If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also . . . . And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me . . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple —Luke 14:26-27, 33
If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has “poured out in our hearts” the very “love of God” (Romans 5:5). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.
The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.
Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord.
It is good to be here with you. Traveling knocks me out of my routine. I’ve missed you and my friend. This lesson shows me how imperfect my love is and how much I need you. Not just that I need your love, your love for me, but I need your love to love others and even to love you. It’s kind of complicated. But since you are Love, it all works out.
Come to me and keep on coming to me. As you say it will all work out. Chasing dreams of human love or human vision can be exciting for a while … but it will never reach the potential that I have for you. Starting today, with the revelation that I am love, pursue love. You’ll never be unsatisfied.
Wow, that sounds awesome. But easier said than done.
True, but all you need to do is start on the road to Love. And then just stay on it. And when you fall off, just get back on it. I am always here for you.
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