Ambassadors For Jesus - Moving to Higher Ground in Jesus The Love of God and Change (www.ambassadorsforJesus5.com) www.jrbell.com / Photo used with permission It may serve us well to take an inventory of our lives on a regular basis and determine who is in the driver's seat. Is it the self-life motivated by fear or is it the God-life motivated by his love? There are very distinct differences between love and fear and in our relationship with the Lord, and each other, it will help us to recognize them. I have discovered this principle in life, when I am operating in fear my motivation is based on self-preservation. Fear awakens the self-life in me. As such, I have decided to go through the tedious task of breaking down this cycle. Let us start by the realization that: 1. The self-centered life, 2. the law, 3. and fear, all work in conjunction with each other. By contrast, we know that the life of God is: 1. The Jesus-centered life (the self-sacrificing life), 2. the Holy Spirit (Heart of God), 3. and the love of God manifested in the fruits of the Spirit, also work in conjunction with each other. The first is based on human effort, an Ishmael. The latter is based on God's promise of doing it through the promised child (Galatians 3 & 4), an Isaac. We believe God and enter in by grace through faith in Jesus. When it comes to what motivates us, there are two driving sources (Galatians 5:16-26): 1. The lust of the flesh derived from the carnal life, 2. the love of God derived from The Holy Spirit Now that we've explored the "driving sources" in our lives, let us explore the sources for change. There are two "motivating forces" in our lives in regards to change: 1. Fear, motivated by self-preservation. 2. Love, motivated by the heart of God (the Holy Spirit) found in Jesus.There are two agents to change that work in conjunction with the motivating forces: 1. The law - a shadow of the heart of God, effects the exterior. 2. Jesus - the heart and love of God manifested, changes the interior and as an effect flows into the exterior. The law can only effect the exterior. The best it can do is modify behavior. It is based on self-effort and self-preservation. It leads to bondage and is a ticking time bomb. The carnal life is a disease that needs a cure.Jesus-the heart and love of God personified, starts with the interior and as an effect, overflows into the exterior. It is a circumcision of the heart from the carnal life and a joining to His life. Jesus' throne and rule is within the heart of a man. He is the King of hearts. He captivates the heart of man through love. The life of Jesus is based on the promise of God and is entered into (Galatians 3). We don't earn this life, we enter into it by grace through faith in Jesus. It requires a birthing of the Spirit of God (John 3).The self-centered life, fear, and the law operate together.Fear asks, “What is going to happen to me?” The Jesus-centered life, the Holy Spirit (heart of God), and the love of God operate together. Love says, “I would lay down my life for you.”Fear is self-consciousLove is Christ-consciousThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, yet perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:16-19). There is only one power able to bring true and lasting changes into our hearts. The life of Jesus who is the Love of God personified. It is the love of God alive in our hearts that tears down the idols therein. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. There are times I hear things communicated that appear to stir fear in me and as fear is stirred I find that my motivation for doing something is no longer grounded in Jesus and the love of God. Here is an example, "Go to this convention or do this so that you won't miss God." My whole reason for doing something now is no longer based on love but fear and the self-life. Fear should not be driving me, the love of God should (as found in the life of Jesus manifested in the Spirit). Although it is nice to be aware how the corporate body functions, I need not fear missing God. I am not going to miss anything God has for me as long as I remain in his life and follow after his Spirit. I am not to follow after the self-life and fear.We who are in Christ are to be driven by his Spirit who operates out of love.I do understand there is a reverential fear of the Lord. One that understands God will not be mocked and He is intent on keeping us in Christ for his wonderful purposes. Yet fear should not rule in a child of God. Fear should work as an outside warning, so to speak, for the times we may have wandered from our covering in Christ. It warns us to stop our current route, do an "about face", and follow after the Spirit. For instance, When I am not flowing in his fruits of the Spirit and would like to give into anger and vengence, I have a reverential fear of what I will reap going that route. But I know that although that may stop me in my tracks, it alone cannot change my heart. I don't have to give into that carnal inclination but I of myself am powerless to change my heart. I stay dead to the carnal life, do an "about face", and follow after Jesus. I can then take my heart to the Lord to have Him engage it to his. Reaping what we sow should be seen as filtered through his love. What parent would continue to protect a child from the consequences of their destructive ways? There is a time when we need to let people reap what they sow. Everything our Heavenly Father does is filtered through love for God is love. Romans 8:15-17 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. When my heart is engaged with God's I will be moved by love. When we love someone it is a whole different story to do something that grieves them. It goes beyond breaking rules into an understanding that we hurt the object of our love and adoration. This is the difference between organized religion based on a set of rules verses relationship based on love. Relationship and love effect the heart. God's children are not to be ruled by fear but by his wonderful love. It may serve us well to take time and out and do an inventory of who is in the driver's seat of our journeys. Is it fear or is it the love of God that moves us? May the love of God rule in our hearts through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Ambassadors for Jesus

an Online Magazine

Moving to Higher Ground in Jesus

The Love of God and Change

(www.ambassadorsforJesus5.com)

www.jrbell.com / Photo used with permission

It may serve us well to take an inventory of our lives on a regular basis and determine who is in the driver's seat. Is it the self-life motivated by fear or is it the God-life motivated by his love? There are very distinct differences between love and fear and in our relationship with the Lord, and each other, it will help us to recognize them.

I have discovered this principle in life, when I am operating in fear my motivation is based on self-preservation. Fear awakens the self-life in me. As such, I have decided to go through the tedious task of breaking down this cycle.

Let us start by the realization that:

1. The self-centered life,

2. the law,

3. and fear,

all work in conjunction with each other.

By contrast, we know that the life of God is:

1. The Jesus-centered life (the self-sacrificing life),

2. the Holy Spirit (Heart of God),

3. and the love of God manifested in the fruits of the Spirit,

also work in conjunction with each other.

The first is based on human effort, an Ishmael. The latter is based on God's promise of doing it through the promised child (Galatians 3 & 4), an Isaac. We believe God and enter in by grace through faith in Jesus.

When it comes to what motivates us, there are two driving sources (Galatians 5:16-26):

1. The lust of the flesh derived from the carnal life,

2. the love of God derived from The Holy Spirit

Now that we've explored the "driving sources" in our lives, let us explore the sources for change. There are two "motivating forces" in our lives in regards to change:

1. Fear, motivated by self-preservation.

2. Love, motivated by the heart of God (the Holy Spirit) found in Jesus.

There are two agents to change that work in conjunction with the motivating forces:

1. The law - a shadow of the heart of God, effects the exterior.

2. Jesus - the heart and love of God manifested, changes the interior and as an effect flows into the exterior.

The law can only effect the exterior. The best it can do is modify behavior. It is based on self-effort and self-preservation. It leads to bondage and is a ticking time bomb. The carnal life is a disease that needs a cure.

Jesus-the heart and love of God personified, starts with the interior and as an effect, overflows into the exterior. It is a circumcision of the heart from the carnal life and a joining to His life. Jesus' throne and rule is within the heart of a man. He is the King of hearts. He captivates the heart of man through love.

The life of Jesus is based on the promise of God and is entered into (Galatians 3). We don't earn this life, we enter into it by grace through faith in Jesus. It requires a birthing of the Spirit of God (John 3).

The self-centered life, fear, and the law operate together.

Fear asks, “What is going to happen to me?”

The Jesus-centered life, the Holy Spirit (heart of God), and the love of God operate together.

Love says, “I would lay down my life for you.”

Fear is self-conscious

Love is Christ-conscious

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, yet perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:16-19).

There is only one power able to bring true and lasting changes into our hearts. The life of Jesus who is the Love of God personified. It is the love of God alive in our hearts that tears down the idols therein. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

There are times I hear things communicated that appear to stir fear in me and as fear is stirred I find that my motivation for doing something is no longer grounded in Jesus and the love of God.

Here is an example, "Go to this convention or do this so that you won't miss God." My whole reason for doing something now is no longer based on love but fear and the self-life. Fear should not be driving me, the love of God should (as found in the life of Jesus manifested in the Spirit).

Although it is nice to be aware how the corporate body functions, I need not fear missing God. I am not going to miss anything God has for me as long as I remain in his life and follow after his Spirit. I am not to follow after the self-life and fear.

We who are in Christ are to be driven by his Spirit who operates out of love.

I do understand there is a reverential fear of the Lord. One that understands God will not be mocked and He is intent on keeping us in Christ for his wonderful purposes. Yet fear should not rule in a child of God. Fear should work as an outside warning, so to speak, for the times we may have wandered from our covering in Christ. It warns us to stop our current route, do an "about face", and follow after the Spirit.

For instance, When I am not flowing in his fruits of the Spirit and would like to give into anger and vengence, I have a reverential fear of what I will reap going that route. But I know that although that may stop me in my tracks, it alone cannot change my heart. I don't have to give into that carnal inclination but I of myself am powerless to change my heart. I stay dead to the carnal life, do an "about face", and follow after Jesus. I can then take my heart to the Lord to have Him engage it to his.

Reaping what we sow should be seen as filtered through his love. What parent would continue to protect a child from the consequences of their destructive ways? There is a time when we need to let people reap what they sow. Everything our Heavenly Father does is filtered through love for God is love.

Romans 8:15-17

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

When my heart is engaged with God's I will be moved by love. When we love someone it is a whole different story to do something that grieves them. It goes beyond breaking rules into an understanding that we hurt the object of our love and adoration. This is the difference between organized religion based on a set of rules verses relationship based on love. Relationship and love effect the heart.

God's children are not to be ruled by fear but by his wonderful love.

It may serve us well to take time and out and do an inventory of who is in the driver's seat of our journeys. Is it fear or is it the love of God that moves us?

May the love of God rule in our hearts through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

jo@ambassadorsforjesus5.com