What’s your motivation for following Jesus?

Can we go there? 

God asked me this a few weeks ago, when I heard a teaching on Grace, and the teacher of the class made this statement and it exploded in my spirit…

“True freedom in Christ for the believer is doing whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want… only doing what God wants is not true freedom.” 

Is it really that free? 

I’ll be honest with you, this was a class on the true biblical definition of grace… and it was truly radical. It was intentionally bold, in an effort to shake some of the religious off of us… (so if that statement did to you what it did to me, which perked my ears, calm down. I’m not saying that there’s this unbalanced extreme grace way of walking out the Christian life. But this really is fully free like God meant it…)

You know that statement, that says if you really love someone you’ll set them free? And then if they return, then you’ll know they chose you because they wanted to? That’s exactly what I’m talking about here. God sent Jesus to save you, and when you believe, you are free. He will not force you into the cage. He is a gentleman. He will let you choose to return to Him. 

This revelation was so powerful.

It was so powerful it revealed a lot of religion that remained in my heart that I didn’t like seeing…

Religious doctrines of man that I had remaining inside that I didn’t realize were there. 

Doctrines that I had learned along the way that did not line up with what God’s word actually says about this. 

It was so radical that God’s love sank deeper in my soul. Heavy like cement, slowly oozing to places that hadn’t seen or felt love yet… 

It was so radical that I had to ask myself about my motivation… what motivates me? Why am I doing what I am doing? 

Do I serve Him out of obligation? 

Do I tithe out of fear of punishment if I don’t? 

Do I love Him with lip service without whole heart dedication? 

Do I go to church because I feel guilty if I don’t? 

Do I fear not being what He wants me to be, or doing what He wants me to do because of His possible disapproval? 

Do I fear that if I don’t speak the right words, act on every word that He drops in my spirit, that I will disappoint Him? 

This is not freedom. 

This is motivation by fear, and even religion… not pure God love.

I’m not proud that some of my motives were wrong. 

I’m not proud that fear was still hiding inside in my heart. 

But I’m so glad God showed me and I faced it. 

The love of God, knowing that He loved me before the foundation of the world and has a perfect plan for me and my life; as I position myself no longer in the law and the rules of the local church or denominational doctrine and what they do, but instead in that of the person of Jesus; drives my motives to be pure.

Because of His love, He will show me what to pick, and what to let go.

What to choose and what to throw out.

In all truth, it is the LOVE OF GOD that constrains us… and should motivate us.

It’s the Love of God that draws generosity out of us, it’s the Love of God that draws us to His church, to be a part of His body.

So maybe it’s just me that has had so many things jacked up, wrongly understood. 

But my God even cleans up my motives. 

All the glory and praise goes to Him.