Our Love of Christ: God's Righteous Requirement

"For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."(Romans 8:3-5)

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for slaughter.' (Psalm 44:22)

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, not any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39)

God's love is steadfast toward believers. Paul was persuaded: nothing would be able to separate himself (or these) from their love of God in Christ Jesus. Yet distresses, famine, peril or sword, tribulation and persecution will come to test our love. "Who" is someone, or entity, that brings the trial. These will attempt to separate us from our love of Christ. Remember! It is our righteous requirement to walk according to, consistent with, the Spirit. We resist through faith, hope, love, patience and peace: steadfast in the faith.

Your Unbelief, from Here to There

"And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 'Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.' Then Jesus answered and said, 'O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.' And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured that very hour."

"Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?' So Jesus said to them, 'Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." 

(Matthew 17:14-21)

I think we could consider HERE our soul (the mind, will and emotions; where we make our decisions), and THERE the cross (where/how we learn to follow Him).

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (yet faithless and perverse in their ability), but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.' Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has God not made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe." 

(1 Corinthians 1:18-21)

So then, your faithlessness considers other things as it responds, rendering perverse actions contrary to Christ. We have to learn to follow Him, not the wisdom of the world.

The Prophetic Word Confirmed

“For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain."

"And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation (origin), for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:16-21)

"Then a voice came from the throne, saying, 'Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!' And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, 'Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.' And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then He said to me, 'Write: '''Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!''' And He said to me, '''These are the true sayings of God.''' And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, '''See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.''' "(Revelation 19:5-10)

Peter, and those included as "we", had the prophetic word confirmed. They saw, heard and did likewise by the wisdom of God. Those who gather to discuss Jesus Christ would do well to heed (it) as a light that shines in a dark place, UNTIL the day dawns AND the morning star rises in your heart. The prophetic word is the testimony of Jesus Christ. The true sayings of God!

Understand, Even To The End

"And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many."

"For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. For we are not writing any other thing to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will UNDERSTAND, EVEN TO THE END  (as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord."  (2 Corinthians 1:7-14)

Understand, even to the end that those who trust in themselves will find themselves burdened beyond measure, above strength. "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31) Your suffering is your trouble that comes to you as you plan lightly, according to the flesh. (2 Corinthians 1:17) Conversely, suffering with Him shows you the consolation of simplicity and godly sincerity. Peace!

Propitiate

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be THE PROPITIATION for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:7-11)

Webster's College Dictionary defines propitiate: to MAKE favorably inclined; appease, conciliate.

"No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit. And we have SEEN and TESTIFY that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." 

(1 John 4:12-16)

By His Spirit we confess that Jesus is the Son of God. Not just seeing, but testifying in deed so others may as well. Only God, through His Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, refines this confession to you.

Not Allowed To Carry Your Wares Through This Temple

"So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He WOULD NOT ALLOW anyone to carry WARES through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, 'Is it not written, '''My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'''? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' ''' And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. When the evening had come, He went out of the city." (Mark 11:15-19)

wares - merchandise, intellectual accomplishment that is salable.( 2 from WCD)

"Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. And they said to Him, 'By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do this these things?' But Jesus answered and said to them, 'I will also ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.' And they REASONED AMONG THEMSELVES (in their intellectual accomplishment?), saying, 'If we say, '''From heaven,''' He will say, '''Why then did you not believe him?''' But if we say, 'From men'---they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. So they answered and said to Jesus, 'We do not know.' And Jesus answered and said to them, ''Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’ “

(Mark 11:27-33)

These retained their wares in the presence of Jesus Christ who came "from heaven". As a result He would not answer their questions, and spoke to them in parables. (Mark 12:1)

"Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (Matthew 13:13)

Dissipation

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is DISSIPATION; but be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:15-18)

"After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For ALL THE NATIONS have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her(misplacing their affections), and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.' And I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously (sensually), in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow. Therefore her plagues will come in one day-death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire(her works destroyed), for strong is the Lord who judges her.' " (Revelation 18:1-8)

Dissipation is a wasting by misuse: drinking the wine of the wrath of fornication. Fornication could be described as misplacement of intimacy, in this context, with the ways of the world. Double-mindedness. "The wrath of man (fellowship with/in this fornication) does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:20) The righteousness of God is found in understanding what the will of the Lord is, walking so by the Spirit of Christ.