There Is A Connection

Men are prone to make a difference between the importance of loving and serving God, and that of acting properly toward man and duty. In much the same way the Pharisees of the first century “split hairs” between the temple and the gold of the temple, the altar, and the gift on the altar, etc..(Matt 23:16-23) We stress Godward actions over manward actions and often Godward intentions over Godward actions. Instead of realizing that there is an inseparable connection between faith and works, love and obedience, etc.. We look for divine approval at the point of mental consent BEFORE and sometimes WITHOUT the corresponding act, which grows out of it; we expect the mere INTENTION to do God’s will stands for the OBLIGATION to actually comply with it!

There is no such confusion or hair splitting from God’s point of view. He has made it clear that He will only accept a life that contains both the intention and the response. In Luke 6:46, He says, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord , and do not do the things that I say?” He does not say that this is to show MAN that he accepts Jesus as Lord, it is God’s own conclusion. Thus, saying that Jesus is Lord is not enough! Only in responding to His Lordship by obeying Him can we truly recognize Him as Lord. Or, loving God apart from strict compliance with His demands is not acceptable. As He says in 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” In the same way, when it comes to our duty toward fellow man, we cannot separate such obligation from serving God. Loving man is an expression of loving God (1 John 4:11-12, 20)

Just so, when it comes to serving God and man, there is a connection. In Matthew 24:31-46, Christ equates helping needy men with serving Him: “Verily I say to you, inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it to me.”  Friends, there is absolutely no way we can love or serve God in a way He will accept without showing it in our actions toward our fellow man—there is a connection!

Eric