The Revelation of Love

Dear saints,

I'd like to share with you the revelation of love. There are so many Scriptures about love that I cannot possibly cover them all in this post, but I'm going to share some key ones to make the point that I am led to share with you. I'm going to discuss The Father's love for us, the Father's love for Jesus, the love of Jesus for us, our love for God, and our love for one another.

The Father's Love for Us

First and foremost is the love of God for us. This is spoken of all throughout Scripture, but the most famous one is:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (Jn 3:16).

God loves us all so much that He gave His one and only Son to come into this world as God's Lamb to be sacrificed for our sins. He didn't just tell us with words that He loved us, but He demonstrated it to us. Scripture says:

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8).

He did that for us while we were still sinners, so clearly God took the initiative. As the apostle John says:

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 Jn 4:9-10).

Now that we've touched on the fact that the Father was first to love us and demonstrate His love for us by sending His Son, let's look at the Father's love for Jesus.

The Father's Love for Jesus

The father's love for Jesus is, of course, greater than His love for anyone else. In order to understand just how much the Father loves us, we need to understand His love for Jesus, since He sent Him into the world to save us. Here are just a few of the Scriptures that declare the Father's love for Jesus:

"The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands." (Jn 3:35).

When Jesus was baptized in water and with the Holy Spirit, "a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.'” (Mt 3:17).

When Jesus was transfigured on the sacred mountain, and His clothes became dazzling white before Peter, James, and John, the Father declared His love for Jesus again. 

"While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Mt 17:5).

There can be no doubt, based on the Word of God, that the Father's love for Jesus is supreme. It's the highest form of love, known as agape ("a-GA'-pey") love in the original Greek.

The Love of Jesus for Us

Jesus, in turn, loved us with the same love the Father has for Him.

He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." (Jn 15:9).

This clearly show that Jesus loved us just as the Father loved Him (key words: "just as"), and His love for us hasn't changed. But we can change, and that is why we are responsible to remain in His love by the way we live. More on that in the next section.

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (1 Jn 3:16).

We know what love is by the fact that Jesus Christ laid down His life for us on the cross. He doesn't have to prove His love for us, since He already proved it on the cross. Such redeeming love, unfailing love, everlasting love, steadfast love, and faithful love did He demonstrate for us on Calvary! It is a love that is nothing like what we humans call love here on earth. His response to the Father's love for Him was to please the Father, obeying the Father's command to lay down His life on the cross for us. And Jesus taught that there is no greater love than this.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (Jn 15:13).

If you could experience in person the love of Jesus for you, as many people have in after-death experiences, you would feel as though He loved only you, or that He loved you more than anyone else on earth; however, that's the same way He loves everyone. It's a euphoric love that can't be described. There is no greater love than the love of Jesus, for nobody loves you like Jesus.

This brings us to our love for God.

Our Love for God

Our love for God is our response to the love He has first shown to us through His sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us. Perhaps the verse that best teaches this effect is the following one:

He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." (Jn 15:9).

This shows the love initiating with the Father for Jesus, flowing through Jesus as He responded to that love by loving us with the same love the Father had for Him, and then the need for us to remain in His love. This begs the question, "How do I remain in the love of Jesus?" The answer is found in the very next verse, in which Jesus said:

"If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love." (Jn 15:10).

Do you see how to respond to the love of Jesus for you, which was His response to the Father's love for Him? We respond to the love of Jesus by remaining in His love, and we remain in His love by obeying His commands. This is the same way that Jesus responded to the Father's love for Him: He obeyed the Father's commands and remained in His love. Therefore, Jesus commands us to do the same.

"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” (Jn 14:21).

Our Love for One Another

Since we respond to the love of Jesus by remaining in His love, and we remain in His love by obeying His commands, then it's necessary to know what He commands. Jesus said:

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." (Jn 15:12).

We remain in the love of Jesus by obeying His command to love each other with the same love Jesus has for us, which is the same supreme kind of love the Father has for Jesus. It's the perfect love that Jesus showed us when He laid down His life for us, as was previously stated:

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (1 Jn 3:16).

We respond to the love of Jesus by loving each other, and we love each other by laying down our lives for our brothers. We love others by being kind, compassionate, and forgiving toward them. We even love our enemies, as the Lord commanded us to do (Mt 5:44).

That kind of love that we show to each other in response to the love of Jesus for us will then bring about a loving response in the hearts and lives of those we love, as they in turn love others with that same kind of love. It's like a chain reaction or a ripple effect. As the Scripture says: "We love because he first loved us." (1 Jn 4:19). It just keeps on flowing from one person to the next, and this pleases the Father. 

Peter's Reinstatement

Most of us have heard of the Lord's reinstatement of Peter as an apostle, following his denial of Christ. Let me break that down for you and show how it illustrates the point I've been making.

First let me say that while there is one word for love in English, there are multiple words for love in the original Greek language that the Bible was written in. These Greek words reflect the various Aramaic words that Jesus and Peter used in their conversation together. 

There is first of all agape love, which is the perfect, supreme, highest kind of love that God has and that Jesus has. Then there is philos ("FEE'-los"), which is brotherly love that brothers have for each other, whereby they love or like each other. Then there is storge (STOR'-gey), which is "natural affection" or "affection between family members," often used to describe the love between parents and children. And finally there is eros, from which we get the word "erotic", which is the kind of love that involves the unique intimacy meant to be shared only between a husband and wife. Eros translates to "love" and "desire," specifically referring to sensual, romantic, or passionate love.

In the reinstatement of Peter, just as Peter had denied the Lord three times, now after the resurrection, the Lord asked him three times if he loved Him. First Jesus appeared on the shore after the disciples had been fishing all night and caught nothing, and He enabled them to make a huge catch. Then He fed them some breakfast of fish and bread that he had cooking over the hot coals, along with some of the fish they caught. Afterward he questioned Peter:

1. First ask: When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love (Gr., agape) me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love (Gr., phileo) you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” (Jn 21:15)

Notice that Jesus asked him if he loved Him with agape love, and Peter responded that he loved Jesus with philos, or brotherly love. He had been humbled by his denial. Whereas he previously declared so proudly that he would never deny the Lord and would go to prison or death with Him, now he was only able to say with a more honest evaluation of himself that he possessed a definite philos love for Jesus.

Notice that the Lord's response to Peter was to command him to feed His lambs, which are the people of God, and that was to be His way of showing His love for Jesus. He was reinstated as an apostle of God sent by the Lord to serve His people.

2. Second ask: Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love (Gr., agape) me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love (Gr., philo) you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” (Jn 21:16)

Once again, Jesus asked Peter if he had agape love for Him, and Peter responded that he had philos love for Him. And once again, Jesus commanded him to take care of His sheep, which is the role of a shepherd or pastor, and that involves caring for people. This is how Jesus wanted Peter to demonstrate his love for Jesus.

3. Third ask: Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love (Gr., phileo) me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love (Gr., phileo) you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” (Jn 21:17).

Notice how Jesus now switched to asking Peter if he possessed the brotherly kind of love for Jesus, since He saw that Peter no longer had the confidence to say that he loved Jesus with the highest kind of love shown by Christ. Jesus seemed to condescend to Peter by now using the same word for love that Peter was using. 

Finally, Jesus told Peter:

I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go. ”Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” (Jn 21:18-19)

Jesus was foretelling to Peter that in the future in Peter's old age, he would stretch out his hands (perhaps to allow others to bind him with ropes), and someone would dress him (perhaps with ropes to bind him), and that they would lead Peter to a martyr's death. Legend has it that Peter was crucified, but that he insisted on being crucified upside down, since he considered himself unworthy to die right side up as his Lord was. The Lord commanded Peter to follow Him just as He had originally called Peter to follow Him, and this would include following Him not only in his life but in his death. The Lord wanted Peter to know that this was how Peter would show his love for Jesus.

What this teaches us is that our love for God is not something we initiate, as Peter originally did when he pridefully told Jesus that he would go to prison and death with Him. It is something we do from a humble and contrite heart when we realize what the Lord has done for us on the cross despite our own sinfulness and unworthiness, and we respond to His love with that same kind of love. Therefore, our love is a response to God's love for us, His love for Jesus, and Jesus' love for us, as well as His forgiveness toward us. It flows through us when we have been humbled as Peter was through his past experience of failing the Lord and being forgiven. As Jesus once said, he who has been forgiven much, loves much, "but he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Lk 7:47).

After-death Testimonies of Love

Many people, who have had experiences of life after death, near death experiences, and out of body experiences, have returned to testify that God is love, and that love is the whole point of our life on earth. John the apostle also said that God is love (1 Jn 4:8). And Paul the apostle said that without love we are nothing, even if we have great faith, great knowledge, and rich generosity (see 1 Cor 13).

Here are short excerpts from what a few different people said upon returning from their experience with God in heaven or with Jesus:

The first one said of life, "It's all about love. Love is the goal of all that exists regardless of where and how it exists. Love is the origin of all that exists. Love is the origin and the goal. All decisions in life need to be tested by the only valid question: Am I doing this out of love? If you follow that rule, you follow what your life is ultimately about. Then you do what you were born to do."

 

Another person who encountered the Lord in a near death experience said: “Growing in faith and learning to love God is the point of life.”

A man named Thomas B. wrote after his near death experience that the meaning of life is to “Learn how to love others properly. This is a test to see if you are worthy. And it is never too late to stop bad behavior and turn back to love, which is what we are designed for.”  

Howard Storm, who died of a perforated stomach in a hospital while he was still an atheist, said that after he died, he met Jesus who called over a group of angels: "[The angels] gave me a life review and we went over my life in very great detail. And the life review, at the conclusion of it, I realized that I was here to love people, to be compassionate, to love God and love one another and I had utterly failed." Afterward he had a chance to ask Jesus any questions he wanted to ask Him. Then he said to the Lord, "Now I want to go to heaven." And Jesus said, "No, you've got to go back to the earth and do this the way you were created to do it in the first place: to live a life the way God created you to live a life," which Storm says he knew "very [clearly] was to love, to be a loving, kind person, loving God, loving my fellow man." 

When the Father sent Camille Gent back to earth during her life-after-death heaven encounter, she asked Him "Why do we have to do this?" (Meaning live on Earth). He lovingly responded, "That's easy. It's to love." In her testimony, she emphasizes that this command reshaped her entire understanding of life. The Father simplified the complexity of human existence down to a single, powerful mandate—to love others unconditionally. Because of this direct answer, Camille has stated that she never again underestimated the sheer, transformative power of love on Earth. (see podcasts here and here).

Closing Words

In closing, I tried to be as concise as possible on such a broad topic. I hope that this article has helped unveil this revelation of love that God has for us, for Jesus, and that Jesus has for us, and how we are to repent, humble ourselves, and respond to it with the same kind of love by obeying God's commands and loving one another. Life is all about love. In fact, learning to love God and others is the whole point of life and its goal.

Attribution notice: Scripture take from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Testimonies of People Who Have Seen Jesus, The Love of Jesus, Having the Love of God in Your Heart, Compelled by Love, Law of Love in the New Testament, One Thing, Seven Things That Accumulate Building Materials in Heaven, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Walking in Truth, Righteousness, and Holiness

In my article, The Wardrobe of the Saints, I explained the spiritual garments that the saints need to wear each day. One of those is the new man that we are supposed to put on. The apostle Paul said,

"But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." (Eph 4:20-24)

So as Paul said, we must put off the old self and put on the new self, which is created to be like God. There are two aspects of God's likeness in this new self: righteousness and holiness of the truth.

One version says: "And put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." (Eph 4:24, NASB)

Another says: "And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:24, NIV)

The NASB has the truth as a modifier describing the kind of holiness that is found in the new man. It is holiness of the truth, as opposed to legalistic holiness that is outward only but has no substance or basis within.

The NIV has truth as a modifier of righteousness. It is true righteousness, as opposed to legalistic righteousness that is based on the written code and not according to the Spirit of God. True righteousness is distinguished from hypocrisy, false piety, and empty religiousness.

In my article about Michael Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, I wrote that Jesus said to brother Mike, “Tell man that if any man wants to see Me, he must walk in truth, righteousness, and holiness.  That is the only standard for heaven. Tell man I still love him.  Tell man My standard is high.  Tell man mercy is only attainable in the world.”

Since the Lord emphasized Truth, Righteousness, and Holiness, let's look at each of these three qualities one by one.

Truth
First of all, according to the gospel of John, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Jn 14:6). That's a radical statement! The truth is not simply information, but it is a person. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Truth. There is no other way to the Father except through Him.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians that the "Truth is in Jesus." (Eph 4:21). He also said that while there were many types and shadows found in the Hebrew Scriptures, reality is found in Christ (Col 2:17). What is true and real has now come and is found in Christ.

The truth is powerful. Jesus said, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn 8:32, NIV). And "if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (Jn 8:36, NIV).

If you listen to the traditions of men and follow man-made rules, you will end up in bondage. If you follow the flesh, the world, or the devil, it will put you into bondage. But the Truth will set you free from every kind of bondage. Let me encourage you to pray and ask God for the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth. Then you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.

The apostle John said the Father has commanded us to walk in the truth, and we must continue to walk in the truth (2 Jn 1:4; 3 Jn 1:3).

Truth is one of the primary characteristics of the new self that we must put on. For more on this topic, please see my articles, What is Truth?, Tradition vs. Truth, Restored Truth, and The Truth Set Me Free!

Righteousness
When the apostle said we must put on the new self, he said it is created to be like God in righteousness. Many people make the mistake of thinking that the only righteousness that God recognizes is imputed righteousness. In other words, imputed righteousness is the kind where a sinner who repents of his sin and puts His trust in Jesus Christ is instantly made righteous in God's sight by faith. At that moment, God imputes to that person the very righteousness of Christ. He is now truly righteous and made right with God completely. That is what I call positional righteousness, because we are made righteous with regard to our position in God. As Paul said:

"For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'But the righteous man shall live by faith.'" (Rom 1:17)

"Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:" (Rom 4:4-6)

"What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law." (Rom 9:30-31)

"For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Rom 10:10)

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2Co 5:21)

However, there is another kind of righteousness that the Scripture speaks about, which we must have. This is the kind of righteousness that you must practice, so I call it practical righteousness. It is somewhat of a lost teaching, as you don't hear much about it any more. But preachers of old in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries used to preach about the need for it. Philip Henry, Matthew Henry, John Wesley, and others like them used to teach about it.

Before Christ, we are mere slaves to sin. We are bound to sin continually, which is the definition of bondage as I am using it here. But when a person comes to Christ, that old slave to sin dies and the person receives a new life with a new self that is a slave to righteousness. "And having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." (Rom 6:18). Now he is bound with Christ to always do what is right. He is bound to live a righteous life, which he could not live without Christ.

For without Him we can do nothing and all our righteous deeds are as filthy rags when we attempt to be religious apart from faith in Christ. But when we come to Christ by faith, He not only imputes his righteousness to us, but He also imparts righteousness, so that we can live it out ourselves by the power of the Holy Spirit. This requires action on our part. The Scriptures are full of direct and indirect references to this kind of righteousness. Christ's Sermon on the Mount is full of examples, where he speaks about the righteous way of life God requires.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
(Mat 5:6)

"For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mat 5:20)

While we certainly must practice this righteousness, we don't do it for men, but for the Lord. "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven." (Mat 6:1)

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Mat 6:33)

Paul wrote: "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets." (Rom 3:21). The Law and the Prophets both witnessed to the righteousness of God, which is attainable apart from observing the Law of Moses, "even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction." (Rom 3:22)

"And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." (Rom 6:13)

As we present our members to God as instruments of righteousness, then He imparts His righteousness to us so that we can walk it out. This kind of righteousness requires your obedience. Paul said that obedience results in righteousness:

"Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" (Rom 6:16)

Righteousness is one of the fruits of the light that we as children of the Light must produce as we walk out our lives:

"For the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord." (Eph 5:9-10).

We must try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord and then do it. That is practical righteousness and goodness. We must pursue righteousness:

"But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness." (1Ti 6:11)

The fact that we must be trained in righteousness from the Scriptures proves that we need more than just positional, but also the practical kind of righteousness. For there is no need to receive training in order to receive positional righteousness, but practical righteousness requires training:

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" (2Ti 3:16).

Notice that we receive this training in righteousness from all Scripture, both the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, since they are all inspired by God and profitable for teaching as well as training us. That means that we are trained in righteousness not only from the Gospels and the Epistles, but also by the Law and the Prophets, as well as the Psalms and Proverbs.

The apostle wrote in the great Hall of Faith about the many saints gone before us who walked by faith, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Rahab, as well as Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, "who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight." (Heb 11:33-34). They performed acts of righteousness by faith. That's practical righteousness or imparted righteousness.

This fruit of righteousness cannot be produced in a disciple without training by painful discipline.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Heb 12:11. NIV)

The apostle John in his epistles wrote that those who are born of Christ practice righteousness.

"If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him." (1Jn 2:29)

"Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;" (1Jn 3:7)

Don't let anyone tell you that the righteousness of God that He requires is only a state of being in your heart and not something you practice.

"Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy." (Rev 22:11)

Practical righteousness is a characteristic of the new self, which you can read more about it my articles Practicing Your Righteousness, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, and Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?

Holiness
Another primary characteristic of the new self that we must put on is holiness, which I have written about in other articles like Holy Living in a Perverted World, Aim for Perfection, and Called to Be Blameless. I mentioned discipline a moment ago, which is not only necessary to produce righteousness in our lives, but also holiness.

"For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness." (Heb 12:10).

If holiness were merely a positional state of being for the believer, then there would be no need for discipline in our lives in order to share in God's holiness. But discipline is necessary for our own good.

Peter taught that we must be holy. The fact that he had to instruct us to be holy shows that it involves our participation. He said:

"But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;" (1Pe 1:15)

Notice that the kind of holiness Peter taught was the kind that is like the Holy One who called you. The fact that it is like the Holy One shows that He is the standard for it. We must be holy in all our behavior, just as He is. The reason for that is: "Because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" (1Pe 1:16).

Paul taught that the unmarried woman and the virgin must concern herself with being holy in body and spirit.

"And his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband." (1Co 7:34).

If your holiness only affects your spirit, then it is not complete. It's not true holiness, because if it were true holiness it would affect your body, too.

Just as Peter taught that we must be holy, so did Paul. He said, "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him." (Eph 1:4). This means the Lord chose us that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

The Bride that the Lord Jesus is going to present is one who is holy and blameless. Paul wrote:

"That He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless." (Eph 5:27)

He taught that we must perfect holiness in the fear of God.

"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (2Co 7:1)

The apostle wrote:

"Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." (Heb 12:14, NIV)

There are two aspects of holiness taught in this verse that I want to point out. The first one is that you must make every effort to be holy, and the second one is that without holiness, no one will see the Lord's face.

Putting it All Together
So as we can see, this new self that we must all put on is characterized by truth, holiness, and righteousness, which are indispensable. We will not reach heaven without them.

The Lord said to Brother Michael Sambo, "I am commissioning you to go back into the world to tell them of My everlasting love for man. Tell man I love him with an everlasting love. Tell him to repent and turn to Me. Preach Christ the crucified. Preach Truth, Righteousness and Holiness; because that is the only way that can bring man to heaven. Preach holiness as if no one has ever preached it in the world."

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, where noted. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Following in His Steps, The Wardrobe of the Saints, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Aim for Perfection, Called to Be Blameless, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Baptized with the Spirit, Holy Fire Baptism, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Pleasing the Lord, The Burning Ones, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, Ask for the Ancient Paths, The Knowledge of the Holy, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Keeping a Good Conscience, Separation from the World, Having a Servant's Heart, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, Partaking of the Divine Nature, The Ways of Life, The Refiner's Fire, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, Is Obedience Optional?, Obedience by the Spirit, and The Obedience of Faith.You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

An Open Mind that Loves the Truth

Sometimes when people come to God for confirmation, they do so with a closed mind. They come to Him wanting Him to tell them what they want to hear, and that prevents them from getting His opinion on those issues.  It prevents them from knowing God's will. For example, there are the matters, which I have posted in Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, and A Warning for Married Christian Couples,  just to name a few.

Love the Truth
You’ve got to love the Truth, buy it, and sell it not (Pr 23:23).  If you will approach this matter with an open mind, sincerely wanting the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, you will find it.  I know this from personal experience, since that’s how I came to know Christ.  When a friend first told me I was searching for Jesus, as a nineteen-year old soldier in the US Army, I didn’t believe him.  But when I searched the Scriptures and asked God to show me the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth, then the Truth set me free, and the Lord Jesus Christ saved me (see The Truth Set Me Free!). He is the Truth!

I want to be very clear what kind of open mind I am not talking about.  I am not talking about being open to every idea that comes along, nor do I mean being open to every religion’s beliefs, as if they all represent the Truth.  To do so is like having a well in front of your home, which is open at the top, above the ground.  If it were left uncovered, and any time someone comes along and asks to dump something in it, you allow them to do so, people would come and dump sewage, used engine oil, and all kinds of toxic substances into your well.  Since the spring that supplies the well is your source of pure drinking water, you would be foolish to have that sort of openness to your well.  You need to guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Pr 4:23). No man comes to the Father, except through Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (Joh 14:6)

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (Joh 8:31-32)

It’s the same way with anything.  If you approach it with a closed mind, you will only succeed in holding onto your old ideas and ways of thinking, as well as your old way of living.  Like an old faucet that has been closed for so long that when it is turned on it only gushes forth with rusty water, your mind will only gush forth with corrupted, corroded, polluted ideas. 

Renewing of Our Minds is Needed
Sin has a noetic effect.  That means it has a negative influence on the mind’s ability to function correctly.  It leads to warped thinking and spiritual blindness. We’ve become conformed to the world more than we even realize!  This is why we need Jesus Christ to transform us by the renewing of our minds. 

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Ro 12:1-2)

There are too many unbelieving believers! We cannot begin to fathom how much we have been conditioned, programmed, or brainwashed by the world and the traditions of men. The term “world” refers to this present world system we live in, which is ruled by the god of this world – satan.  

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor 4:4)

Culture and Traditions of Men
Much of what we call culture or fashion is actually the world.  Then there are traditions of men, which are teachings of men that are not from God.  Although they may have a form of godliness, they deny the power thereof.  Although religious men in positions of spiritual authority may teach them, they are not the Truth. 

As I demonstrated in my article, Tradition vs. Truth, they actually keep us from obeying God’s Word.  God commands us to love and do good.  But the traditions of men say things like, “You cannot heal on the Sabbath, since that would be work,” or “You are no longer obligated to help your parents, because you have dedicated that money to God through a solemn oath.”  Beware of the traditions of men!  Don’t be deceived into hell by them!

The Voice of the Lord
You had better make sure you are listening to the Lord’s voice and not the voice of men.  (See Hearing the Lord's Voice). The Lord is the Good Shepherd of the sheep, who leads His sheep lovingly and wisely into paths of righteousness (Ps 23:3).  Sometimes He uses His staff to do so, and other times He may use His rod (Ps 23:4b).  His sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not listen to a stranger.

“But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” (Jn 4:5)

Strangers are those teaching traditions of men or anything contrary to God’s holy Word.  It could be your pastor, who knows that you, as a sister, are living with your boyfriend or cross-dressing, and yet only speaks of grace, telling you that you are “free,” rather than confronting your sin.  It could be a commentary of the Bible, or a preacher on TV.  It could be your Christian brother or sister – even a member of your own family.  Will you love them more than God?  They will not be able to deliver you when you stand before the Lord in the judgment.  If you did not act on His Word, He will tell you, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Mt 7:23)

Peace or Division
The Lord said we must love Him more than father or mother – more than our own flesh (Lk 14:26-27).  When we do so, it will bring division, because He did not come to bring peace on the earth, but a sword.

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Lk 12:49-53)

His Word is sharper than any two-edged sword!

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (He 4:12)

Doctrines of Demons
A closed mind refuses to even consider the possibility that something could be true.  It says, “Everyone knows the world is flat, not round.”  It says, “There’s nothing wrong with living together with my boyfriend, because we love each other.” It leads to bigotry, prejudice, and false teachings.  It leads you to approach a subject with your preconceived notion, and reject anything that does not agree.

We should have a closed mind to anything contrary to God’s Word.  We should not open ourselves up to strange teachings and doctrines of demons.  We must make sure we only listen to the Lord’s voice.  But when we are challenged, reproved, or corrected from the Word of God by someone, we need to take it to the Lord.  We must search the Scriptures to see if these things are true.

If apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, have properly equipped you, then you will be prepared for works of service (Eph 4:11-13).  Then every new teaching you hear will no longer sway you.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph 4:14-16)

You will be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.  You will become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

The Whole Body Builds Itself  Up
From Him the whole Body builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  This means that you are not an island.  No church or individual has a corner on the Truth.  You need the other members of the Body, and we need you.  Just because the Lord has not revealed something to you or to the group you belong to, it does not mean it is not true.  If the Lord revealed everything to you, then you would possess all knowledge, and you would cease to need the other members of the Body.  No matter whether you are a teacher of the Word, who can explain the Bible well.  No matter whether you are an apostle or prophet, and the Lord has genuinely given you exceedingly great revelations, you still need the other members of the Body.  So don’t close your mind to what they say in the name of the Lord, but search the Scriptures to see if it is really so.

Scripture Meditations
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Ac 17:11)

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (Jn 16:13a)

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life." (Pro 4:23)

“I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.” (Ps 36:1-2)

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (2 Tim 4:3-4)

“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. (Pr 12:15)

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” (He 3:15)

“The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.” (Pr 14:6)

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” (Pr 14:12)

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” (Is 5:20-21)

"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." (2 Thes 2:9-12)

The Challenge
Don't be deceived by all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.  Don’t just gather around yourself teachers to say what you want to hear.  Don’t turn you’re your ears away from the Truth. Don’t assume that your way is right, just because it seems right to you, but listen to advice.  Even though the way you have been going may appear to be right, it could still lead to death.  Don’t stand up for a bad cause, and call evil good or good evil.  Don’t put darkness for light or light for darkness, and don’t be wise in your own eyes or clever in your own sight.  Make sure you are listening to the Lord’s voice, and not man’s.  Don’t harden your heart to the Lord’s voice. Don't refuse to love the Truth and so be saved.

Love the Truth and keep your mind open to what the Holy Spirit would say to you.  No matter who you are, you still need the other members of the Body of Christ.  Listen to the revelations that I have presented in these testimonies given in the name of the Lord Jesus, and search the Scriptures like a Berean to see if what they said is true.  Pray about it and ask the Lord to confirm to you if these things are true; the Holy Spirit will lead you into all Truth.  Then you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.

If any man wants to see the Lord, he must walk in truth, righteousness, and holiness.  That is the only standard for heaven. The Lord still loves you, but His standard is high, His mercy is only attainable in the world.

Attribution notice: Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note:  Also see Garments of Godliness, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Rachael Mushala Testimony of Hell, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Faith Works!, Keeping Sundays Holy, Separation from the World, The Highest Form of Slavery, and Is Tithing Required? You can access the Seeking the Lord Main Directory or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.