You love Him

1 Peter 1:8-9

The defining standard of real Christianity

What is the defining standard of real Christianity? You love Him.

NOT. He loves you. Truth that is extraordinary that Holy God; the God of the Universe; not only takes note of who you are…He loves you. This is a constant – but it is not the standard that defines Christianity.

Standard? You love Him. There is a conscious knowledge deep within that you love Jesus Christ and love Him to the core of your being.

In new birth God does three impossible things: the first is to make a man's past as though it had never been; the second, to make a man all over again; and the third, to make a man as certain of God as God is of himself.

Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

When you love Him, it affects the way you live your life.

Illustrator/painter Gustave Dore, one of the patron saints of the DreamWorks team of Spielberg/Katzenberg/Geffen, was handed a painting of Jesus just finished by one of his students. Asked for his critique, Dore studied it, his mind searching for the right words. At last he handed it back to the student.

"If you loved him more," he said, "you would have painted him better."

When you love Him, it goes beyond what you get from Him.

My God, I love Thee; not because I hope for heaven thereby, Nor yet because who love Thee not Are lost eternally.

Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me Upon the cross embrace; For me didst bear the nails, and spear, And manifold disgrace,

And griefs and torments numberless, And sweat of agony; Yea, death itself; and all for me Who was thine enemy.

Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ, Should I not love Thee well? Not for the sake of winning heaven, Nor of escaping hell;

Not from the hope of gaining aught, Not seeking a reward; But as Thyself hast loved me, O ever-loving Lord.

So would I love Thee, dearest Lord, And in Thy praise will sing; Solely because Thou art my God, And my most loving King.

Francis Xavier, 1506–1552

When you love Him, it affects the way you let your life look.

Key verse for this: I Thessalonians 5:22. KJV – Abstain from all appearance of evil. So scrupulous in avoiding the form that you avoid even the appearance of evil in your life.

Situations that you avoid because of how it might appear.

Question of whether you look like the world. Extreme forms of dress; extreme forms of body expression. Not preaching a

message of Christian conformity; warning you to be careful not to identify with the world in your choices.

This conscious knowledge is faith knowledge…. You know it though you have not seen Him.

The essence of real Christianity

believe in Him

continuance of faith knowledge in the here and now

says that two things are continuously happening that results in a third: first: you still don’t see him—so this is a life of faith; not a life of sight.

“If He would just let me see what He is doing…” No. We don’t see Him, but we do continuously believe in Him.

Job suffers and is accused, even by his believing friends of being in sin…that’s why God will not answer him.

Job 12:4; Job 13:13-15

Essence of real Christianity occurs when I cannot explain what God is up to, yet decide to believe in Him, rather than the alternatives.

In fact, it goes deeper – the result of that belief is

rejoicing…with inexpressible and glorious joy

why…because of the next phrase: you are receiving

The goal of real Christianity

the salvation of your souls…. More than salvation in the ultimate sense.

Let’s talk about your soul.

Salvation of the mind

Salvation of the will

Salvation of the emotions