Remember Your First Love With Christ 47 [2 Tim 2: 8-13] / Anne's Faith Column

 

 

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Remember

Your First Love

With Christ 47

[2 Tim 2: 8-13]

 / Anne's Faith Column

 

 

 

/ By Priscilla

 

 

What does it mean

that Jesus Christ is in me

 and I am in Christ?

 

 

 

It implies

our determinations

to follow him

 

 

 

and even share

 in his sufferings for

him as well as

in his glory.

 

 

 

Even when Paul wa

s imprisoned and in a

difficult situation,

 

 

 

he always remembered

his first love with Christ,

so his passion for the

gospel did not fade

even for a moment.

 

 

 

I think we also need

 that kind of attitude.

 

 

 

We have lived a much

richer life compared

to the situation

of the Apostle Paul,

 

 

 

and you may think

we could enjoy infinite

freedom if we believe

in the Lord.

 

 

 

However, in reality,

there are times when we

 feel less free than before.

 

 

The reason is first,

that I don't feel free

from myself,

 

 

 

and second that I don't

feel free from others

except myself,

 

 

 

and third, that

there is no peace

in my faith

 

 

 

and I live with

anxieties and worries.

 

 

 

 

In reality, it seems that

we live with the image

of a powerless

 

 

 

Christian like a plant

in the shade.

 

 

 

Wouldn't that be the

present address

of our faith?

 

 

 

Also, the gospel has

its power to set the

oppressed free,

 

 

 

but I wonder why we

who received the

gospel can't live 

such a life.

 

 

 

Rather, we respond

with oppression

rather than freedom,

 

 

 

and with being prisioners

rather than liberation.

 

 

 

If we do not have

a spiritual eye,

 

 

 

I wonder

what difference

there is between us

and the blind.

 

 

 

If it is the current

situation of us

 

 

 

Christians that the

gospel does not

work properly for

 

 

 

those who believe

in Jesus, this is a

really serious

problem.

 

 

 

The people of the world

who do not know

the truth at all live

as if the life they

chose was happiness.

 

 

 

However, even among

the Lord's children

who have accepted

Jesus as their Savior,

 

 

there are many people

who cannot live the

true life of the gospel

 

 

because they have not

had the experience

 of being born again.

 

 

 

Also, there are

many Christians

 

 

 

who are not able to

express their feelings

properly and live

 oppressed under their 

own situation.

 

 

 

They have a lot of

activities in the church,

but still wander not

being in the Lord.

 

 

If someone spends

many days in his life

forgetting the freedom

 and joy in faith,

 

 

 

And if someone

is living a dry and empty

life without freedom

within the fence of

their faith,

 

 

 

What could be a more

miserable and tragic

life than this?

 

 

Then why does

this happen at all?

 

 

 

The cause of these

tendencies may be

that the emotion

of the crucifixion

 

 

 

and resurrection

of Jesus Christ is

fading over time,

 

 

 

and this makes the deep

memory of Jesus Christ

blurred.

 

 

 

As time goes by,

the thrill of our

first love with Jesus

may become a part

of our lives

 

 

 

and eventually

remain as a simple

memory.

 

 

 

It is very sad that

the heartbreaking

emotions

 

 

 

and the warm feelings

for Jesus are no

longer welling up.

 

 

 

As a result, while doing

the Lord's work,

 

 

 

we feel that we are

working as a burden

rather than a joy

 

 

 

and we tend to become

under a lot of pressure.

 

 

 

Therefore,

it is an urgent priority

for the religious life

to revive the passion

for the Lord.

 

 

 

If possible, we should

run back to the place

where we met the Lord

earnestly and yearn

for the opportunity

 to reunite with

the Lord

 

 

 

with a new and

longing spirit.

 

 

 

We should be aware

of this serious spiritual

condition and find a way

to stop wandering

 

 

 

in such a spiritual

stagnation and not to

lose our faith strength.

 

 

 

When we earnestly yearn

for Jesus and want to

know about him,

 

 

 

our 'egos' that control

ourselves or the desire

to unite with the world

 trends will disappear.

 

 

 

And our desire to unite

with the Lord will

spring up again,

 

 

 

and we will earnestly

long for our first love

with the Lord to be

restored.

 

 

 

But this would be

difficult without the help

  of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

That is why

- 'Apostle Paul' tells

us as follows.

 

 

 

"Therefore

I endure everything

for the sake of the elect,

 

 

 

that they too may

obtain the salvation

that is in Christ Jesus,

with eternal glory."

(2 Tim 2:10)

 

 

 

-'The elect!'-

What a touching

saying it is! 

 

 

 

Jesus who endured

all things for the elect

to accomplish the

work of salvation!

 

 

 

When we deal

with the forefathers

of the faith, we feel

a lot of love

 

 

 

and compassion

for the heirs of the

faith in Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

If we are at a

disadvantage in reality,

it is very common for us

to easily betray Jesus

 

 

 

in our hearts or easily

leave the Lord and

easily come back again.

 

 

 

However 

the faithful Lord

not only keeps his

promises in due time,

 

 

 

but also

the unchanging

Lord takes full

responsibility

for the elect.

 

 

 

Even if the chosen

people leave the Lord

and come back again,

 

 

 

if they admit their own sins

and repent completely,

he is our amazing Lord

who accepts us

without rebuking us!

 

 

 

On the contrary,

when I think of the

Lord who takes pity

on our weakness

 

 

 

and embraces

our mistakes,

we are totally

embarrassed.

 

 

 

For this, I thank

the Lord and feel that

I need to draw closer

to the Lord.

 

 

 

We also feel the need

for a time of renewed

meditation in memory

of Jesus Christ

 

 

 

and the subsequent

confession of faith,

as well as the need

for a holy devotion

 

 

 

to present ourselves

to the Lord with pure

longing and joy.

 

 

 

So what should

 we do now?

 

 

 

1) We should earnestly

seek and meet God.

 

 

 

 2) We should keep the heart

of being united with the

Lord always.

 

 

 

3) We should restore

the feeling of first love

 with the Lord again.

 

 

 

We know that

'the word of God is

living and active,

 

 

 

and sharper than

any double-edged

sword' 

 

 

 

Therefore,

it must be clearly

remembered that

 

 

 

we should never be

distracted by anything

other than the

 Word of God

 

 

 

or we should strive

not to be bound by

 circumstances.

 

 

 

So we should abide

in Christ and find freedom,

 

 

 

remembering Jesus,

who, endured all things

 for the sake of the elect.

 

 

 

Also, if we diligently

participate in his

sufferings and obey

his commands

with all our hearts,

 

 

 

we will be able to

serve and follow the

Lord with joy.

 

 

 

Prayer

 

 

 

Lord!

 

 

 

The greatest joy in my

life is to live with

Jesus Christ.

 

 

Therefore, Lord!

I earnestly pray

that you will breathe

life into my faded

heart

 

 

 

so that I may 

always be filled with

the emotion of my 

first love that I met

with you the Lord!

 

 

 

 

2009/08/17

 

 

/ By Priscilla