Who Do I Love?

Yesterday we spent time looking at the question "What does my future hold?" We discussed how that question isn't really the proper question.

As we look at what our future holds as believers, we quickly recognized that we have a default position of thinking of ourselves as central to existence. We are in some ways central to our own existence. Honestly, we can't see life without us as part of it. We see life and the universe from our eyes. However, we really need to step beyond our perceptions and see the universe more honestly. The universe is God centered. Heaven is God centered.

In Revelation 21 and 22 we read of John's vision of heaven and see that God is present, so that there isn't a temple in heaven. There are no luminous bodies, such as the sun, moon and stars. We don't need a temple because the purpose of the temple is to be a place where God meets with men. Heaven is God's home and He has brought us to be with Him there. A temple is pointless. God is light. In Him is no darkness. We no longer have need for additional sources of light.

In John 14 we listen as Jesus prepares His disciples for life after He leaves. He talks a bit about where He is going, and how He is preparing for us to follow. Then He spends a significant portion of this conversation talking about how He loves the Father and how we are to love the Father and Him. If our focus for life now and in heaven is loving God, everything else falls into place. If, for some reason, we are obeying God's commands with fear of failure, we have the wrong focus. Perfect love casts out fear, and we are told that it is those who love that obey the commands. We are completely safe in Christ. Our debt is paid, and we are free to focus our energy on loving God and obeying with gratitude.

When I have that focus for my future, all my energies can go into loving the Father, Son, and Spirit. That is the picture of how to relate to God that Jesus gives us in John 14. That is also the focus I believe we are called to have as we think of our future in heaven.

We will be spending more time in the upcoming classes thinking through how this love shapes our daily lives now. This coming week we will be looking at what we value. We value what we love. In particular this week we will be looking at whether or not we properly value the redemption Jesus has provided us. The following week we will look at whether we value the work God is doing in us to grow us in grace.

As you think about this study this week, I encourage you to think about how God wants you to use your life. What does He want you to spend your life upon? What will please Him and cause you to know that your life was well spent and successful? How can you move into that kind of living now so that you love God by how you live?

Who Am I?

Thank you for attending the new class with us yesterday. I sent out an e-mail that talks about how to prepare for the next lesson. Please read the passages I mention and think about how you view heaven.

I do want to touch on who we are again. We really are created. Someone else designed us and knows what He intends for us. He defines us. We don't. He has the right to use us for His purposes. As I think about my response to being used, I frequently don't like it. I don't know if I would have gotten into the landing craft on D-Day. I would have been angry and fearful of what awaited me when the craft landed. At times, when my life is difficult, I find the same resistance to God using me. Sometimes I have to step in to try to bring peace between family members, when what I want is for those family members to take care of me. God knows that my best requires what He has planned for me. Sometimes I see that after the fact. Sometimes I recognize that if I had my way I would always be rested and ready. I also would not have the faith and dependence upon God that He has developed in me through the trials. I would not be confident in His care because I would not need it. When I realize this I am grateful for the trials and struggles that He uses to teach me He is with me.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me...
God, please keep pounding into me that the most important reality of my life is your loving and powerful presence.
I will never leave you nor forsake you...
Thank you that in spite of my resistance, you will not let me go.

Steve