As much as I’ve grown in God, the status of my heart is always a main focus. Most important what and who is in my heart? Christ said simply; “if ye love me, keep my commandments” John 14:15. If we get out of all our evolved thinking, the direct simple instructions and qualifications of God are uncomplicated. We are confused, start to evaluate and pick apart these simplicities as a result of being unwilling. Without words and without explanation, I believe on a deep level we understand what God requires, even if we don’t have all the scriptures to back that up, but we know.. However, it is our flesh that wars against the Spirit: “ For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” Galatians 5:17. It is the flesh (carnal) that hates what God wants.

Every human being was given a portion of God within them… this portion shows up in our instinct of knowing right from wrong. You know your conscious.. However, the more you continue in a certain behavior, your conscious can become desensitized to God. And after a while, depending on the situation, you can become completely unfeeling in that area. As much as I hate the feeling of knowing I wronged God (Conviction), it is a blessing to feel that sorrow. To feel that hurt… once you don’t be concerned. As David said; “against thee only have I sinned” Psalms 51:4. As the scriptures tell us; when we are corrected by God; that is an expression that God is dealing with you as a son: “For whom the Lord loveth he, chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6). But in Christ, we are alive… We are alive by His Spirit that lives in us. His Spirit is our connection, fellowship, and guide.. So simply… when you love Christ you’ll do what He says. But it takes a supernatural process to change the state of the heart.

That supernatural process is Salvation and the in-filling of God’s Spirit. For it is God’s Spirit, not ours that will hate what God hates and love what God loves. We cannot naturally accomplish this… and this is why religiosity has very little to do with our transformation. Our heart will either bring us closer or move us further away from Christ. So in all my seasons, my heart towards God is primary. Because if my heart is toward Him i’ll follow His instructions in every season .. Yes, even when it hurts and when it feels impossible.. because sometimes it will feel impossible.. Note, the key word is feel. It’s not that it’s actually impossible. Romans 12:1 gives us basic requirements no matter where you are in your walk, whether you are at the beginning, or further along…. We are to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service…”

This reasonable service here in scripture is translated as rational. In other words, giving ourselves to God is the most logical (thoughtful) response to God we can give. Anything outside of that logic is irrational and without true thought. Our service in this regard is never ending.. it is to be our lifestyle. The first requirement was to:

Present ourselves (Bodies) to God as a sacrifice
Don’t be conformed (shaped or formed in thought or action).. to the world system.. to the way of living that is acceptable by the world.
Be transformed by a continual and active renewing (to make new by God’s word and fellowship with Him) of the mind

We must fight to maintain our hearts towards God. This fight is a resistance to our self-motivated lives.. Yes, God wants us to enjoy life.. but a life where we honor Him as first. When we learn to focus on what matters most, we learn to condition our heart towards God… The statement of Christ; “If ye love me, keep my commandments” becomes clear, our life and what Christ desires from us, becomes even clear. It is our heart above all else thatGod wants. We will sacrifice, go to great lengths for what we love. So I ask you to take an evaluation… and ask yourself “What do I love?

UNTIL NEXT TIME

LET’S BE CONVERTED

What Do You Love?