Wednesday January 31st, 2024
« And Jesus was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], this individual must deny themself [set aside selfish interests], and take up their cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] »
35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
A brother was discussing with me about how he had decided to be very committed to Kingdom work.
I knew he was just probably trying to impress me, so I set a little test to see how serious he was in his commitment to Kingdom business.
I told him the church would need his car for an outreach the next Monday.
He protested immediately, saying that he would also need it to transport himself to work.
I then told him that he had no idea what total commitment to God and His Kingdom’s business was.
It was then I pointed out to him that we had already made provision for all the vehicles we would need for the outreach.
I told him further that I had just wanted to test the genuineness of his claim of commitment to God.
In our Bible reading today, our Lord Jesus Christ based our commitment as His disciples on a great pillar called love-love for our Father in heaven and love for our neighbors.
Our commitment to love goes a long way to fulfil the eternal and universal law.
Love is however, so costly that even our Father in heaven paid a great price to demonstrate it to the whole world for the purpose of our salvation. John 3 :16 AMB says
« “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life »
In the same vein, when we are committed to loving our neighbors, many things will happen positively in our world.
Firstly, keeping the commandments of God would be very easy.
Our love for God will make us refrain from annoying Him through sin.
David wrote in Psalms 119:101
« I keep away from every evil choice so that I may keep your word »
Holiness is the price we all must pay to be a part of Kingdom of God.
Furthermore, our commitment to holiness may be very costly as we must be ready to pay the price of persecution according to 2 Timothy 3:12.
To be a disciple and a friend of Jesus for that matter demands a price, according to Mark 10:30.
Beloved, are you committed to soul-winning, giving to Kingdom projects and godliness?
I congratulate you if you are because you will not miss your reward, in the name of Jesus.
Prayer focus – Father, please help me to increase my commitment to godliness and kingdom projects, in Jesus’ name.
Author – Bishop Enoch. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
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