Crucified Hearts

Jesus is the Word of God, “made flesh to dwell among us”. Only those who love the word of God while living here, the Word who is spirit and life to us, will find happiness and eternal life in His presence above.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-5, 14

Jesus said, “Except you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have now life in you” (John 6:51-56). Then he later explained, “My words are spirit and life. The flesh profits nothing”. John 6.:63

Jesus offered Himself as the Word made flesh so that we could consume Him, be nourished by Him as the Bread of Life, be fed on His eternal life so that we might rise from the dead, from our deadness in sin and the decay of our bodies. He made this offering in His death on a cross and His resurrection from the dead. The Word of God is eternal life for those who abide in Him and He in them. “He who has the Son has life and He who does not have the Son does not have life” (1 John 5:12). Yet how many try to claim this life while ignoring the Word that give life.

Why do so many accept a nominal profession of Christ without abiding in His word? Because His Word is light and they do not want their deeds exposed.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” “
The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”Psalm 119.105, 130

But the light is hated by the nominal Christian heart, lest our pride and hypocrisy is exposed. An appearance of goodness is preferred to the goodness that comes only through the cross.

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” John 3:9-21

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:12,13

Many profess His name but have no love, no time for the Word of God in this dark world where their very lives depend on abiding in its light. Claiming to be wise, they have become fools, exchanging the glory of God, Christ Himself, for lifeless idols, having the form of godliness but denying its power, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God and the righteousness He offers in Christ alone.

Time for living is the most precious gift God has given to everyone on earth. Time. How have we spent our time? Seeking the world’s pleasure or a life of righteousness in Christ? Every moment, every thought and action, is recorded in the books of heaven under an account with our name on it. How many of us have “bankrupt” registered against our names? Hours, days, and years wasted in pursuing anything and everything except Christ and His righteousness.

Hear their judgment when He comes:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ ~ Matthew 6:21-23

It is not the hearers of God’s Word who are saved, but the doers. (Romans 2:13). Our works, what is done and what is left undone, testifies to the reality of our faith, for faith without works is dead, abiding alone. (James 2:17). These are works of faith done in love that are missing from many in the church.

Our faith and obedience in His Word will bear witness to our love for Him. Jesus commands us to be filled with His Word and says, if you love me you will keep my commandments. He is the Word of God. “In Him is life and His life is the light of humanity”. But if sin is cherished in the heart, it grows cold in the darkness, in the absence of His abiding Word of light and life.

Is it too much to say that social media, the way many use it, is nothing but a waste compared to what God has on offer in His Word? What is the chaff to the wheat? So many distractions for entertainment and “sharing”. Chasing the next “like”. So much is nothing more than vanity pages to ask if everyone thinks we are pretty enough, likable enough, normal enough, successful, admirable, lovable, religious enough, good and righteous.

How could those hours be improved for “watching” in prayer against temptation, for filling the heart with a true knowledge of God in Christ, for “eating his flesh and drinking his blood”, without which we have no life in us? We need less talk and more prayer.

How could we spend these idle hours in helping our neighbors in need? Visiting those who will never be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, TicToc, or the like?

Does our love have skin on it, a love that can touch the untouchables, a love that can be felt and held and seen with our eyes? That is who Jesus came to be for us. Love with skin on it. Who are we to our neighbors?

Look at all the hours wasted on what was once called “window shopping”, browsing the web for “deals”, for more stuff. Should we talk about addictions to fashion and food, to celebrity gossip, politics, sports, and a hundred other diversions and idolatries that keep us in the lukewarm condition of the Laodiceans? One foot in the church, one foot in the world means to be outside the kingdom of God in spirit.

Jesus has a Word to the lukewarm, a word of rebuke and warning and entreaty, a word of love and pleading.

“The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

~Revelation 3.14-22

The “gold tried in the fire” is faith, a faith in the righteousness of Christ, faith in the “word of God and the testimony of Jesus”.

“…so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” 1 Peter 1.7

The white garment to cover the shame of our nakedness, as sinners in the eyes of a holy God, is the righteousness of Christ offered to us freely by His grace. See Zechariah 3:3-5; Matthew 22:11-14.

“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Rev. 3:5

“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.” Rev. 16:15

The eye salve needed by those too blind to see their true condition is the Holy Spirit, He who is the light of the Word to our souls.

“And He [the Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”
John 16:8-10

“…a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” Eph. 1:17–18.

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderous things out of your law”. Psalm 119:18

Jesus says these are the true riches we must “buy”. But what do we have to give in exchange? We give Him ourselves, all of that we are and hope to be. Just as we are with our sin and shame. In repentance through faith He in turn gives us His perfect righteousness, freeing us from the condemnation we so justly deserve. We are to give all and take all in this reconciling act of God in Christ. The exchange is made at the foot of His cross.

Come while the call can still be heard. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” Matthew 7:24-27