Hello, John and Doves,
Even if you're right, you
could be left (behind)...
This re-posting of Paul N. F.'s letter, "Obedience: The Final Test of
Love for Christ,"
is eerily prophetic, I
believe.
Many readers may be
wondering,
"Will I make it? I haven't been looking for
signs, and yet
I'm interested.
Is that enough?"
I am sure I am not the
only one who observes that their pastor, while
studiously
avoiding the details of
prophecy, yet feels the pressure of time winding down.
And thus, many Spirit-filled
pastors simply concentrate on fulfilling Ephesians
5:27,
instead of wrestling with
their parishioners over alternate future timelines.
The bottom line of any
end-times discussion should always be,
~Blessings,
Mike
__________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/aug2013/pnf810.htm
Paul N. F. (10 Aug
2013)
"Obedience: The Final Test
of Love for Christ"
Obedience: The
Final Test of Love for Christ
By
A.W. Tozer
He that hath my commandments, and
keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. . .and I
will love him, and will manifest myself to
him.
-- John 14:21
The final
test of love is obedience, not sweet emotions,
not willingness to sacrifice, not zeal, but obedience to the
commandments of Christ!
Our
Lord drew a line plain and tight for everyone to
see. On one side He placed those who
keep His commandments and said, "These love Me." On
the other side He put those who keep not His
sayings, and said, "These love Me not."
The commandments
of Christ occupy in the New Testament a place
of importance that they do not have in current
evangelical thought. The idea that our
relation to Christ is revealed by our attitude to
His commandments is now considered legalistic by
many influential Bible teachers, and the plain words
of our Lord are rejected outright or interpreted in
a manner to make them conform to religious theories
ostensibly based upon the epistles of Paul.
The
Christian cannot be certain of the reality and depth
of his love until
he comes face to face with the commandments
of Christ and is forced to decide what to do about
them. Then he will know!
I
think we should turn for a while from finespun
theological speculations about grace and faith and
humbly read the New Testament with
a mind to obey what we see there.
Love for
Christ is a love of willing, as well as a love of
feeling, and it is psychologically impossible
to love Him adequately unless
we will to obey His words!
Yours in Christ,
Paul N. F.