“Woe to them that are at ease in Zion , and trust in the mountains of Samaria , which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel
People who don’t love God’s elect are not saved – (I John 4:7-8) “and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.” The Lord Jesus removes this selfishness from us, because He chastises the heart and makes us see everything is vain, except Him.
We’d destroy ourselves, but He rescues by affliction, causing us to see our shame. He says, “Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself”, but this happens to us in this life (Amos 2:14). He makes everything I would be enamored by, everything that would choke out the word, to become fruitless and empty. I can’t find the peace, love, and power that I need, and when all else is gone, Jesus Christ the Comforter of my soul comes in to give me faith and life by what He did.
He takes away earthly joy, to give us joy everlasting and spiritual. He removes earthly hope, so that we can have the true hope – (II Cor 4:17-18) “For our light affliction, which is but for a momen6t, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporary; but the things which are not seen are eternal”.
Some are not chastened, and they go on in their way, but God’s people are afflicted for our good. The Lord teaches us by what we endure, so that Asaph would not have looked and worshiped God, if he had not seen the folly of his unbelief. He said, after coveting the life of the ungodly, “My flesh and my heart fails: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever” (Ps 73:26).
The flesh crowds the word and wants vengeance upon us, but the Lord Jesus makes me care for others, by pardoning my sin – “Wherefore I say unto you, Her sins, which are many, have been forgiven; for she loved much”, this is how we know, “but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (Luke 7:44-47). He gives us hearts to help the church and love people, because He gives us love for Himself in the remission of sins and acceptance in the Beloved.
The religion of Christ PRODUCES love to people, and those that don’t have it, don’t know God’s grace – “He that loves not knows not God; for God is love” (I John 4:8). The Word means nothing to us, unless we love.
