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Cold Hearts
Hearts That Turn Cold and the God Who Revives
Kerry Stokes
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17 English Standard Version (ESV)
John commands us not to love the world or the things of the world because if we do it means the love of the Father is not in us.
We don’t want to love the things of this world, rather we run to Jesus as our all-satisfying treasure.
Love Can Grow Cold
But what if your love for God has grown cold?
Verse 15 explains that lack of love for God is because love for the world has taken over the heart. Love for God begins to get choked out.
Remember, the love of the Father and the love of the world cannot coexist.
Verse 16 describes this “world” we are not to love. It is characterized by the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life.
In the first two of these characteristics, there is the common thirst for pleasure in something other than in God. They contain an expression of our neediness, but seek fulfillment in the world, not in God.
Both of the lusts are drives to seek fulfillment in what you do not have. The third description of boastful pride is the opposite, but just as sinful.
It is a pride in the things you do have. The world in all its cravings still boasts in its possessions.
What Do We Do About It?
So if you feel no love for God, you may well have a counterfeit form of godliness—a shell of the reality but no power of God.
What do you do? Seek Jesus through his Word and his Spirit.
Pray for new affections. What if you have some sense of assurance but your love for God has grown rock hard and icy cold?
Dissatisfaction of your cold love is often a motivation to seek God for personal revival and renewal.
Run to Jesus. The Spirit of God gives not only spiritual birth but also spiritual awakening.
The Word of God not only brings about your first love of faith, but also the revival of your faith’s first love.
Would you want to have a deeper relationship with God?
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life by receiving His Son, Jesus Christ, and have eternal life.
Say the following prayer:
“Father God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You.
I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to You. I receive Your free gift of salvation.
Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.
I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.
I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Thank You that according to your Word, I am now born again, has eternal life, and I am now Your child.
Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. I promise to study Your Word – the Bible.
Please use me for Your glory.
In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.”
If you have just put your trust in Jesus Christ, you have been born into God’s family.
As a spiritual baby, you need to grow by feeding on God’s Word – the Bible (1 Peter 2:2).
You must have a good modern translation Bible and begin prayerfully reading it. Start in the New Testament, such as the Gospel of John or Paul’s letters to the Ephesians.
Also, you need to join a Christian fellowship where the Bible is taught and where God is truly worshiped.
God bless you as you begin your new life with Him!
http://fighterverses.com/blog-post/hearts-that-turn-cold-and-the-god-who-revives/
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