HEART MATTERS - MOTIVE | Segun Mark Alonge Jr

God's love is universal and His thoughts are higher

CHAPTER THREE
“Then they said to one another, come let us make...” Gen 11:3
“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication...” Acts 1:14

HEART MATTERS – MOTIVE
HOW QUICKLY THE MEN reasoned with one another and decided to embark on a massive construction. How often we like to make bricks for ourselves as well.
A closer look into that verse paints a clear picture of the heart of the fallen man. They had brick for ‘stone’, and they had asphalt for mortar. This indicates a binding together of stones with mortar - stones symbolically represent resistance.
The heart of the fallen man constantly stands in resistance to the counsel of the Lord. Moses ascended to the Mount of the Lord and came back with the tablets of stone upon which the laws were inscribed. The problem was not with the written laws because we would later see in the thirty sixth chapter of the book of Ezekiel that the promise of the Lord thus states, ‘I will give you a new heart (not parched but exchanged) and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh’.
The law was to be inscribed on the heart of flesh not the stony heart.

We can consider the two closely recorded accounts of the rich young ruler and Zacchaeus (Luke 18 & 19)
The rich young ruler came to Jesus and inquired what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus knowing that he upholds the Jewish laws said unto him, ‘You know the commandments’ and he went further to state only five out of the Ten Commandments. He pointed out laws as related to his fellow man on how to morally conduct himself – and the young ruler boasted in his own strength. These things I have kept from my youth, he said. But Jesus, discerning the state of his heart said unto him, ‘you still lack one thing’ he was closely held to his riches - a binding together of stones with mortar.

The desire of the Lord is that you submit for the shattering of the tightly bounded stones. As long as you hold tightly to them, you would never come into the victory you so much desire. The law was written on the tablets of stone not to make man holy and righteous but to show man his incapability to fulfil the whole law and cry out for help. Lord, save me!
Zacchaeus on the other hand, welcomed Jesus into his household and Jesus said to him, ‘Today, salvation (the word is both used in a material, temporal sense and in a spiritual, eternal sense) has come to this house. There were no re-instatements of which laws to keep in this situation. This clearly shows that Zacchaeus was as well familiar with the laws. He was not just a tax collector but also has won a chieftaincy title in collecting tax. He was not a poor tax collector but a rich one of his kind. So, the issue of wealth appear in both cases.
Jesus clearly stated that his coming into his house signifies the coming in of salvation. And Zacchaeus was seen in an earlier verse to receive the Lord joyfully into his house. He received the sweet aroma of the gospel of the kingdom and he could not but rejoice greatly.
Simeon saw a glimpse of this soon coming of the salvation of the Lord and waited patiently for the consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25). He held the salvation of the whole world in his arms and blessed God and said:
Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
According to your word
For my eyes have seen your salvation
Which you have prepared before the face of all peoples
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles
And the glory of your people Israel
Luke 2:29-32

‘Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Look Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold’ (Luke 19:8). This scripture is often quoted when the question of restitution is being raised. It is important to note here that the requirement was not coming from the Lord. Neither is it a pre-requisite for the coming of salvation into the house of Zacchaeus. But Zacchaeus discerning the complaints of the people made a personal decision to openly declare that he is no longer bounded to his riches with the mortar made out of asphalt.
His decision was as a result of the working in by the Lord and his subsequent working out of what the Lord has done. He was already reconciled to God which indicates a peace with God but in this scenario, there is also a need for peace with men. How often we confuse this arrangement – we say, sin no more and the Lord will receive you, but Christ says, come unto me and you would receive the victory over sin. The act was clearly an act of love. He never wanted to be a stumbling block to those that would later come in to receive the salvation of the Lord.

Both men knew the Law. One claim to having kept all from his youth up, the other simply came as he is. Both men were rich. One could not part with his wealth (earthly) to receive the riches (of heaven), the other simply detached himself from earthly riches and surrendered all unto the Lord. One left sorrowfully, the other was blessed with the joy of salvation. If total restitution was the requirement for total salvation then, we could as well say that Apostle Paul was never saved for no restitution was made for the life of Stephen. The bottom line is for us to allow love lead. I can recall a case of a rich ruler in a village who has amassed great wealth by forcefully taking over lands and animals of the villagers. Upon receiving the salvation of the Lord, he went back to repay those he had forcefully taken their properties as an outward mark that he was no longer entangled by the riches of this world – that is the purpose of restitution. It is a clear indication of a change of Lordship. It is also important to note that restitution is also aimed at winning the other party to Christ. Hence, it is often done when the offender has not yet received the salvation of the Lord - so many have come to know the Lord through this act.
The disciples of Jesus were also seen in Acts 1:14 to come together in one accord. This, as well indicates a binding together of one another but not with mortar. They were bounded by love and the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy. They continued daily in prayer and supplication. The following attributes of prayer are important to note from here

° Prayer indicates absolute trust and surrender – If prayer was a room, I would say it is a place of self-less and God-all. The disciples came together and yielded themselves completely unto the Lord.

° Prayer unites – Show me a congregation of elders who are united by continual prayer and supplication with one accord and I would show you an assembly where Satan has no foothold. Little wonder why the Devil has a place among the brethren today. We granted him a foothold by giving to strife and discord among us. And it is important to note that when you give the Devil a foothold, he goes further to establish a stronghold. We were admonished by the Lord not to give him a place via creating a loophole among ourselves.

° Prayer is God-centred – The motive behind prayer is to offer service and sacrifice unto the Lord. We have often seen prayer as a time of making requests exclusively. Most times, all we needed to have done or to do is to bless him for all he has already released in Christ.

° Prayer releases divine strength – ‘My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weaknesses. Those were the words of the Lord to Apostle Paul when he sought the Lord to take away his weakness. The yielding of ourselves to the Lord in the place of prayer releases divine ‘enablement’.

(culled from the book, Gaining more Grounds by Segun M Alonge Jr with Olufemi T. Olayinka)