovest Thou Me?, Part 3

I trust that these thoughts are not becoming to repetitive but I sincerely feel that God is calling His people into a deeper love relationship with Him. Is it possible that we can love a "religious system"and not love Christ in the manner that the Word teaches? Is that what Jesus was alluding to when He said "that He came to His own and they received Him not." I do not want to be guilty of loving a system, as good as that system may be; I want to see my relationship with Christ continue to develop into one that causes me to "love Him with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my strength, and all that is within me." Even as I am typing those words I am looking at the depth of the challenge of that type of relationship with Christ. But I can take comfort and hope in the fact that Christ stands ready to fulfill His part of that relationship which provides me the strength and courage that I need to walk that road of commitment. We do not have to shy away from commitment in our relationship with Christ because the Word teaches that He is prepared to walk with us down the road of discipleship. Let's go one step further. Is it possible that we can be dedicated and devoted to the "causes of Christ" (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, building structures to take care of the homeless, building homes for orphans, printing Bibles and Gospel literature, giving support to Gospel Missionaries, to name just a few wonderful causes) and not be fully devoted to Christ? I have seen non-believers support the "causes" of Christ yet never develop a relationship with Him. I am just concerned that we can become attracted to the causes and never develop a love relationship with Christ. We must be careful and avoid that trap; Paul reminds us that God is looking for those who will offer their "bodies a living sacrifice." Sacrifice will require relationship with God, and relationship with God can only come through loving Him and accepting His offer of Grace for our lives. We must be careful and not substitute good works for a love relationship with Christ. It is so easy to fall into the trap of trying to earn entrance into Heaven by what we do rather than trusting in the Mercy of God to deliver us from the bondage of sin. I firmly believe that the Holy Spirit is calling us to a deeper love relationship with our Savior who willing laid His life down on the cross for our redemption. Let me close with these questions, "Why do we do what we do? Why do we preach the Gospel? Why do we go to church? Why do we seek to serve others?" These and many other questions need to be answered in this manner; "My life is lived in this manner because I have an on-going developing love relationship with the Creator of all things who has provided the opportunity for me to have an intimate, personal, life altering relationship with Him." I trust that each of us can say that we are on this journey becasue of our love for Christ and the love that He places in our lives on a daily basis. The last two services at the New Hope church have been powerful. The conviction of the Holy Spirit has permeated the House of God and we have sensed the "life altering" presence of God. God desires to alter, transform, change, and rearrange our lives into His image and likeness. We have seen people each night step forward and receive the presence of God into their particular set of circumstances. I must be willing to fully surrender and commit my life to Christ. Blessings on your journey with Christ, your life will never be the same.