Today, I will talk about the most important motivation for Christians that I found in the Bible. Motivation is crucial because it determines the direction of a Christian's spiritual journey and shapes its ultimate destination. Most Christians would agree that "loving God" is Christian foundational motivation. Because Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-38, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”

The Firsthand relationship

However, the phrase “loving God” has the most complicated meaning to understand because it is a complex and multifaceted concept. So, I will let you know a practical way of how to love God. It is to develop a firsthand relationship with Him. The firsthand relationship means a direct, personal, and immediate connection or experience with God. If you love God, you should have a firsthand relationship with God, which is experiencing God's presence, guidance, and His love for you through your personal relationship, rather than relying on second-hand information or the experiences of others.

For example, I always say, “I love you, Lisa,” which means I have an intimate and immediate relationship and a direct connection with her. I can talk and listen to her personal concerns directly. I do not have to have third person to listen and communicate to her.

Three Relationship in the Story

In these passages, I can see that three people were involved in the story of the day of betrayal. There were three levels or qualities of relationship between Jesus and the three disciples.

1. The first one was John’s firsthand relationship with Jesus, which is direct and immediate communication. In verse 23, “One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him”, “he asked Jesus who is it.” It was John who was cousin of Jesus. He always maintained a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus.
2. The other one was Peter, who had a good relationship with Jesus. However, at that moment, his relationship was not firsthand yet. In verse 24, Simon Peter motioned to this disciple (John) and said, 'Ask him which one he means.' He did not maintain the firsthand relationship but waited for secondhand information from John.
3. The last is a third-party relationship, which can apply to situations where individuals interact indirectly and obtain information or connections through an intermediary. It was Judas Iscariot's relationship with Jesus. His relationship with Jesus wasn't direct; instead, his relationship with Jesus always involved money issues.

What is your quality of relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you need a third party to listen the will of God?

Temptation

The secondhand and third-party relationships seemed acceptable, but there is one possible problem. They had disadvantages that made them vulnerable to temptation. In verse 38, Jesus said to Peter, “I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” Both Peter and Judas were tempted, but the worst scenario was not Peter's case; it was Judas's case. In verse 27 “As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.”

What does it mean? Did Satan possess Judas to betray? It doesn't mean demon possession. Instead, it signifies that Satan’s influence was pushing his thoughts into action. When Judas heard Jesus's voice touching his conscience, prompting him to repent, he chose to listen to his own thoughts and decided to follow the dictates of his wickedness.

Inner Characters

Apostle Paul identified that human being has three inner characters that work together to motivate us to find the right way in Romans 2:15.

1. The first is the heart. It was mentioned over 800 times in the Bible but never refers to our literal physical part. The heart is considered the center of our being. It controls one’s own will and intention and is the place that only God can search through his spirit (Romans 8:27).
2. The second one is our conscience. It is God-given capacity as our inner character to know right from wrong, and its function is like our spiritual warning horn to warn the Christian heart that what is wrong or right things to do. Paul said in Acts 23:1, he was serving God through all good conscience of him.
3. The last one is our own thoughts, the ability to emphasize personal opinions and feelings, guiding us to make choices based on our own preferences.

It seems like we have a courtroom in our inner being.

1. The heart is a judge listening and collecting a piece of information, examining it, and declaring a final decision.
2. The conscience is like a lawyer to defend a person with a positive attitude to protect our lives.
3. The thought plays an essential role as a prosecutor part to accuse an individual’s action according to the law. It is our court system that God put in us to protect and manage our lives from evil.

In Romans 7:21-23, Paul seriously mentions that our conscience and thought are constantly fighting in us. “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me”.

In the theological concept, the Christian heart is considered the center of our life and being. No one can control it without your permission. Even Satan cannot enter your heart to control it unless you accept the temptation and take action. When Satan attempts to tempt you, he may try to confuse your emotions and feelings. He may attempt to scare you into succumbing to temptation, but he does not have the authority to forcefully possess your heart.

Proverbs 4:23 says that our heart is the wellspring of life. Therefore, we should diligently guard our hearts because the Christian heart is the center of our lives and is constantly under attack by temptation.

Example of Temptation

When Lisa and I went to the Hill nature preserve in Boyne City to walk, I saw a big black dog rushing towards us with a wide-open mouth and barking to scare us. The dog suddenly stopped a few steps away from us and did that action again and again. At that moment, I stop there and lean my body posture forward and stare at him. I tried to stay calm and show my confidence to the dog when he wanted to scare me to run away. In the same way, Satan seems like a mad dog to scare us to do what he wants us to do. If we remain calm and not be scared, they will realize that there is nothing they can do, and they leave us.

Conclusion

Judas began his ministry with Jesus with a dedicated heart to cultivate to grow deepening intimate relationship with God. One day, he chose to allow Satan’s temptation to win in his inner court and decided to follow the evil path. When Judas' motivation shifted from building a firsthand relationship with God to pursuing money and power, it ultimately led him to his eternal destination as a betrayer of Jesus.

Having the right motivation helps us find the right choice, it directs us to the eternal destination. Matthew 6:21 says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This passage emphasizes the connection between one's motivations (treasures) and the direction of the heart, suggesting that what we value most deeply influences our choices and actions.

@ 03.10.24 Pastor Cloud Poy

@ Photo on Unsplash의Nik