It’s hard to comprehend the measure of love that motivated Jesus, the Son of God, to leave the glories of heaven, with the purpose of dying a criminal’s cruel death on a cross. Scripture says the love of Christ surpasses knowledge. But, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God wants us to know and even to comprehend this amazing love, and to be rooted and grounded in this love 1. We cannot over-emphasize the love that Jesus has for us. However, we can, and often do, misinterpret what this love looks like in action.
Our view of how Jesus’ love works is often based more on what we want, than what is revealed in the scriptures. Jesus is often perceived as “Mr. Encouragement”; always positive, always uplifting, always patting people on the back and telling them how much he loves them. But the Bible presents an extremely different view of Jesus. This is especially evident when reading the letters that Jesus writes to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2-3. Here are some of the confrontational things Jesus says to these churches: I have this against you 2; Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth 3; You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead 4; You are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked 5; If you will not wake up… I will come against you 6. And at the end of each letter, he says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, making it clear that Jesus spoke these things for the benefit of all believers. But each believer must decide if they are willing to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Even though Jesus said some confrontational things in the gospels, these letters in Revelation have a very different tone. Why is this? Some will say, that in Revelation, we are hearing from Jesus the risen King, rather than the sacrificial lamb who is presented in the gospels. But the difference in tone has more to do with the audience than it does with the speaker. In the letters in Revelation, Jesus is addressing born-again believers; they are a new creation in Christ; they have the Holy Spirit residing within them, and they have the word of God. He is addressing people that he has saved, and Jesus understands fully what he has provided for them, through the salvation he accomplished on the cross.
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God’s salvation doesn’t provide just for us to escape the punishment of sin. God’s salvation is His total provision for us to be the people He desires us to be.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:14-16 ESV).
This passage reveals important insight into God’s intentions for His people. First, how holy does God want us to be? He wants us to be holy as He is holy. Second, why does God want us to be holy? He wants us to be holy because He is holy. As our Father, He wants us, as obedient children, to be like Himself. This is the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus”, that Paul diligently pursued 7. And whatever God calls us to, He richly provides for us to be able to do.
For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:5,8 ESV)
These verses are about who we can be, not just what we can do. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will bring to us the power to be His witnesses. This means we are empowered to be the kind of person who is a testament to the greatness of Jesus Christ.
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:17-18,22 NIV)
Jesus knows what he secured for us on the cross. He knows the provision that is ours through God’s great salvation. And He expects us to grow up in our salvation.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation (1 Peter 2:2 ESV)
Jesus expects us to mature.
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (Colossians 1:28-29 ESV)
Jesus expects us to utilize what He has provided, that we might bring glory to Him and the Father.
Therefore, my beloved… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12 ESV).
This verse isn’t saying to work for your salvation. It’s addressing those who are saved, and calling us to fully utilize what’s available to us through our salvation. And we are to do this with fear and trembling, because all that is available to us in Christ, was paid for at the great expense of His death on the cross.
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:17-19 ESV)
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As stated earlier, we cannot overemphasize the love that Jesus has for us. But we can misinterpret what this love looks like in action. Some seem to think that perfect love excludes any expectation. This way of thinking is immature as well as unbiblical.
In the letters to the churches in Revelation, Jesus is very blunt and straightforward in what he has to say. He doesn’t speak to them as if they are fragile and can’t handle the truth. He clearly expresses his displeasure and his expectation for change. When he calls them to repent, it isn’t a suggestion, it’s an ultimatum, with a negative consequence if they don’t repent. He speaks this way because he knows who they are in Christ. Now, having said all that, please keep this in mind, the love of Christ is so great it’s beyond understanding.
We need to know the full truth of God’s word. We need to know who we are in Christ. And we need to draw close to Jesus, in full assurance of his amazing love, but also fully aware of his expectations. By God’s grace, and the help of the Holy Spirit, it’s possible to hold both of these truths in balance, to have a heart that rejoices in the love of Christ, even as it follows hard after all that he calls us to.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called (Ephesians 4:1 ESV).
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Footnotes:
- Ephesians 3:16-19 ESV that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
- Revelation 2:4 ESV But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
- Revelation 2:16 ESV Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
- Revelation 3:1 ESV “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
- Revelation 3:17 ESV For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
- Revelation 3:3 ESV Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
- Philippians 3:14 ESV I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
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