All of God's workings by grace in our lives are to secure our hearts to Himself. God gave people the capacity to love to bind our hearts to Him, not in order that we could choose to pursue other things. God asks for our affections, He commands us to use them to serve Him, and He lovingly draws us to Himself through them.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Spiritual Mindedness
The following thoughts are inspired by John Owen, 17th century writer and teacher. "Affections" is a term that includes more than our emotions, it is that part of us which loves and chooses. In Romans 8 we are commanded to be spiritually minded. The substance of this is having spiritual affections, i.e., a heart that finds such enjoyment in the things of God that we hold on to them with deep satisfaction and joy. The great contest is between love for God versus the things of the world.
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3 comments:
I love your thought provoking posts, Mike.
It is so true that we love because He first loved us. And that love increases our capacity to love Him back with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. But also that we might love our neighbor with a love as pure and strong as His... as I love you so also you must love one another.
So is it complete to say that He generates love in us only to direct it back toward God? Wouldn't it be more complete to say so that we might love Him and others in a more Christ-like way?
Good point, Tim. One can only say so much in a brief paragraph. In emphasizing our primary love for God I was not excluding love for others.
Of course we are to love others. But that must first spring from a supreme love for God. The capacity to love was given to first of all to have a relationship to God. Jesus said that in comparison to our love for Him we must hate father, mother, brother, sister, yes, and even our own lives. Our love others flows out of and is motivated by a supreme love for God.
After thinking about your thoughtful comment, Tim, I rewrote the original post.
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