Do You Think You Can Love God with All Your Heart?

Do You Think You Can Love God with All Your Heart?







Peter, the most religious and bound to the law of all the disciples kept messing up and the Lord kept loving him.






He rebuked the Lord not to go to Jerusalem and Jesus rebuked him for that.






He thought he was the greatest of all the disciples when they argued who is the greatest.






After all he was the one who walked on the water and he was the one who got the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah. Peter was sure he was the greatest of them all.






He drew his sword and almost killed the guard, but ended up cutting his ear.






He thought he loves God with all his heart, all his might and all his soul and said to Jesus “I will die for you”.






This was in a response to what Jesus had said “you will all forsake Me”.






The same night Peter denied the Lord not once; but three times and I am sure he agonized over his betrayal. Being so sure of himself and his performance, his obedience; his faithfulness, and his love to the Lord – he found himself failing to fulfill the law three times that night. Peter was crushed to realize he cannot meet the standard of the law and the first commandment.






Peter was so bound to the law of the old covenant he wanted to build three tabernacles on the mountain when he saw Jesus transfigured. One for Moses, one for Elijah and one for Jesus. The Father silenced him and rebuked him to listen to His Son.






Peter still thought the tabernacle of Moses is needed even though the glory of the ministry of death and condemnation was fading away. John the Baptist expressed it that he as the voice who represents the last prophets of the law said “I must decrease so He must increase”. But Peter thought there is still room for both Jesus and the voice of the law to be established together.






“The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)






Did you notice that there are TWO groups in this verse? One is Moses who represents the law; and the other is Jesus who represents grace and truth.






Did you realize that the word “truth” is NOT on the side of Moses, but on the side of Jesus and grace?






The law is not of faith (Gal 3:12). This means that having a relationship with God through the law of the old covenant means there is no faith. Why? Because works can never be of faith or of grace or of truth. Self effort to bear the fruits of the Spirit like Cain is self righteousness.






Thinking that our relationship with God is based and dependant on how much we love God, do for God, obey the law, and are faithful to Him – is a shaky ground.






The Lord said to me once “Elana, if you build your relationship with Me based on how uch you love Me and are faithful to Me, you are on a shaky ground. One day you’re faithful to Me and another you’re not because things happen and you get upset”






I knew He was right. I knew I would be a hypocrite to tell Him that I love Him with all my heart, might and soul. In my frustration to be obedient to the law and do everything the law demands, and be pleasing to me because my performance is right – I already knew I blow it every day and I cannot do it. (Maybe Pharisees can do it).






“Then how do I have a relationship with You, Lord?”






“Why don’t you let Me build your relationship with Me on how much I love you? That will never be shaken. My love for you is always the same and will never change based on your performance. I will love you just the same even when you fail.”






Yes! I want that kind of relationship with You, Lord. I don’t know that one. What is this? Lord, feed me with Your fruits of love.”






This is when the Lord started revealing to me that He loves me despite of who I’m not or what I cannot. “I love you because of who I am; not because of who you are.”






Another time He said to me “Elana, it;s not about who you’re not. It’s because of who I am.”






He said to me that He never said to Adam and Eve to BEAR FRUIT in the garden. He told them to EAT His fruits in the garden. All He wanted is to feed them with His fruits of Love and with His heart and love for them. “Just come and taste My love for you.” It’s like parents who are so excited with their new born child and all they do is shower love on him.






But I was taught in religion that as a follower of Jesus I need to bear fruits and the focus of my walk with God ever since I received Jesus into my heart was ‘how to bear good fruits so I can be a good example and show my love and respect to God.’






I am not saying we are not to bear good fruits. It’s the “HOW WE BEAR THESE FRUITS” that I am focusing on. I was taught ‘self effort fruits. As a new believer and a baby in the Lord all I needed was to eat His love, know His love ad His heart for me. I needed to know His acceptance, reconciliation, dedication, care, kindness, goodness and depth of His heart for me. Can a baby grow up without being shown love, eating good nutrition and experiencing daily close love?






Actually, I remember we had learned in my Psychology classes that babies who are not touched and loved either die or grow up emotionally and mentally under developed.






The Lord started showing me that before we bear any fruit we need to EAT His fruits of love first: kindness, gentleness, goodness, peace,, joy, passion etc. Then we will become what we eat.






The same way Adam and Eve became what they ate – accusers; we can become what we eat from God – lovers.






There is no way man can try and bear fruits of love by his own effort as Cain has done. God rejected him and his self effort fruits (works of his own hands). Fruits of behavior modification are rooted in SELF and have no roots. They are temporary and a result of suppressing emotions, thoughts, feelings to show ourselves approved.






We need to let God reveal His love for us first and in abundance…….. and then we will bear love.






You see, loving one another begins with letting God love you and reveal His love for you.






When the apostles said “we have come to know and believe the love God has for us” They meant it. They ate and enjoyed and experienced God’s love for them.






Good fruits do not come in a day. Even a fruit tree in the natural begins to bear fruits after several years of its growing.






Abraham and Sarah had no fruit of love. It took them 40 years from the time God said to Abraham he was right with Him to bear fruit.






Abraham who came from Babylon which is a place of Harlotry (Babylon the great harlot) though he could love God with all his heart and was about to sacrifice his own son on the alter when God told him to do so. The knife was in his hand and he was really going to sacrifice his only son for God……….. when God showed up and renewed his mind big time. “Hey Abraham, it's Me who loves you with all My heart. Sacrifices and burnt offerings I did not desire. I am the One who sacrificed My Son for you. Rest in how much I love you”. Abraham rejoiced when He saw Jesus as his sacrifice for sin.






I am sure his joy was tremendous when he not only got his beloved son back; but he realized his walk with God is not based on how much he does for God or sacrifices for Him.






Peter thought he could love God with all his heart and even die for God (Jesus I will die for you). Until he got it when Jesus told him after He had resurrected:






“Peter, do you love Me God’s love?”






“Lord, I love You human love”. And again………






“Peter, do you love Me God’s love?”






“Lord, you know; I love You human love”. And again……..






“Peter, do you love Me God’s love?” Meaning, “Do you love Me the way I love you, Peter?”






Peter was crying because he got it and realized, there is no way he could love God with all his hear, might and soul.






“Lord, I love You human love”.






It’s as if the Lord was saying to Peter: Peter, it’s not about how much you love Me. I already know you are human and will never be able to fulfill the law. I came to fulfill it for you and also show you how much I love you. It’s Me Me who loves you with all My heart. I am the One who died for you. I am the one who sacrificed My life for you. Can you rest in My finished works and let Me love you?”






It always amazes me how the Lord chose messed up Peter to be the one who would feed His sheep and take care of them.






It makes sense that John the beloved or any other will be the one to shepherd God’s flock. But the Lord chose the one who had experience in failing to fulfill the law. He even told Peter right before he was sifted “when you are converted strengthen your brothers.” Jesus made sure Peter is established on His righteousness; and not on the self righteousness of the law by man’s good performance and love for God.






Jesus qualified the most messed one who drew a sword and cut the ear of the guard a few night before. It’s as if he would use a gun today to shoot someone intending to kill.






Can you imagine having pastors who are messed up and not perfect in their performance and it’s Jesus who chose them? I can’t imagine what the others must have felt when they heard Jesus tell Peter “feed My sheep” three times. They must have thought there was a mistake. But no. No mistake.






Moses murdered, David murdered and committed adultery; Paul murdered and persecuted the believers in Jesus; Abraham lied, Jacob stole his brother’s blessings by assuming a false identity, Solomon married many wives and turned after their gods, Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and had a baby with her father in law, Rehab was a prostitute; Ruth was a gentile and rejected by the law – and the Messiah came from these three women. And on and on.






God, did You get it wrong? Is this a joke?






God never qualifies us by our performance and because of our skills, titles, credentials, status or life experiences.






He qualified the blood of Jesus only. He shed His blood (life) for our sins, took the punishment we deserved, perfected us and made us right before God. All this and much more apart from our performance and good behaviour.






2Co 3:4-6 NASB ”Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. (5) Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, (6) who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”






Let God love you and in time you will be able to bear good fruits. Be established and firmly rooted on His love for you and you will grow in faith. Why? Because faith is all about believing that God loves you.






God does not love you when you are good and then stops loving you when you fail. He is love and He loves you all the time. He even pours out abundance of grace when we fail because it’s who He is.






1Jn 4:15-19 NASB Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. (16) We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. (17) By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. (18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (19) We love, because He first loved us.






You see, God’s love will give you confidence when there is judgment. Let His love be perfected in you and you enjoy His fruits of love in abundance. All you need to do is ask Him.






Love,






Elana Polinger