Recently I have noticed some friends of mine struggle with
the tension of God’s grace and His demand for holiness in the Believer’s life. Ephesians
2:8-9 is clear when it says, “It is by grace you have been saved through faith
and not from yourselves, it is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can
boast.” Scripture is clear that God’s love is unconditional. However if that is
where we stop, concerning God’s love for us, we miss the blessing of the fact
that God’s love is also transformational.
In James 2:17 we are told that “Faith without works is dead.”
Reading Ephesians 2 and James 2 out of context could confuse some to think
these two sections of Scripture contradict each other. However, James is not
stating our salvation requires works, he is stating that works that glorify
Jesus is EVIDENCE of one’s salvation. When a Believer reflects on what Jesus
has done for them by taking our sin debt via the cross and the empty tomb, our
response should be one of awe, thankfulness, loving Jesus back maximally. Jesus
is clear that the only we can love Him back is through our obedience to Him (John
14:15). The love we give back to Jesus through our obedience is not trying to
earn salvation, but it is our ONLY way to express love back to Jesus who loves
us most.
Let’s examine John 14:15-17. Jesus said, “If you love me,
keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will
give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither
sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in
you.” I love this passage for several reasons. One, we can see all three parts
of the Trinity in this passage. Second, Jesus has given us a blueprint for
lives saturated with love, joy, and peace that happen more fully for those who
love Jesus through their obedience to His Word. And finally, we see that God
gives us the person of the Holy Spirit at the time of salvation who leads, guides,
directs, and shows us how to love Jesus as we seek Him in our daily loves. Isn’t
that remarkable? Jesus says you can’t really obey God without God (The Holy
Spirit). We can’t even love God without God
showing us how as we seek Him. It truly all begins and ends with God.
God’s love is certainly unconditional, but
it is so much more than that. His love is transformative. Believers receive His
love and the gift of salvation without any prerequisites. However, to enjoy the
abundant life Christ promises in John 10:10, we must seek Him consistently. Remember
Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek,
and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks
receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be
opened.” Those who earnestly seek Jesus will find the Holy Spirit will lavish
on them, “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control” Galatians 5:22-23.
