motives matter

It is shocking to see how man can follow Jesus without loving him.
Isn’t that what religion is all about, serving God out of duty,
giving God that what he requires, nothing more?
In Matt. 7:22 Jesus speaks about people who one day will be
saying to God, “Did we not prophesy in your name, cast out
demons, do many wonders?” The words “I never knew you”
in verse 23 are so strong. They expected God to honor their
labor that looked so right, but was actually just a falsification
of God’s work.
Someone asked me, if it is true that we don’t believe in repentance.
Of course we do. Repentance is very important in a believers
relationship with God. We not only believe in repentance, but we
also believe that our motives to repent should be right.
Often believers “repent” simply because they are tired of their sin;
because they are afraid of punishment. Man is afraid of the
inconvenient consequences of his sin.
This kind of religious repentance
is just an other offer of filthy rags. Is.64:6
God cannot be fooled with our deals.
He is interested in motives, not in our impressive vocabulary.
Does our relationship with God mean anything to us?
The value of this relationship should be the reason for our
repentance. “You desire truth to the uttermost.” Ps.51:6
Our motives matter to God.
Our love for him means something to him.
We cannot change God by anything that we think or do,
but we can influence him. In a way His life would not be the
same without our love.
In our Christian experience we have learned not to ask “why”,
but have we ever heard him ask that from us?
Why do you serve me?
Why do you pray?
Why do you live a sanctified life?
Is it because you love me?
“Why” is God’s question to us.
It leads us to check our motives.
A rich , young ruler in Matt.19 did not fail in outward obedience,
but when it came to the inner motives, his heart was reveled.
Jesus asked him, “Why do you call me good, only God is good?”
He was touching the real issue.” You have a lot of religious zeal and
credits in your life, but are you willing to recognize that I am God?”
He was not.
He went away with his hands full of well organized filthy rags.