We Don’t Just Invite Jesus into our Heart, He invites us into His

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A little girl with a joyful heart, Mackenzie, who comes to Jesus with such beautiful innocence. 



Scripture:

1John 2:3   Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. 4 Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; 5 but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: 6 whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk just as he walked.

Observation:

This section of scripture is often titled as “obedience.” While that may be the result, what’s more important is to look at the relationship that bears out this obedience. This entire passage is more about knowing Christ than anything else. If we are “in Christ” then there will be a resultant effect on our lives. It is the coming of Christ which becomes a challenge to the entire way in which we live our lives. Through his life he demonstrates what it means to reflect the image of God in this world. Christ then invites us to participate in the heart of God, becoming like him. 

Christ’s entire life is one of self-giving servanthood, which is holy love. When we come to know Christ we are driven by holy love which is seen by obedience to the very nature of God. That means that when one is entirely sanctified, or entirely filled with the presence of Christ in the Holy Spirit, we delight in doing God’s will. As I abide in the heart of Christ I have no desire but to walk the way that he walked. 

Application:

I really do like the imagery of asking Jesus into our hearts and have loved that idea since I was a little child. Just a couple of weeks ago our little Mackenzie prayed to ask Jesus into her heart. That’s a beautiful thing! At the same time, if we stay in that space, we will fail to see the bigger picture. We can see the idea that Jesus comes into our heart and changes our motivations and focus of life, but in the bigger scheme of things, Jesus invites us into his heart. Wow! That is huge and much more expansive. 

It is in participation with the heart of Jesus that we come to know God. I think that John is trying to say that if you are living in the heart of Jesus, then there is no debate over obedience to the commands. The fruit of your life will reveal where you really are living. Therefore, if you say that you know Jesus, but you do not live like you know Jesus, then you’re not telling the truth about your relationship with the Lord. When you are living in the heart of Jesus, which is pure holy love, then the outflow of your life will be holy love. When we “abide,” we remain in the heart of Jesus, not stepping out from time to time to go back to the way that things had been. If we are living in the heart of Jesus, then it’s only natural that we walk the way that he walked. 

It is this co-mingling of our heart with God’s heart that can bring about transformation. No longer do we desire the things of this world, but we hunger to know more and more of the Savior. What may appear to be self-sacrifice is love focused on the one who provides with such intimacy. We adopt a life of virtue because that is the pathway of Christ. It makes sense on the Lenten journey to willingly abstain from those things which may inhibit our full potential in Christ. Let us move beyond just inviting Christ into our hearts and accept the invitation to live in his. Only in this way will the love of God reach perfection, or its goal of filling us to overflowing with the divine nature of God. 

Prayer:

Lord, may every day of this journey draw me deeper into your holy love. Amen. 

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