Week 6
Love Ethics Cell – Week 6
Significance in the Human Heart
Review of last week: From Immature Love to Mature Love
Last week we talked about GROWING UP!
Recall:
-
Immature SPARK Mature FIRE Takes love. Gives love. Unearned, free, easy Unearned/ difficult Unrealistic love Realistic love Stops feeling like love Sustainable – I have decided that this love relationship will work SIGNIFICANCE IN THE HUMAN HEART
- Love operates by clearly – defined principles that God has established as foundations in love.
- The most foundational of all is the Principle of Significance.
1Corinthians 13:2
If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
He is not saying that he is morally nothing Paul is saying that he is literally useless.
- God is love – the fabric of the universe is bound to this principle of love.
- It defines your humanity.
The Preeminence of love…
To love is not merely a command.
God himself is Love.
Love is the fabric of the Universe.
Love defines our humanity.
Love defines your life.
Key Points to keep in mind:
- The Primacy of love: “All that matters is faith working through love…”
Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
- Justification and Sanctification (ability of faith working through love): Christianity 101 and Advanced Christianity
- Evangelism and Discipleship
- Significance is highly significant to Free Will Beings.
- These are choices and not random.
- God says: “Significance is what others grant you.”
- You feel significant (i.e., loved) by loving like God loves.
- Through your provision and (emotional) zeal.
- This love is victorious. – The winners
- Satan: significance is what you deserve.
- It necessitates demanding or stealing “worship.”
- You feel love in Satan’s paradigm when other capitulate.
- This twisted “love” is hateful.
- This “love” makes you a victim.
- This “love” is incompatible with free will therefore it is destined to fail.
The Difference in Significance
God’s definition:
Revelations 5:11-13 (NASB)
…and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”
Satan’s Definition:
Isaiah 14:12-14 (NASB)
“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’
The Difference in Significance
God’s View Satan’s View By Free Will By demand Outside myself Within myself – typically cosmos – go make yourself better – significance is within you By sacrificing – that is why he gave his life By stealing As Provider – I am going to take care of you As Destroyer – a path of destruction in his wake. There are two approaches to significance:
One says: “DAMN IT! Respect me!” Ok so you will give him some attention
The other says: “Here, I can help.”
Love and hate are the two most powerful forces in the universe.
This is not a trite subject. It is revolutionary.
Example of these forces at work:
1John 3:11-12 (NASB)
For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
- Cain comes in with his hatred and kills and mames, and this hate comes from a satanic force – this comes from someone who understands hate very well.
- Cain killed for no good reason – other than Abel was good.
If you go around demanding love because you deserve it – you are working in the realm of hatred by virtue.
- You will be jealous – this is how hatred works.
Polarities of Growth
Look up verses:
Romans 3:12
2Peter 1:8
2Timothy 2:21
Only two directions are possible for Christians…with polarizing effects!
The Christian with either move further into depravity. Anti-growth or “back-sliding” confirms this.
OR
The Christian will move towards redemption as evidenced by genuine growth.
Uselessness/Depravity Significance/Redemption/Growth Marked by: Marked by: Alienated relationships Resolved and rescued relationships Trail of destruction and hatred Trail of edification Withdrawal/self-focus/ “I give up” Relationally engaged Insignificant to others – people do not care if you die or not. (Bum rolling in mud hole) Significant impact on others. The question of your life: What good are you?
(and How will you go about finding significance?)
This thought of becoming “useless” is what Romans 3:12 is talking about.
Romans 3:12
“ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
- Our culture is useless.
- When God says to do the “right” thing – he means to do the significant thing. The thing that amounts to something.
2Timothy 2:21
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
- God wants us to be useful to Him.
2Peter 1:8
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Our lives will bear fruit.
Growth comes down to a matter of the heart….
The Gravity (weightiness) of Significance
Depravity or Insignificance Redemption or Significance Pride (immature love) driven by the demands of the flesh; a need to be worshiped. Humility (Mature love) engineered by the Holy Spirit; ability to bow & wash someone’s feet This is base (animalistic) & debasing (tears down both significance & humanity) Humility is Godly because that is what he is like & exulting – that is what Christ says is exulting “OLD MAN” Old Adam (crucified with Christ and rendered powerless. “New Man” New You The thing that is so significant is that the HEART is at the center of this struggle.
- Too many of us approach our sanctification mechanistically believing that if I just do the “right” things, learning the right things and poof I am mature.
What does this all mean?
Christians can either move towards uselessness (depravity) or significance (redemption).
There are two ways you can disciple:
- I have gotta grow my cell. (Note the big fat “I.”) Dictatorial rule in cell.
- “My good sister/brother, “So – N – So,” needs to build significance in his otherwise dull and useless life…” Be burdened for them – should concern.
Parents:
The issue with children is not performance oriented or how well they love others.
Are you going to raise kids to get rewards or acknowledgement for success and achievement?
Or will you raise them to build into others? To love others?
- Stuff – leads to insignificance. Depravity
- People – leads to significance. Redemption
Read Hebrews 10:24
…and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,…
How am I going to motivate my bro/sis to love and good deeds?
Homework:
Think of someone in your life who you have decided to love. Consider how “to stimulate that person to love and to good deeds.” Take time to seriously contemplate and to ask God through the Spirit’s leading how you can motivate that person towards love and good deeds – to move them from depravity towards redemption.
Read: Heart-felt Ingratitude, by Keith McCallum