Understanding the Holy Spirit

I want to say a couple of things today about our calling and objective in this life as children of God. Think about it just a little: What is it that you would like to attain to and excel in more than anything while you're in this life? Maybe bringing as many people to Christ as you possibly can? That's certainly a worthy objective. Or perhaps coming to as much miracle power and operation of spiritual gifts as you can, for the sake of the former objective. Can't say anything wrong about that one either. It could be that you would like to understand as much about God as you possibly can while you're here. Once again, that is surely a worthwhile consideration. But I've got something for you that is better than all of the above, and in fact will put you on the best track to arriving at all of the above. Let me put it like this to begin with: "[Cast] all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (I Pet. 5:7). Isn't that how we started this trek with the Lord? We were burdened down with more than we could handle, and we didn't know how to handle it; so we cast our many cares on the Lord because we believed that he cared for us. We certainly had good reason to believe he cared for us, and that he would show us that care by taking our sins and burdens away. Namely he died for us to prove that care once and for all. Not only so, but when we believed that report, and that he rose again and lives to take care of all of our cares that we can't handle; he DID take care of our cares! Once the one who really cares takes care of our cares we know from then on that he DOES really care. That is why we can continue casting our care upon him and know that he will do the same, because he never changes (Heb. 13:8). Have you noticed how many times I've used the word 'care' so far? There are two reasons for that. One is that I really like the whole 'caring' thing, and the other is that being someone who truly cares about others the way Jesus does, is the pinnacle of what we can attain unto in this life. It also happens to be the one thing that we must be if we expect to inherit eternal life. Jesus once said something pretty integral about caring for others: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets" (Mat. 7:12).

Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets, and he did it just like he said; by demonstrating the ultimate care for others. The scripture says that we too will fulfill the law and the prophets if we follow God's Spirit rather than the fleshly nature (Rom. 8:4). The scripture also states that those who DO follow after the Spirit of God are the true children of God (Rom. 8:14). The scripture also says this about being God's children and following him: "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour" (Eph. 5:1,2). This all makes perfect sense seeing that God showed the ultimate care by sending his own Son into the world to suffer and die for us, that we might have hope and life through him (Jn. 3:16). If we are keeping our hearts in a right place with God we will automatically care about the needs and burdens of others around us, and even those who aren't immediately around us. The apostle Paul once again stated that it is the fulfilling of the law to do exactly that: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2). Seeing this is such a simplistic and obvious truth and reality of the Gospel, why should I even bother to write about it? Why wouldn't I be more concerned about how to win more people to Christ, or how to excel in spiritual gifts and miracle power, or how to attain unto prolific revelation knowledge of the doctrine of Christ? Because I AM writing about those things, right now and right here! The kind of love and care that I'm talking about is what DOES win people to Christ, and it is what ALL spiritual power and gifts is leading to; and there is no knowledge BEYOND the love of God dwelling in us fully. Caring about what is going on with someone else is not something we THINK we're doing, or say we're doing; but rather it is something that we must definitively FEEL. When we feel that care we are going to do something about it. If someone is burdened down with something legitimate, they need to know and see that someone cares. There is absolutely no effect known to mankind that is more powerful and profound than knowing that someone really cares about you. Neither is there a more demoralizing and despairing effect known to man than feeling that there is NO ONE who cares. It's just that way, and it's because it is at the core of our design to care and to be cared for.

You want to know just how powerful the feeling is that there is nobody who cares? The following words are the words of Jesus in prophecy: "Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none" (Psm. 69:20). That's right, the very Son of God longed for someone human to understand and show concern for his plight, and there was no one to be found. It's a good thing he had his Father, and that he knew his care to be steadfast and sure. In fact his closest friends in the world forsook him on the night that he was taken to be falsely judged, and unjustly sentenced to a horrible crucifixion (Mat. 26:31). So what did he do about all of this? He still died for them, and us, and everyone that he couldn't procure comfort or pity from. The moral of the story so to speak is this: If we are to be one with Jesus as we are called to be, then we are going to care about the needs of others, and not just our own personal concerns; as Paul cited so well: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (I Cor. 6:17; Philip. 2:4). And while seeking to 'take the world' for Christ, let's not overlook someone who is right there by us. Somehow it often works that someone may be mindful of the needs of others except for someone who is very close to them on a regular basis. We can't truly be 'busy about the work of the Lord' if we are failing to care for the burden of someone right next to us. On the other hand, if we really want to be like Jesus, then we will have to overcome the heavy burden of being neglected in our desperate need by those who should care; and remain in a spiritual condition of being ready to feel and demonstrate his care to them when they need it. I've got news for you if you don't already know it: We are at the very end of this world, and Jesus made it very clear that only that kind of heart would get through the time to come without failing: "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mat. 24:11-13). God's love is "shed abroad in our hearts" by his Spirit when we receive it (Rom. 5:5). May we set it as our absolute objective in this life to KEEP that love shed fully abroad in our hearts till the end, regardless of what others do to us. It's certain that nothing else will save us. Amen.