Cultivate An Unconditional Devotion To Christ

In all that we do, let it be done in a Biblical love.

A love that is patient.

A love that is kind.

A love that is not jealous.

A love that does not boast.

A love that is humble, not proud.

A love that does not dishonor others.

A love that is not selfish, but selfless.

A love that is not easily angered.

A love that keeps no record of wrongs.

A love that does not delight in evil.

A love that rejoices with Truth.

A love that protects.

A love that trusts.

A love that always holds onto hope.

A love that perseveres.

After the year that we have all endured, I know how easy it can be for us to compromise our values for something more undemanding or comfortable. But as Christians, living for Jesus means complete surrender to God and His word regardless of your circumstances or feelings. Living for the Lord is by no means walking on easy street.

Living for Jesus means going against the grain of the world.

It means living a life of submission to God’s unchanging and timeless Truth, actively pursuing the narrow path of life.

We are not called to compromise and give in to our sinful desires. We are called to deny our flesh, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. (Luke 9:23)

Being a Christian, even during a global pandemic, does not permit us to compromise holy values for an easier path. When we face trials, it does not give us permission to lean into sin. Regardless of what is going on around us, we need to actively fight against sin and pursue what is holy, perfect, and good in the eyes of God. The Christian life is not a life of partiality between living for God and living for the world. When we follow God, we are crucified with Christ, and it is no longer us who lives, but Him who lives in us. (Galatians 2:20) Being a Christian means we die to ourselves and find new life in Christ. In ALL that we do, Christ needs to be at the center of our motives. We are called to die to ourselves and be born again in Christ. This isn’t a metaphor, this is a spiritual rebirth where we have a heart that is no longer stone, but one of flesh. We have been born again and given a new heart that hates sin and loves God. In more simplistic terms, being born again means that you actively put your trust in Jesus. Living a life of repentance and seeking the things of God. It means that because God loved you first, you respond in an act of reverential awe in obedience to His word.

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1 Peter 1: 13-16

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy...”

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1 John 2:3-6

And by this, we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

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If we truly love Christ with all our heart, soul, and mind, everything we do should reflect the beauty and holiness of Christ. God’s love is not partial towards us, and neither should our love be partial towards Him. He deserves our worship.

Scripture is clear that we will face trials and tribulations, but Romans 5:3-4 proclaims that “For those who love God, we can rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

I say all of this because, for those in Christ, these seasons of suffering are preparing us and refining us for eternity. We have eternal security in God through the Son Jesus Christ. With this everlasting promise of protection, we can't help but rejoice in our sufferings and sing of the goodness of God. Romans 8:28 says that as followers of Christ, we can have this confidence that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

John 16:33 tells us that we will face tribulation, but Jesus says: “Take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus has overcome whatever it is that feels like may be consuming you right now. You are secure in the Father by the blood of Jesus. For it is a saved sinner's greatest joy when they encounter a tribulation that refines them into the image of Christ and allows them to experience God’s good grace. For this reason, there is no need for us to compromise our faith for something that may seem more “comfortable.” Because for those truly in Christ, He is where we find true peace and rest.

Christian, we have no logical reason to choose anything other than God Himself when tribulation comes our way. When someone has the core of who they are deeply planted in God’s promises and trusts Him with their life, nothing will return in vain. Security and stability will last forever. Those who abide in Christ shall never be put to shame. When we stand in the Father through the Son, nothing can remove us from such a place of peace, stability, and freedom.