Essence
The central call is for a total and exclusive love for the Lord, which goes beyond religious service and seeks a deep surrender of the heart. The Lord desires to be loved above all things, not out of obligation, but through real intimacy, as between husband and wife. Life is compared to a candle that is consumed: every moment spent away from God does not return, but what is given to the Lord remains. The invitation is to open the heart, allowing Christ not to be just a visitor, but to dwell fully in us.
The Starting Point
The ministration arises from a deep burden concerning the person of Jesus and the need to ground the life of the church in supreme love for God. The foundational text is , which calls Israel to recognize the Lord as the only God and to love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength.
Development of the Word
The Supreme Commandment and the Candle of Life
The Lord is unique and one cannot serve two masters. To love God with all the heart, soul, and strength is the greatest commandment, but many Christians violate it without realizing, living as if there were no guilt. The privilege of loving God is given to man, not to angels. God seeks to be loved by those He has redeemed, for only those who have experienced redemption understand the value of this love.
Life is compared to a candle that is consumed. The minister shares his experience in prayer, where God led him to reflect: how much of your life has been spent for God and how much for the world? The time consumed does not return, but what is dedicated to the Lord remains recorded in the book of life. The tragedy is to spend life on the world, for what is spent does not come back. The intensity with which one serves the Lord is fundamental, as exemplified in the story of George Whitefield, who preached until the end of his life, burning himself out completely for God.
The Love That Satisfies God’s Heart
The worship of angels does not satisfy the Lord; He seeks the love of the human heart, for only man can love voluntarily, with surrender and affection. The privilege of being called a child of God is exclusive to the redeemed. The love God desires is not fleeting like the mist, but fervent, matrimonial, like that of a wife for her husband. In Ezekiel 16, God makes a covenant of love, covering nakedness and making the people His own. The Lord wants to be treated as a husband, with the love of a wife, not with coldness or forgetfulness.
The greatest reason to love God is to contemplate the sacrifice of Jesus, especially in Isaiah 53. Before the suffering of the Son, all human suffering becomes small. The love Jesus seeks is the love that consoles Him, like that of the woman who anointed His feet with tears and pure nard. It was not the value of the ointment that consoled Him, but the sincere love. He who has been forgiven much, loves much. The Lord desires worship that is born of love, not of religious service or obligation.
Intimacy: The Heart Open to Christ
The Lord does not want to know man only by His omniscience, but by intimacy. In Matthew 7, many do works in Jesus’ name, but do not have a real relationship with Him. The Lord desires to enter the heart, but often finds it occupied with other things. True surrender is to open the heart so that Christ may dwell, not just visit.
The experience in Bethany illustrates this intimacy: Jesus preferred the house where He was loved to the coldness of the temple. He desires to be received as an intimate friend, as a husband, and not just as a guest. The presence of Jesus is cultivated by a surrendered heart that invites Him to dwell permanently. Service is a consequence of love, not the other way around. The Lord desires spiritual satisfaction, not just works. Love for God is supreme and must be sought above all.
The final call is to open the heart, allowing Christ to enter and make His dwelling. It is not enough to sing or serve; it is necessary to be true in love, allowing the Lord to conquer and dwell in the heart. Intimacy with God is what distinguishes the children of God from angels and all created beings.
Our Response to the Lord
The invitation is for a real and deep surrender: to open the heart, allow Christ to dwell, and cultivate daily intimacy with Him. It is not enough to serve or sing; it is necessary to truly love, with all the heart, soul, and strength, allowing the Lord to be the center of life.
To Remember
- To love God with all the heart is the greatest commandment and privilege.
- What is spent for God remains; what is spent on the world does not return.
- The Lord desires intimacy, not just service or superficial worship.