Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 19.12.2005
In flames of love
An ardent desire means love but love - to what? God's love to man is a wonderful thing. Why do you escape the flames of His love? Surely it is because you are burning with love to something which God ardently hates.
A brier in fire
God appeared to Moses in flames of fire from within a brier bush. However the brier didn't burn up. In this situation God revealed His name to Moses: "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Ex.3:14
A thorn bush describes our sinful nature. "The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge." Mic.7:4 Why didn't the fire of God's holiness burn up a sinner? God became man in Jesus and thus He shared our thorny nature. He has been tempted in every way, just as we are, but He never sinned. Thanks to Him also we can share the fire of God without it burning us up.
Jesus came to baptize us with fire. "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" Lu.12:49 The holy fire was once kindled on Golgotha. The ardour of God's love is hot as blazing fire. It is as strong as the fire of hell.
Jesus experienced the ardour of God's wrath on the cross because of our sins, but in His resurrection He experienced the ardour of God's love. This fire of love, that He got, He gives His own, when He baptizes them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. "They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them." Ac.2:3
In this way a prophecy that God had earlier given was fulfilled in Jesus: "The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers." Isa.10:17 The fire of God's holiness burnt our sinful nature in a single day in the body of Jesus when He was on the cross. On that day a crown of thorns was put on the head of Jesus to show us that now this prophecy came true.
The sinful nature rules a godless one like a king. The godless don't confess their king to be thorny, but the fire was kindled under their honour on Golgotha and they cannot put it out. As surely as Jesus has been raised from the dead a new human being has risen from the ash of this fire.
God appeared to Moses in flames of fire from within a brier bush. However the brier didn't burn up. In this situation God revealed His name to Moses: "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Ex.3:14
A thorn bush describes our sinful nature. "The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge." Mic.7:4 Why didn't the fire of God's holiness burn up a sinner? God became man in Jesus and thus He shared our thorny nature. He has been tempted in every way, just as we are, but He never sinned. Thanks to Him also we can share the fire of God without it burning us up.
Jesus came to baptize us with fire. "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" Lu.12:49 The holy fire was once kindled on Golgotha. The ardour of God's love is hot as blazing fire. It is as strong as the fire of hell.
Jesus experienced the ardour of God's wrath on the cross because of our sins, but in His resurrection He experienced the ardour of God's love. This fire of love, that He got, He gives His own, when He baptizes them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. "They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them." Ac.2:3
In this way a prophecy that God had earlier given was fulfilled in Jesus: "The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers." Isa.10:17 The fire of God's holiness burnt our sinful nature in a single day in the body of Jesus when He was on the cross. On that day a crown of thorns was put on the head of Jesus to show us that now this prophecy came true.
The sinful nature rules a godless one like a king. The godless don't confess their king to be thorny, but the fire was kindled under their honour on Golgotha and they cannot put it out. As surely as Jesus has been raised from the dead a new human being has risen from the ash of this fire.
Fire of love
When Jesus speaks about the fire He brought, He speaks about the spreading of love. God's love for us appeared on Golgotha. Also our love to God was kindled there. Who can spread the fire of God's love? Jesus' own got from heaven a baptism in fire on the day of Pentecost so that they could preach the Gospel of God. "He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire." Heb.1:7 The fire of Golgotha has kindled the hearts of Jesus' own and made us flames of God's fire.
This Bible passage is often referred to: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1Jo.4:8 We should also read the following verses in order to know what kind of love God is. "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1Jo.4:9-10 A bare phrase "God is love" tells very little. It is a defective sentence, like a lamp without light or a hearth without fire.
A bare word "love" only tells that something is important to somebody. What is dear gives love its actual content.
Also the love of money is love, although it is the root of all evil. Even the love to violence is love and also the love of one's country is love. The love to power can be considered love. The love to knowledge and to wisdom is love that many honour. The love of work is very valued love. The love to one's own body is love. The most famous is the love of sexual pleasure. However these kinds of loves have nothing to do with the love which is said about "God is love".
The love to a friend is a good thing and the love for a spouse and children is lovely, but God's love for man is much more. Therefore also our love to God is more than our love for our friends and relatives.
Lusting after evil things is love to evilness. Be frightened of this love! God's love is love to goodness and He wants our best so eagerly that He sacrificed His only Son so that we could get a part with Him. Remember that this phrase, "God is love", means "that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
Do you feel in your spirit the fire of God's love that has come into you from the message of Golgotha? God's love burns our heart, "because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again." 2Co.5:14-15
When Jesus speaks about the fire He brought, He speaks about the spreading of love. God's love for us appeared on Golgotha. Also our love to God was kindled there. Who can spread the fire of God's love? Jesus' own got from heaven a baptism in fire on the day of Pentecost so that they could preach the Gospel of God. "He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire." Heb.1:7 The fire of Golgotha has kindled the hearts of Jesus' own and made us flames of God's fire.
This Bible passage is often referred to: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1Jo.4:8 We should also read the following verses in order to know what kind of love God is. "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1Jo.4:9-10 A bare phrase "God is love" tells very little. It is a defective sentence, like a lamp without light or a hearth without fire.
A bare word "love" only tells that something is important to somebody. What is dear gives love its actual content.
Also the love of money is love, although it is the root of all evil. Even the love to violence is love and also the love of one's country is love. The love to power can be considered love. The love to knowledge and to wisdom is love that many honour. The love of work is very valued love. The love to one's own body is love. The most famous is the love of sexual pleasure. However these kinds of loves have nothing to do with the love which is said about "God is love".
The love to a friend is a good thing and the love for a spouse and children is lovely, but God's love for man is much more. Therefore also our love to God is more than our love for our friends and relatives.
Lusting after evil things is love to evilness. Be frightened of this love! God's love is love to goodness and He wants our best so eagerly that He sacrificed His only Son so that we could get a part with Him. Remember that this phrase, "God is love", means "that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
Do you feel in your spirit the fire of God's love that has come into you from the message of Golgotha? God's love burns our heart, "because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again." 2Co.5:14-15
Love has cooled down
Jesus predicted that the fire of love of many believers will grow cold at the time of the end: "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." Mt.24:12 If the fire of lawlessness takes power in us, it puts out God's fire from us. Carriers of the fire of lawlessness have run from one church to another and set many on fire with love that is not from God.
Love to freedom blazes not only in the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Lawlessness pretends to be love to freedom, although it actually is love to evilness. Many have caught fire from such a message of liberty which says that they need not obey the moral commandments of God. This fire is blazing among Christianity announcing that Jesus removed the law and gave us the liberty to do what we want. Their flames flicker cheerily, when they assure that God's grace set them free from the slavery of the law.
Due to them the love to Jesus has died down in many hearts. Jesus says to those who belong to Him: "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Joh.14:15 If you resorted to violence, it proves that you don't love Jesus. You know, He commanded you to love your enemies and not to resist an evil person. If you, who are divorced one, remarried or if you married a divorced one, it proves that you don't love Jesus. You know, He says that everybody who marries a divorced one commits adultery. If you take pains to gain money as much as possible, it proves that you don't love Jesus. You know, He says no-one can serve two masters.
Notice! Though you didn't love Him, He however loved you and died for you. This word is an invitation to you to humble yourself before Him in order to get a share of His godly nature. Do not take God's grace only as an assurance of forgiveness anymore.
The forgiveness of sins is only one part of the Gospel. The other part concerns the share of the godly nature. God's grace is not against the commandments of God, but it makes us new creations, who love the commands of God. The new man doesn't think that life according to the will of God would be burdensome. "This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome." 1Jo.5:3 A Jesus-man rejoices in the law of God, "for in my inner being I delight in God's law." Ro.7:22
Jesus predicted that the fire of love of many believers will grow cold at the time of the end: "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." Mt.24:12 If the fire of lawlessness takes power in us, it puts out God's fire from us. Carriers of the fire of lawlessness have run from one church to another and set many on fire with love that is not from God.
Love to freedom blazes not only in the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York. Lawlessness pretends to be love to freedom, although it actually is love to evilness. Many have caught fire from such a message of liberty which says that they need not obey the moral commandments of God. This fire is blazing among Christianity announcing that Jesus removed the law and gave us the liberty to do what we want. Their flames flicker cheerily, when they assure that God's grace set them free from the slavery of the law.
Due to them the love to Jesus has died down in many hearts. Jesus says to those who belong to Him: "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Joh.14:15 If you resorted to violence, it proves that you don't love Jesus. You know, He commanded you to love your enemies and not to resist an evil person. If you, who are divorced one, remarried or if you married a divorced one, it proves that you don't love Jesus. You know, He says that everybody who marries a divorced one commits adultery. If you take pains to gain money as much as possible, it proves that you don't love Jesus. You know, He says no-one can serve two masters.
Notice! Though you didn't love Him, He however loved you and died for you. This word is an invitation to you to humble yourself before Him in order to get a share of His godly nature. Do not take God's grace only as an assurance of forgiveness anymore.
The forgiveness of sins is only one part of the Gospel. The other part concerns the share of the godly nature. God's grace is not against the commandments of God, but it makes us new creations, who love the commands of God. The new man doesn't think that life according to the will of God would be burdensome. "This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome." 1Jo.5:3 A Jesus-man rejoices in the law of God, "for in my inner being I delight in God's law." Ro.7:22
Love to the Bible
Hearts have also caught fire from another deceiving love than the fire of liberty. Many have love to the holy book, because they have been kindled from the fire of the law.
The law of God has always excited the minds of people either for it or against it. Either in public or in secret everybody is interested in what God has spoken. This interest comes from man's desire to get a share of the power of God.
Repeating the words which God has uttered is seen as a possibility to rule one's own life and the life of others. The Bible is the most famous spell book of the world. Its words are recited in the hope that they could magically produce miracles, happiness and success. It is true that these kinds of forces exist, but they are miserable principles compared to the power of the Holy Spirit which for the sake of Jesus can settle down in our heart.
In order to a devotee of the white magic to believe that the words of the Bible would have any effect he must believe in the godlike nature of his holy book. Therefore they worship the texts of the Bible as the Word of God that is always perfectly right. However the Bible, which they worship, says only about Jesus that He is the Word with the capital initial letter. Their superstition is revealed when they believe that a literally referred Bible passage has more effect than expressed with one's own words.
Worshipping a letter petrifies a heart. When they have replaced Jesus with the Bible, they have stepped to the road of pretending. They have a form of godliness, because they are so biblical, but they deny its power, because their hearts don't live for Jesus.
Because they think to possess eternal life by their biblical faith, they do not bear that their life would be in conflict with the Holy Book. For this reason they eagerly interpret the Scriptures suitable for themselves. They don't delight in God's law, but they delight in interpreting its meaning as they like it. In this way their love to the law is revealed to be pretending. Violence to the law is lawlessness.
These zealots of the Holy Book are fighting against those who have caught the fire of liberty. Will the fire of the law beat the fire of liberty or will the fire of liberty swallow the fire of the law? Many will be surprised when these two fires will be united into one antichristian fire. However neither the fire of the law nor the fire of the lawlessness can swallow those who are burning with the sacrificial fire of Golgotha. Therefore the fire of God is your safeguard against all deceptions.
Hearts have also caught fire from another deceiving love than the fire of liberty. Many have love to the holy book, because they have been kindled from the fire of the law.
The law of God has always excited the minds of people either for it or against it. Either in public or in secret everybody is interested in what God has spoken. This interest comes from man's desire to get a share of the power of God.
Repeating the words which God has uttered is seen as a possibility to rule one's own life and the life of others. The Bible is the most famous spell book of the world. Its words are recited in the hope that they could magically produce miracles, happiness and success. It is true that these kinds of forces exist, but they are miserable principles compared to the power of the Holy Spirit which for the sake of Jesus can settle down in our heart.
In order to a devotee of the white magic to believe that the words of the Bible would have any effect he must believe in the godlike nature of his holy book. Therefore they worship the texts of the Bible as the Word of God that is always perfectly right. However the Bible, which they worship, says only about Jesus that He is the Word with the capital initial letter. Their superstition is revealed when they believe that a literally referred Bible passage has more effect than expressed with one's own words.
Worshipping a letter petrifies a heart. When they have replaced Jesus with the Bible, they have stepped to the road of pretending. They have a form of godliness, because they are so biblical, but they deny its power, because their hearts don't live for Jesus.
Because they think to possess eternal life by their biblical faith, they do not bear that their life would be in conflict with the Holy Book. For this reason they eagerly interpret the Scriptures suitable for themselves. They don't delight in God's law, but they delight in interpreting its meaning as they like it. In this way their love to the law is revealed to be pretending. Violence to the law is lawlessness.
These zealots of the Holy Book are fighting against those who have caught the fire of liberty. Will the fire of the law beat the fire of liberty or will the fire of liberty swallow the fire of the law? Many will be surprised when these two fires will be united into one antichristian fire. However neither the fire of the law nor the fire of the lawlessness can swallow those who are burning with the sacrificial fire of Golgotha. Therefore the fire of God is your safeguard against all deceptions.
Love for people
We can be merciful to many people by telling them about God's love in Jesus, but to some people we can show mercy only by avoiding them. "Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear - hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." Jude 22-23 It is dangerous to try to save a person who is in fire. It might happen that also the rescuer catches from the same fire. If only people's love to their idols died down, then they would be more receptive to the fire of God.
The fire of God's love is calling you out from the fire of lawlessness. Obey this call, although you would be like a brand snatched from the fire. One day the fire of God's wrath will appear and it will destroy the fire of lawlessness. Therefore the salvation from the fire of lawlessness means salvation from the wrath of God.
It is not easy to love a man. It is easy to love a baby, but it is easier to hate than to love an adult trained in evil. We will all be changed, but in what direction. Someone can today be lovable but tomorrow hateful or today hateful but tomorrow lovable. Because of our evil thoughts and deeds we are hateful, but God saw that we can be changed lovable.
Because I don't love my own wickedness, I don't approve of the wickedness of others. They consider me loveless, because I don't love what they love. Jesus said that the fire He brought causes people to divide against each other. If we hold different things dearest to us, we cannot have fellowship with one another. A Jesus' own can love a person who deserves to be hated, because he is burning with the fire of the Gospel. God loved His enemies and therefore we do the same.
Do the enemies of God understand the love of God towards themselves? Often they misunderstand it. They take God's mercy as a permission to sin without a judgment. This misunderstanding is impossible, if the Gospel comes in the fire of God's holiness. To love people in truth is possible only in the fire of God.
We can be merciful to many people by telling them about God's love in Jesus, but to some people we can show mercy only by avoiding them. "Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear - hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." Jude 22-23 It is dangerous to try to save a person who is in fire. It might happen that also the rescuer catches from the same fire. If only people's love to their idols died down, then they would be more receptive to the fire of God.
The fire of God's love is calling you out from the fire of lawlessness. Obey this call, although you would be like a brand snatched from the fire. One day the fire of God's wrath will appear and it will destroy the fire of lawlessness. Therefore the salvation from the fire of lawlessness means salvation from the wrath of God.
It is not easy to love a man. It is easy to love a baby, but it is easier to hate than to love an adult trained in evil. We will all be changed, but in what direction. Someone can today be lovable but tomorrow hateful or today hateful but tomorrow lovable. Because of our evil thoughts and deeds we are hateful, but God saw that we can be changed lovable.
Because I don't love my own wickedness, I don't approve of the wickedness of others. They consider me loveless, because I don't love what they love. Jesus said that the fire He brought causes people to divide against each other. If we hold different things dearest to us, we cannot have fellowship with one another. A Jesus' own can love a person who deserves to be hated, because he is burning with the fire of the Gospel. God loved His enemies and therefore we do the same.
Do the enemies of God understand the love of God towards themselves? Often they misunderstand it. They take God's mercy as a permission to sin without a judgment. This misunderstanding is impossible, if the Gospel comes in the fire of God's holiness. To love people in truth is possible only in the fire of God.
Tending the fire
It is a valuable thing, if somebody even a little loves God because of Jesus. Even a little fire is good, if it is genuine fire of God. If someone's love for God has grown great, one is burning with a greater flame. Such a flame doesn't die down as easily as his flame who loves a little. In everybody's life there is the first and the last love and many objects of love between them. Take care that your love to Jesus is always the first one and your other objects of love are pure from idols.
The sacrificial fire of idols can put out God's fire from us. Many are accustomed to sacrificing to idols or they are driven into it with a current. That already weakens their love to God, but an active expression of love to an idol certainly smothers the fire of God. Therefore stay away from all idols, so that the holy fire of God would always burn in the lamp of your heart.
If the fire of God has died in you, the sacrificial altar of Golgotha is able to put it on fire again. Look at the Lamb of God, who was slain to atone Your sins. He has also been burnt completely up in the fire of God's wrath and raised from the dead in the heat of God's love.
It is a valuable thing, if somebody even a little loves God because of Jesus. Even a little fire is good, if it is genuine fire of God. If someone's love for God has grown great, one is burning with a greater flame. Such a flame doesn't die down as easily as his flame who loves a little. In everybody's life there is the first and the last love and many objects of love between them. Take care that your love to Jesus is always the first one and your other objects of love are pure from idols.
The sacrificial fire of idols can put out God's fire from us. Many are accustomed to sacrificing to idols or they are driven into it with a current. That already weakens their love to God, but an active expression of love to an idol certainly smothers the fire of God. Therefore stay away from all idols, so that the holy fire of God would always burn in the lamp of your heart.
If the fire of God has died in you, the sacrificial altar of Golgotha is able to put it on fire again. Look at the Lamb of God, who was slain to atone Your sins. He has also been burnt completely up in the fire of God's wrath and raised from the dead in the heat of God's love.
The Bible version used in references is NIV