Do we yearn for being free to love Jesus and express this love?

[Leonardo Von]

Do we yearn for being free to love Jesus and express this love?

What we ought to desire is freedom to love Jesus and to express that love. But, how can we get that freedom? We need to get free of all thought, feeling, desire that occupy Jesus’ place in our heart.

We need to ask to ourselves: why do we crave for something? It is only for our pleasure or because this can make us more capable of helping someone and glorify Jesus’ name?

Take heed in what Jesus said:

•    Luk 9:25 -> “For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”.

Many times, we will end up losing ourselves (losing our identity and soul) if our prayers are listened. Hence Jesus said:

•    Luk 9:23 -> “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”.

I know that this is harsh. Nonetheless, the only way to love Jesus as He delights is following these three principles:

•    denying ourselves -> giving up our feelings, thoughts, desire and plans;
•    taking up our cross daily -> accepting the circumstances which Jesus bring to us (even if this implies in becoming a curse – Gal 3:13) so that people can know Him through us.
•    following Him -> Hearing His voice and abiding by it.

Beyond this, we need to belong only to Jesus, without any utility to the world (and vice-versa):

•    Gal 6:14 -> “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”.

In other words, don’t mind what we do:

•    1Co 10:31 -> “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”.

For us, the important is Jesus to be glorified, regardless the circumstance that we need to go through so that this can take place:

•    Php 1:29 -> “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;”.

The only way to overcome the world and Ha-Satan is with our faith in Jesus (1John 5:3) to the point of not loving our life in this world (Mat 10:39):

•    Rev 12:11 -> “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”.

We need not to consider our life in this world as precious:

•    Act 20:24  -> “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”.

As Paul, we need to be ready to suffer what is necessary for Jesus’ glory:

•    Act 21:13 -> “Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”.
•    Php 1:20,21 -> “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”.

I know that all of this is hard to hear. Nonetheless, Jesus was clear:

•    Mat 6:24 -> No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”. 

So, if we desire to be free to love Christ and express it, we need to empty ourselves of all our plans and desires, so that Christ can be all in us. Without this, even if we were able to love Christ, we wouldn’t be free to express this love because we would be divided between Him and our delights.