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Sunday, December 13,
2009
Love Less
Selfless - without consideration for
oneself; unselfish
Self denial – denial of one’s own desires
and passions
Selfish - caring only for one’s own needs
or desires; not generous
What then is the Church’s love for
Christ? The response of love to the mystery of love, the submission of love
to perfect love. First love is the love of espousal. Its notes are
simplicity, and purity, marital love, the response of love to love, the
subjection of a great love to a great love, the submission of a
self-denying love to a love that denies self. First love is the
abandonment of all for a love that has abandoned all. (from Wycliffe
Commentary)
We love Him, because He first loved us
with a selfless act of love. Not just in word, but in deed and in truth. With
this in mind, how often do you submit yourself to a self-denying love to
know the mystery of that love that allows you to deny yourself and follow
it?
Matthew 16:24-26 Then said Jesus unto his
disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross, and follow me. (25) For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. (26) For
what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (KJV)
Do you love yourself less than Christ?
Many will say that they do, but in works they deny it. Many endure for a
season until they are asked to deny something that the Lord sees as
unhealthy for them, and instead of relying on His wisdom and strength to
overcome it, they turn and walk away. Not willing to die so that they can experience
an even fuller life of a much greater love; a love that this world cannot even
come close to. It is a love of deep affection, joy and peace. It is a love
that will never fail you.
Denying your fleshly wants and desires
for a short time on this earth is worth eternity in Christ. Are you willing
to die so that you can experience this love, and then be able to share this
love with others? Willing to deny self and go about our Father’s business regardless
of what the world says or does. Willing to hold fast and not be afraid of
the faces of those against Him, but to trust in His love to get you through,
and continue to speak the truth in love. To lay your life down for the
brethren is selfless love. We know this because Jesus Christ did it for us.
He gave us an example of how to love one another; and encourages us to continue
to share His love and be there to help bare another’s burden.
Do you want to gain the whole world only
to lose your own soul? Really, it is not about you…so how about learning to
love less by losing your life for Christ’s sake, so that you find eternal
life in Him, and are able to encourage others to do the same.
So I leave you with this…
The duty of ministering to the saints is
so plain, that there would seem no need to exhort Christians to it; yet
self-love contends so powerfully against the love of Christ, that it is
often necessary to stir up their minds by way of remembrance. (from Matthew
Henry’s Concise Commentary)
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