How much do you love Jesus?

[Guest jessiebuddy]

Love is not a feeling, it is a way of life.  Feelings come and go, but love, agape love, remains the same.  Unfortunately most of the modern christian experience is based on emotion, glowing words of praise and lots of music.  Yet the true Christian experience is when we lay down our life for Jesus in response to His death for us. 

JOHN 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

We enter the kingdom through the death of self, the old man.  That is how much we love Jesus.  We give up our life to Him to live out His life in us.

ROM 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as

Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even

so we also should walk in newness of life.

6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we

shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body

of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

GAL 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ

liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the

faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Eternal life is having Jesus living in us, directing us, and living His life through us. 

He gave His life for us, we give our lives to Him.  Therefore we can live like Him.  This is how we show our love to Him.  And because we belong only to Him, live only to please Him, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of God, The Word, Jesus the 'Living Word' and the Scriptures, the 'written word'.

MAT 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

We don't need to consult our feelings, they are not the proof.  Sometimes I love God with alot of emotion.  Sometimes I'm as dry as the 'hills of Gilboa'.  It doesn't matter.  I still belong to God and live by every word no matter how I feel.  Love is a decision made by faith that doesn't change, it is not dependent on feeling. 

In the love of Christ,

Dennis

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

it is a beautiful words yes but if there is no application it will stay as it is. Jesus said and then He did it and He always do it for His name sake.

Emotion is different i believe and feeling is different. God gave us feeling to feeling. It is life.

if you ask me why Jesus came down from His glorious throne and rescued us from death? because of His love and compassion. These two are few of God's eternal attributes that cause everything to exist.

Giving our lives for Jesus is a feeling. For how can someone just make a decision like that without feeling about it.

Singing, giving alms to the poor, helping other people, all the good acts and comes from a feeling. It is a mysterious design of our Creator to our live here and thereafter.

if you read the bible it speaks of life and feelings. even the above passages in the bibles talks about feelings and conviction.

[Liss]

i think this is a wonderful question and a question i think we should continue to ask ourselves throughout our lives.

some have asked the question, can we ever love God as much as He loves us??

i personally don't think man can love God as much as He loves us because without supernatural knowledge we cannot understand with human minds the true extent of God's love for us.

[Liss]

yes, we should still try!!!

as already mentioned love is not a feeling, it is a way of life.

there are times in a earthly relationship where you have to decide to love. things happen!! and if love were a mere emotion we wouldn't even reach the stage of engaged let-a-lone marriage.

[Keith]

Did you ever asked yourself how much You love Jesus?

We know Jesus loves us and what He did for us, but what do YOU do for Him?

I think its important to ask that question to ourself  because you never hear any sermons about this topic, how much do we love Jesus???

How much do we really Trust Him??

Angels

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Angels, I'm right there with you, sis! I really think this is an essential question for Christians to ask themselves today. I really do. If I may, I'd like to take your question one step further. What are we doing because of Jesus? Because of what He did for us and because we love Him?

Too many people see questions like "What are you doing for Jesus?" and automatically relate it to "works." I know that wasn't your intention. You make that very evident in your posts! I'm just talking about the phrase itself; "doing for."

I can understand how people fall into a "works-based" salvation mindset because in the world, our worth is judged by what we do. Naturally, without proper teaching, people are going to fall into works-based mentalities because of this. The idea of salvation being a FREE gift, "just because", for the accepting, is very difficult for a lot of people because the world teaches that you don't get something for nothing. It's sad. It becomes one of the catalysts for legalism. You must do this or that, in this way, but only at this time and to this degree...

As I said, I think this is a very important question for Christians to be asking themselves right now. Our time left here is short. Very short. There is no more time for playing around with our commitment to Jesus. There's no more time for pretending, faking or straddling the fence. (Not that there ever was a time for it.) It's time for people to decide if they are going to be hot or cold. Are we going to stand firm in and walk out our faith or are we going to let Him go and live for ourselves? Start cooking or get out of the kitchen. It's time to seek God for who He is and not just what He can do. We must seek His face, not just His hand.

[Keith]

Did you ever asked yourself how much You love Jesus?

How much do we really Trust Him??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

These are two other essential questions that you ask. Do we love Jesus enough to forsake ourselves for His sake? Do we trust Him to know, do and provide was is best for us? It's very easy to say "Yes! Amen!" but the evidence directly relates to how we live out our answers to these questions. Excellent post, Angels!

[angels4u]

Hi Keith,

Its difficult to understand why Jesus loves even me.....and I'm so glad that I can stand on His word and promises.

He loves me more then anybody else ever can, with all my faults and mistakes and believe me I do have lots of them.

Jesus is the One who will never forsake me when other people do. He so reliable.

My love for other people can be cold but His love for me will always stay the same temperature!

What I do for Him?

Because of His dying on the cross for me I want to live a life pleasing to Him but all I do if its not for Him but to make me feel good is as filthy rags.

I want to live a Holy life but will never be able to understand the dept of His love.

Thats why I not live by feelings but by Gods word

I am so glad that our Father in Heav

[Keith]

The two posts above reflect my first thoughts to Angels original post. I hadn't read any of the responses at that time. (Sometimes I like to give the original poster my thoughts before they are influenced by other people's posts.)

After reading all four pages, I want to say that this is a very worthwhile thread with a lot of substance and value. Everyone who responded has done so with honesty and the desire to know and love Jesus more is evident in their responses! That encourages me! I hope this thread will continue. I could have easily responded to each and every post in this thread.

I believe that humility is the key to loving Jesus more, as others have stated. It's only in putting Jesus first (and then prefering others above ourselves as Jesus gave in His example). This is how we demonstrate our love for/to Him. I appreciate JohnS's thoughts about weaning ourselves from this world and from possessing anything but Jesus.

It's a mindset. How old were you when you became a Christian? How much longer after that did it take for you to truely come to understand the depths of what He wants from us? It's that number of years of our old thinking - worldly thinking - that need to be unlearned. It takes time and total dependence on Jesus. It takes practice.

Changing the way we think and speak is the most difficult thing we can do, in my opinion. It's key and essential though. My mind and thoughts are my biggest battle!! I want so much to be humble and always know what Jesus would have me do and say and then do it. I want for an overwhelming majority of my thoughts, at least, to be on Him. I'm far from being there because I am far from perfect. We need to understand that Jesus doesn't love us because of what we do.

The most important thing right now, as I stated in my two previous posts, is that we make a decision about being hot or cold first. If we are pretending or faking or being anything less than desperate for Jesus, it's time to evaluate and make a decision. Jesus will help with the rest of it, if we ask, trust and obey Him to complete His work in us.

[angels4u]

How much longer after that did it take for you to truely come to understand the depths of what He wants from us? It's that number of years of our old thinking - worldly thinking - that need to be unlearned. It takes time and total dependence on Jesus. It takes practice.

It takes surrender

[Jo Kepler]

Jesus. Yes Man !! - Whou !

I try to catch a glimps of HIs -

athmosphere, HIs face – and … why not his faith in God.

Lets say HIs presence ! ! His everything – in the now.

Man –

I tried also to – see a - Long list of – word and deed.

Marks and Johns – with its diversity . .. and the unique qualtities in

Math with Lukes gospels.

I look out for the midst of HIs presence. The times of discipleship in a rather simple concept:

See the 5 talks in Math.: surman (5-7), sending (10), parabols (13)– I like the “heart-is-pure” (15) talk (in the middle of feeding multitudes twice).

I love the howl sequence – of about 12 healings. I rearly enjoy sitting back on my couch – and get the flow in there row. (what exactly did HE say. – what was the key line in every healing! – cute.)

But – least not smallest - what did the third sequence in this discipleship realy mean to Him self.

What were His feelings – in starting to tell - Peter (Mark 8/ 9 and 10 – around verses 31) , the 4 on the mount – and after meeting the young rich man (the one that – got anouther chance to follow as one of the closest 13). It is here that HE rearly started to transform

the howl Messia concept. – What if – “I go to the cross! “

If this is ever possible – I will see it more and more in and through the old testament. – Whouw, how far has HE changed that. And though HE reveals

to us and the disciples – using these words near Emaus !

Yes it is marvelous to see Jesus! – read, grow and understand. The more of HIM.

to fellow saints on the way - Jo

(shma) listen … You God’s people: with all our hearts, all minds and all our will … ( 5^th Mose 6, 4 )

Yes, the Strong man is conquered - now!

…the Prince of this World – has already been judged (Joh 16, 8)

[Guest remembered 1]

My pastor did preach about the book of revelation when Christ was speaking to the 7 churches and he was referring to the the church of Ephesus.

He said how God told them how they had fallen from there first love and if they don't repent and turn back then HE will come and remove there lamp stand from them.

He concluded by asking where is Ephesus church now?its pretty scary knowing we quench the Holy Spirit to a point whereby we are no longer sensitive to Him.

How do i love Jesus?because of His grace i can surely come to Him asking for forgiveness and He Is just and faithful to cleanse me.As clay is in the hands of the potter so "i am" in Gods hands.Amen

remembered 1

Did you ever asked yourself how much You love Jesus?

We know Jesus loves us and what He did for us, but what do YOU do for Him?

I think its important to ask that question to ourself because you never hear any sermons about this topic, how much do we love Jesus???

How much do we really Trust Him??

Angels