The Greatest of These

The Greatest of These

Written and Published by Jonathan Walton at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Jonathan Walton

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE: HOW MUCH DOES GOD LOVE YOU?

CHAPTER TWO: THE GOD OF IMPERFECTION

CHAPTER THREE: THE TWO DIMENSIONAL LOVE OF CHRIST

CHAPTER FOUR: WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

CHAPTER FIVE: WHAT WOULD JESUS NOT DO

CHAPTER SIX: THE PORTRAIT OF GOD'S LOVE

CHAPTER SEVEN: I DON’T WANT TO LIVE LIKE A CHRISTIAN

FINAL THOUGHTS

INTRODUCTION

I once heard the story of an old spring that had in its warm waters the power to rejuvenate, relax, and heal. People came from all over the world to rest within the calming waters. However, the people started to build houses around the old spring, moving to be as close to the place of comfort that had touched their lives as possible. As is the natural way of life, one thing led to another; and within months there were stores, a hotel, tourist shops, gas stations, and restaurants set up around the isolated spring. A few years later, a lonely traveler passing through the town heard the stories of the well’s restoring water and stopped in the tourist center to inquire about its location. The attendant, flushed and embarrassed, replied, I am afraid that in all the excitement of commerce and tourism, we built so much, so fast, that we accidentally covered it up.

It is amazing; due to the natural processes of time and commercialism, the very reason for the town’s existence had been forgotten. It was a memory only thought about when the occasional stranger searched for the healing waters.

Unfortunately, this story is not my own. I don’t even remember where I heard it. No doubt it is a common illustration used by many ministers before me. I only know that this simple illustration touched my life. I often wonder if the well of living water has not been built over as the years have gone by. I wonder if commercialism, doctrine, legalism, education, and pride have not robbed us of the simplicity of Christ’s doctrine.

Each subject compartmentalized separately is not conceptually against Christian theology. Commercialism is a Biblical principle. The Word of God teaches us to be good stewards of our money. It also promises manifold blessings to those that fear the Lord and call on His name. We are scripturally encouraged to be business owners and hard workers, providing for our families and becoming a financial blessing to the kingdom of God.

The Bible also teaches that education is an important part of ministry. As Lord Francis Bacon accurately stated, Knowledge is power. The higher our education, the greater our knowledge base becomes. This gives us more subject matter to intelligently discuss with others. This greatly enhances our influence with people. That is why Jesus often used parables in His teachings. He attempted to be relevant to everyone that He encountered. As a man, He made it a priority to broaden His knowledge base.

Paul was also effective at reaching people by becoming part of their world. He said, To the Jew I became as a Jew, to them under the law, I became under the law, to them without the law, I became as one without the law, to the weak I became as the weak, I am made all things to all men(1 Corinthians 9:19-23). If like Paul, winning souls is our ultimate purpose (Matthew 28:19); education is an important instrument in enhancing our conversational skills. For the record, I am not suggesting that one must attain a certain degree to be used by God. Jesus utilized the skills of common fishermen as well as the knowledge of a doctor. God uses whom He wills, and the anointing is always what makes the difference. However, greater knowledge leads to greater influence.

Pride is also a beneficial emotion when harnessed and utilized in a spirit of humility. The Bible does command us to take pride in the work of our hands. As Christians, we are instructed to live the best we can in order to reflect God to others. We must take pride in our appearance, attitudes, morality, and relationships. However, this is not the same as thinking we are above anyone that does not share our certain belief system or religious preference. We must never feel that we are better than another person for any reason. That kind of pride always leads to destruction.

The Word of God also establishes that doctrinal legalism has its place in the churches infrastructure. Early in the Old Testament, God declared Be ye Holy as I am Holy (Leviticus 11:44-45). It was also declared, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). It is well documented that the early church was strongly admonished to establish themselves on the apostles’ doctrine, which had high legalistic values at its core.

The purpose of this book is not to discuss the various opinions of legalism and holiness standards, but to ensure that while we study these various degrees and standards, we do not forget the basic principle that all Scripture is founded on. That foundational principle has always been and will forever be: LOVE.

It has been estimated that the Bible contains over seven thousand different rules and/or guidelines instructing the believer how to live. The strict legalist dots every i and crosses every t in all seven thousand. Remember, the only purpose of this book is to revisit the basic principle that Jesus revealed in Matthew 22, Mark 12, and Luke 10. These scriptures reveal that our unconditional love for God and man is the very nail on which these seven thousand laws are hung. Jesus did acknowledge the importance of legalism and holiness. Yet, at the same time He stressed that it is essential to have love at the center of our lives. If love is not at our core, we are in danger of covering the well with the establishments and structures that we have built around the life giving water. If love for God and man is not the ultimate motivation for all that we do, we are not living the life that Christ exemplified, taught, illustrated, and died for. Jesus’ ministry was one of compassion, mercy, grace, and love. His great love for mankind compelled Him to seek and to save that which was lost. His sole purpose for manifesting Himself in the flesh was to show His love (John 3:16). It is alarming that the greatest opponents of Jesus’ earthly ministry were not sinners openly rebelling against the doctrine that He stood for, but the right-wing church leaders more concerned with passing judgment than showing mercy.

In Jesus these needful and desperate people never found a judge, ridiculer, or prideful bigot turning His nose up at those that were different than He was. They always found a gentle Savior who felt their pain and sincerely cared about the unfair circumstances of their lives. They always met a man who was more interested in meeting their needs than converting them to His form of doctrine. However, it should be noted that once their needs were met through love, the recipients of His love were usually converted. They were not converted by His words or ability to use the scriptures to argue points of law. They were converted by His generosity and peaceful spirit. I often wonder, what would really happen to the church if we truly represented the Christ that we preach, teach, and talk about?

CHAPTER ONE:

HOW MUCH DOES GOD LOVE YOU?

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

Psalm 8:4

The Love of God is not comprehendible, unexplainable, Yet undeniable!

It has been accurately stated in most Christian circles, God loves us. Most people from Christian backgrounds have no problem accepting that Jesus’ love has changed our lives. Yet, when asked to describe the love of God, there is no definitive answer given. Most of us know that His love is present, but in what ways, we cannot accurately tell. If you ask a hundred people to define God’s love, you will probably get seventy to eighty different answers. That is the unique quality of His love! It is personal and real to every individual. There is nothing more fascinating and powerful, yet more misunderstood than the love of God.

Have you ever been in love before? I mean where the only thing on your mind is that one special person who has captured your heart; when the whole world stands still, and every one else just fades away? There is a connection where nothing matters as much as just being together. This kind of love occupies your thoughts all day and fills your dreams at night. You just know it will last forever! Your heart stops beating and your senses stop functioning properly each time the person walks into the room! This love makes you feel like you are the most important person on the planet. Most of us have experienced this feeling of love at some point in our life. We are familiar with the butterflies and other symptoms of nervousness associated with this phenomenon. Yes, there is no other emotion as indescribable as love.

We seem to have forgotten that our emotions did not originate in humanity. Interestingly, we all experience similar feelings and at times follow the same patterns of love. The details of our individual love stories are different, but the emotions and feelings of each are the same. Most young couples make the same comments, predictions, and mistakes as the millions of other couples who have gone before them. They do not intentionally mimic a model previously established. They are simply going through the same stages. These elements of love are well documented. Therefore, the question must be raised, where did this pre-existing formula come from? How is it naturally established in the psyche of man that love is demonstrated a certain way, established in certain boundaries, and follows certain paths? Where did this wonderful feeling of love originate?

The answer is very simple, yet very profound. The feelings of true love originated from God! The scripture reveals that God laughs, mocks, and cries. He feels happiness, remorse, and pain. Most importantly, He knows love, for He is love! Since we were created in the image of God, it is rational to assume that we also possess His emotions. However, because of our imperfections and limited abilities we cannot experience the full depth of these emotions, just as we cannot know the fullness of His power, although His power is promised to us. This is an awesome revelation! The whole gamete of human emotions present when we love, are nowhere near what God feels when He loves. This is powerful, because when we ask the question, How much does God love me, we have to realize that the answer is beyond finding out, because we will never be able to fathom His love!

Exercise One: Understanding God’s Love.

The simplest way to even remotely fathom the love of God is by answering the following questions. Answer each one in depth and honestly.

How much do I love the people closest to me?

How much do I love my wife, husband, and/or children?

How much do I love my brother, sister, mother, father?

How much do I love my closest friends?

What feelings of deep emotional attachment do I feel for all of the above?

What would I be willing to do for them if their life depended on it?

What are the deepest, most sacred emotions I have for them in my life?

When you feel you have adequately answered all of these questions take a moment and let the realization of this truth sink in. It is not possible for you to feel more than God. The creation cannot be greater than the Creator. The vast array of emotions that you feel for these people you love, are small and insignificant compared to the vastness of emotions that God feels for you.

THE TIME INDICATOR

One of the indicators of true love is the amount of time spent thinking about someone. This also provides strong evidence as to God’s love for us. David revealed this concept in the eighth division of Psalms, When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him (Psalms 8:3-4)? Most of us have heard this scripture before. However, it has usually been taught from the perspective of how insignificant humanity is. We have been programmed with a mentality of lowliness that God did not intend. The actual revelation of these verses is not the mere fact that we are loved by God despite our lowliness and imperfections. The true revelation of this scripture is actually the opposite. When broken down into its root meaning, before suffixes and prefixes were added to the translation, the scripture reads, What is man, that your mind is FULL of him. This should change everything about your view God’s love. He does not just think about you occasionally; you are always on His mind.

It is comforting to know that when you wake up in the morning, you are on the mind of God. When you eat lunch, you are on the mind of God! As you vulnerably sleep the night away, you are still on the mind of God! What an awesome knowledge, to understand that the God of the universe, the Alpha and Omega, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords is always thinking about you!

This God has never faltered or failed, lost a battle, been confused or afraid, been outguessed or outmaneuvered; and this God is thinking about you. When you are afraid, He is not; and He is thinking about you. When you are lonely, He is there; and His thoughts are on you! When you are hurting; He is thinking about you. When you can’t find an answer to the problem you are in, He is thinking about you!

It is important to remember that you are on God’s mind, because the devil wants you to feel isolated and alone. If he truly hunts us as a roaring lion, then his tactic is to isolate and devour the weak and feeble. However, this is not so easily accomplished when we realize that we are never alone unless we willingly walk away from the presence of God. The enemy wants you to feel helpless and defeated, but you must understand that you are not alone! You have not been abandoned! You have not been forsaken! You have not been forgotten! You are on the mind of God!

The enemy would like nothing more than for you to believe that God has abandoned you. However, Biblical evidence reveals the depth of God’s love for you. He said that the very hairs of your head are numbered (Matthew 10:30). I heard one minister teach that not only does He know the total number of hairs on your head; He has meticulously numbered each individual hair. When one hair falls, He knows instantly, and He knows that the one that fell was hair number 303. How can we believe that He does not love us?

Another great indicator of how much God loves you is found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Matthew asked, Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? Luke asked, Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? Together, these two verses indicate the graceful nature of God’s love toward us. According to Matthew, the price for two sparrows was one farthing. Luke revealed that if you doubled the price, you would get double the sparrows, with the addition of an extra one. In Biblical times, it was common practice for businessmen to take four sparrows of good quality and throw in a fifth sparrow of bad stock as the free one. It was a sales gimmick! The people thought they were getting a bargain, when in actuality the extra sparrow was usually sick. Yet, the powerful truth is that the Word of God says that the Father remembered every one of them. It did not matter to God which sparrow He saw, the four good sparrows or the rejected one; God did not forget it! So it is with His love for you and me. It matters very little to God how we rank in society, He loves us all the same! We are always on His mind!

David revealed another truth about God’s love in the fifty-sixth division of Psalms. He said, Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? He indicated that every tear you cry has been noticed and captured by God. The nights you have lain awake and cried yourself to sleep, thinking that no one cared or knew what you were going through; God was there, catching your tears and sealing them in a bottle. He was documenting and recording them in a book. He has caught every tear that you have ever cried, because He is always thinking about you.

Another indicator of God’s love is recorded by one of the only two men ever privileged enough to enter the throne room of heaven. John the Revelator was caught up into Heaven in a vision and recorded, There was a rainbow round about the throne (Revelation 4:3). He saw the very throne of God, and surprisingly, around the throne was a rainbow. Imagine the kaleidoscope of colors vastly displayed around this majestic seat! There is a great colorful spectrum of light cascading down Heaven’s limitless corridors. However, the rainbow is not just beautiful decorum adding to the grandeur of Heaven.

This is evident because God put a rainbow in the sky as a sign of His promise to Noah that He would never again destroy the earth by flood (Genesis 9:13). This is powerful, because every time God looks at us, it does not matter what condition we are in, He is looking at us through the prism of a rainbow. In other words, every time He thinks about you, He is thinking about you through the prism of His promises to you. How much does God love you; so much that He established a constant reminder around His throne? Every time He sees you, He sees every promise He has made! Every time He hears your prayers or focuses on your worship, He sees you. However, He cannot look at you without seeing you through the prism of every promise He has ever made! I know that there are many things that we have given up on, but God still sees every promise. They stand continually around His throne.

It was also revealed to Cornelius that our prayers go up as a memorial before God. David said that every tear we cry, God catches them in a bottle and seals them up. Therefore, every time the enemy tells you that God has forgotten you, remember the impossibility of that statement. You have a rainbow with your promise in it, a sea of tears shelved from your birth, and a memorial of prayer established before the throne of God. All of these visible reminders indicate that God has not forgotten you!

Exercise Two: Choose Not to Forget

List the promises