Loyal, Lasting Love

What is love, really? There are many different answers, for there are different types of love. Happy feelings and sweet gestures between a husband and a wife is usually the first type of love which comes to mind.  The sharing of one life, one purpose, one goal. And then there is the deeper, sacrificial love in a marriage that makes a marriage strong and enduring. There is also family love that gives itself through devotion, camaraderie, and friendship. There is brotherly love between two kindred hearts, and the love for those we share sweet fellowship with in the house of the LORD. But the best love, the greatest human love, is love directed toward the LORD God, love that is with all the heart, soul, mind and strength.

Just what does it mean to love God completely?

Love is Loyal

Love is defined to be, in part, unselfish loyalty. As Americans, one thing which demands our loyalty is our nation, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Throughout America's glorious history, millions of our homeland's men and women have put their lives on the line because of their fervent love and loyalty. They gave all they could because they believed our valuable Constitution and priceless freedoms, bestowed by God in His grace, were worthy to defend.

I am truly sickened when I consider the ungrateful citizens of our country who rail against our valiant soldiers, thoughtless of the fact that, because of the people they despise, they aren't dictated or living in poverty. We cannot tell how much we owe to them! I am so proud of our soldiers and am deeply thankful for their unselfish sacrifice so that our liberties may survive.

As soldiers in the army of the Lord, loyalty is a must. Quite simply, loyalty is but due to our Commander-in-Chief. Compromise with this world makes us enemies of the cross, aiding the enemy who wants to destroy God's work in every believer's life. As a solider in Christ's heavenly army, we are given clear commands from His Word. Giving all we can muster in obedience to those orders, denying the sinful flesh, and boldly following our victorious Lord is dauntless proof of firm loyalty.

When you boil down the choices we have as soldiers of the Lord, we have only two: conquer or compromise. Win or lose. Victory or defeat. Giving in is a whole lot easier than fighting faithfully, and very often that is the weak decision of the flesh. But if we trust in the power of His might, crying to Him in the battle, the victory is already secure through our risen Lord. As the soul-ascending hymn rings, "Onward come our great Commander; Cheer, my comrades, cheer!" It's up to us to choose to obey His orders. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3)

Love is Devoted

When I think of loyalty, an image enters my mind... the content, trusting eyes of a dog gazing into the face of his master as he is being gently, lovingly petted. This is a sight we see quite often. Do you think such a happy creature would have a single thought in his furry mind of leaving the side of his master? Certainly not! Once a good petting is begun, there aren't many things that can coax away such a pleased puppy.

I once heard a story of an elderly man who needed companionship, so he decided to get a puppy. With a grin on his lips and amusement shining merrily in his eyes, the man held the wriggling creature close and stroked his velvety coat with a weathered hand. He took the puppy home. Bent over and slow in his movements, he diligently trained his puppy to follow his commands. The short attention of the puppy was easily diverted, and often he would ignore his master's voice to romp after something much more interesting to his playful inclinations. It was then that the puppy had to be patiently corrected by the elderly man. Day by day, the puppy learned to heed his master's voice of love. As the puppy grew, so did the bond between the two of them, until at last the grown dog's obedience was unfaltering; he had not a willful thought of compromise to commands of such tenderness. The dog brought joy to the man's otherwise lonely life. After several years, the elderly man passed away. The devoted dog layed mournfully beside the grave, his resolute devotion preventing him from leaving his master's side even in death.

There is none other so loving and kind as our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. We should have faith in Him just like a puppy learning to trust. As in our relationship with our Master, we must be corrected when we sin against Him. "For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." (Proverbs 3:12)

We are trained in His ways by the Bible to stay: "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Ps. 27:14) To heel: "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Mark 8:34) To beg: "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matt. 22:21) He has so much more to teach us! Learning from the Master was never promised to be serene and of wonderful ease. We're going to fall down, get tossed around and shoved through life; we're going to bear burdens and know great pain for Him--but it's worth it, praise God!


Love is Proven

When we live in accordance to God's Word, delighting in the way of Truth, we show the Lord that we love Him. "If ye love me, keep my commandments," John 14:15 clearly tells us. To obey his commands constantly unto the end is to prove the love in our hearts for our loving Master. No thought enters a dog's mind to betray his master because nothing but affection and benevolence has been shown to Him. Our Master's goodness is so much greater! It is His love that unfolds in our hearts and draws us, binding us to His own heart. In such a deeply residing relationship, there can be no thought of unloyalty because He is only good.

Jesus proved His love for us, sinners less than worthless, on a cruel cross. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) I still can't conceive that the shame and filth of the whole world's iniquities--my own load included!!!--were laid on the Son of God whom the angels and cheribums of Heaven praise unceasingly with cries of "Holy, Holy, Holy!" He paid for sins that were not His because He was the only One who could. God the Father, in His holiness, turned His back on His precious, only begotten Son because of you and me! We, to whom God has promised "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," are the reason Christ was forsaken in the most heart-rending hours of all history. This is love indeed. Praise God for the complete sacrifice Jesus made that we might be delivered from Hell! Christ's love is so true and constant that we never have to doubt it's real. Even a lost sinner can perceive the love of Christ, it is so all-encompassing and powerful. Jeremiah 31:3 says, "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." How incomprehensible is the love of God!

However, human love, especially love directed to God, is often very false. We may profess our love for God well with our lips, but those words are able to be disproven by traitorous living. Unfaithfulness in serving the Lord arises from a shallow and emotional puddle of affection. Many times an outward show of love and worship is motivated by a desire to impress other "spiritual" folk so we fit in and get a pat on the back for being such a Godly person. How this dissimulated love must sicken God! He "seeth not as man seeth... but... looketh on the heart," (I Sam. 16:7), beholding the deceit and wickedness therein. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." (Jer. 17:9-10) A question is asked, "Who can know it?" God certainly does, and He recompenses every man! We ought not let this wicked heart deceive us into thinking we're in good standing with God when we don't obey His Word. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:22)

Love is Submitted

James 4:6-10 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Pride keeps us from being near the Lord. God resists the proud. "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished." (Prov. 16:5) Do you realize that God abominates pride in our hearts just as much as He abominates idolatry and sodomy? Luke 16:15 tell us, "And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." Pride is defined as "exalting self, inordinate self-esteem, conceit." God hates it in the greatest measure of hatred! When we're full of pride, we justify our wicked sin and worship self (which is idolatry), exulting in our abilities and accomplishments, the glory of which belongs to GOD ALONE! Pride prevents us from depending on Him. When we possess pride in our hearts, we stand afar from God.

God resists the proud; is it any wonder?

How can anything so wicked and deceitful as the heart be capable of loving a holy God!

The verses above tell us what we must do! "Purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

We must submit our hearts to God until there is nothing left for God to resist. Then, we are promised, "He will draw nigh to you." Then we can truly love Him with all our heart.

Psalms 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psalm 123:1-2 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Cast away your pride; God despises it. Earnestly search for Him with all your purified heart and He will be found of you. O taste and see that the Lord is good! He satisfies every longing heart!

Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Opposition to Loving God

The true spring of loyal love abides deeply not only in the heart, but in the soul, the mind, and the strength of a believer completely yielded to God in active obedience. This love is complete and full, requiring all of our spirit's capacity. This fullness of love for Christ cannot dwell in the weak and sinful flesh. Loving God has absolutely nothing to do with the old man! Loyal love is strengthened by the Spirit of God; it dwells in the inner man.

Luke 16:13 No servant 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.

Christian, we can't satisfy our flesh with the sensual things of this evil world and love God with a pure heart at the same time! There are no two fiercer enemies than the two we live with day by day. They're in constant combat with each other, but we are given the free will of choosing which one we will obey. We are so easily drawn away of our own lust and enticed. When this happens, we hold to that fleshly satisfaction, drawn farther and farther away until we despise the things of God! The one you feed and exercise the most will be the victor.

When love is not resting in the Lord, it is placed in the cruel hands of the world. To serve the flesh is naught but bondage and bitterness. Its elusive temptation and gratification will deceive us if we don't stay near the Lord. To have our spirits satisfied by our wonderful God offers glorious freedom and the sweetest, richest fellowship our souls could ever know. What a treasure to miss! We're given the choice of which we will serve; the determining factor is our measure of constant love for God.

Psalms 97:10 commands, "Ye that love the LORD, hate evil". If we say we love God, we should show it by our true and earnest attitude towards sin. Does the evil of this world against our holy God make you sick with the fullest measure of hatred in your heart, or do you enjoy it and take part in it? 1 John 2:15-17 will show you. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

Dissimulated Love

Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. 

Isaiah 29:13a Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me...

In Jeremiah chapter 42, we read of the remnant of Israel who "dwelt in the habitation of Chimham" (Jer. 41:17) while on their way to Egypt. They were driven by fear of the Chaledeans. In Mizpah, the land from which they fled, they were in the bondage of slavery, suffering hunger and the ravages of war. They longed for the safe and prosperous land of Egypt and determined to flee there.

Egypt is a picture of the world. In a spiritual application, the child of God sees those prospering in the land of Egypt, living in comfort and the satisfaction of the flesh. Mizpah, the center of God's will where the battle rages fiercely, never looked more turbulent, the conflict never appeared so distressing, the burden never felt more crushing. We are in desperate want and seem forsaken! Egypt is so appealing. We deserve respite! Fear takes control and we run out of God's good, perfect, acceptable will.

The people fleeing from Mizpah found the prophet Jeremiah who was only just delivered from prison because he trusted God (39:18). They besought Jeremiah that he would pray for them, "That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do," (v. 3).

Jeremiah said he would pray to God and boldly promised them, "And it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you."

Praise God for preachers who don't hold back on the truth! Lost, ruined sinners and complacently backslidden believers need a wake-up call from God! Jack Hyles said, "Preaching is the fire in the pulpit that melts the ice in the pews." We need faithful men devoted to seeking God with all their hearts, so earnestly seeking Him that to refuse to preach a difficult message from God would rend their very hearts in two. Satan's wicked lies are rampant and people choose to believe them. God's glorious truth and righteousness must be proclaimed!

I wonder if those hypocrites in Chimham shuddered and thought, "We're in for it now! The man of God is aflame with zeal!" What was in their hearts they craftily hid with their lying lips, just like the devil. "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)

With pious countenances, "Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God," (vv. 5-6).

This is were the dissimulation sets in, folks. The preacher says he's going to tell the whole Truth and nothing but, and everyone says amen. "You preach the Word and we'll obey it," outwardly is spoken but hidden just behind that facade is deceit. To dissimulate is to hide under a false appearance. It is hypocrisy. An outward show to conceal facts and intentions; to hide feelings under a pretense.

In ten days, God gave His word to Jeremiah. Now is the time of proving. God is His omniscience knew the path His people would take. Yet, to prove the sincerity of their love, He gave the people two choices.

Choice 1: "If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land," (vv. 10-11).

God was testing the true condition of their hearts. "Do you really, truly want My blessings and My mercy?" God is able to to exceeding abundantly above that which we ask or think. God wants to reward our love and our earnest seeking of His face! But one thing He requires: obedience. Abide in this land. Remain in the center of God's will where storms sweep just now. He will build you and plant you when the test is over; right now He prepares the soil of your heart so full of stones and deep roots of sin which hinder seeds of His Word from springing up into full fruit. (Hos. 10:12) The Lord twice commanded be not afraid. Such a comforting promise follows, "For I am with you to save you, and to deliver you".

Choice 2: "But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die," (vv. 13-16).

Like a pouting, rebellious child in need of a good spanking, they said, "NO! But we will go into the land of Egypt!" Can you imagine!? Truly, God knew how utterly wicked their hearts were. They wholly set their faces toward Egypt, the world, in their stubbornness. I Samuel 15:23 tells us that "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." God hates it!!!

It's not worth it to run from God's will. He says, "Fear not." It is a command. God cannot fail! God will deliver. Doubt and fear and dread are sins of disobedience because our terrifying disbelief says God is not omnipotent and His promises are untrue. The devil wants you to fall in defeat! He knows how weak we are when it comes to things of dread, how easy it is to fear and fret. It requires absolutely no effort. Trust takes gumption.

"God's will isn't right for me. I want to go back to the world. I don't like where God is leading me." When we quit on God, He then sends that which we fear. He sends it to punish us because of our wicked sin! Oh, if we'll just trust God, He will faithfully deliver us. He will bring triumph in every impossibility that His name might be glorified!

Yes, even yet, in His infinite mercy and grace, God extended two choices to His beloved people: obey Me or rebell. Decide to trust God whose mighty arm is all-powerful and glorious, or trust the arm of flesh which will always fail you.

Two results: destruction or deliverance.

They made their decision. They departed, they fled from God's will.

"For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more. The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day. For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it. And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you. Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn," (vv. 18-22).

They made their decision. God passed judgment, and it was indeed gravely severe. What anguish and terror surely filled the hearts of the people when they heard this fearsome admonishment from God by the lips of faithful Jeremiah. I cannot comprehend that they would still choose this path after hearing of what God would recompense unto them!

I wonder if Jeremiah felt as if he'd wasted his time, preaching to a stubborn bunch of wayward people. How many Spirit-filled messages from the man of God fall on deaf ears in our day? How many calloused hearts sit in the church pews service after service? This defeat is so grave! Consider how God wanted to bless them. Just think how the Lord must have desired their devotion and adoration so He could shower them with love in return for their trust. But no, their love was untrue. Because of their traitorous, unloyal hearts, their love towards their God was unlasting.

May we learn from this fearsome example of dissimulated love. May we take heed to the warning of the fatal end of these people.

Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation.

Everlasting Love

Love is one of the most difficult things to possess. Love is more than emotion and feelings, although tenderness and affection do indeed follow the right kind of love. However, those feelings aren't going to be constant. We aren't always going to feel like loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. There will be times when we feel nothing. There will be times when we feel like quitting! Love gives sacrificially, unceasingly no matter what we feel because love given to Christ flows, undying, from the Spirit of God in the inner man.

Praise God, though we fail time and again and live as traitors to the Savior, He is ever faithful and constant. His love never ceases; it never even fades. How precious are the words, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love"--that's an eternity! I am so glad that Jesus loves even me!!!

We "have turned every one to his own way." There is something that we all need to do: repent. Repentance is a change of mind that is so complete that it results in a change of action. God is waiting with open arms, willing to restore us to the fullness of His love if we will choose to turn from our sins, turning to Him. We, too, have two choices.