1 Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD,
“I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth,
The love of your betrothals,
Your following after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.
3 “Israel was holy to the LORD,
The first of His harvest.
All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares the LORD.’” Jeremiah 2:1-3 (NASB)
Christian, think back to those early days of your walk with the Lord. Your entire value system seemed to be turned upside-down. You loved God and your devotion to your Saviour was the most important thing in your life. Old sins had no power over you. You were full of joy and wanted only to serve the Lord Jesus with your all….
At the same time, you also discovered that your relationships changed. You could love others with a deeper and more sincere love that was active and compassionate. Would this describe your relationship with the Lord Jesus and all those around you today?
All in Christ must grow in grace. We must mature by learning more and more of God’s truth and applying it to our lives. We must serve Him in capacities that require His grace and power in order for us to do them. This builds faith and brings glory to Him. We must also endure the fires of sanctification. Some sins, which cling closely to us, are very difficult to mortify and if we were adults when God saved us, our flesh has a long history of domination in us and it can be especially hard to deny. In fact, the battle to overcome it can be quite brutal. These things can take a toll on us, but if we diligently fight the good fight then our devotion to our Lord and Saviour will not diminish or become clouded.