Lesson 214. Is That All?

In the previous lessons, friends, we examined six stages of faith, and through this we saw what happens to a believer on the way to God and in life with God. And as I look back on my life with Christ and recall the entire journey, I can say that those very unpleasant moments in my spiritual growth and those difficult experiences that I had to go through and endure were the greatest blessing for my soul. During that time, the Lord was removing from me all filth and all my carnal character traits, without injuring my individuality. And now, when I sense or see another trial approaching, I am not afraid to enter it, although from a human perspective I do not always want to. And every time I look to Jesus and quietly ask Him, “You will not leave me today, will You?” and immediately answer myself, “No, He will not,” remembering His promises that He will allow no one to pluck me out of His hand.

At school I was taught that if something is limited by a certain number, then upon reaching the last digit, I receive the fullness, and that is the end. But what comes next? Does this rule apply to the stages of faith? As I strive for love and exert all my effort and desire to attain, comprehend, receive, and discover it, where do I arrive? Do I reach a dead end where everything has been attained and there is nothing more for which to strive? And will there be another stage of development? After all, “Peter’s ladder” also ends with love. Is that truly all?

Such thoughts may arise when I am at an early stage and try to apply human understanding to spiritual things. But my mind is accustomed to living within a framework and defining everything by conventional boundaries. And once it has established them, it calms down and feels secure in its complete understanding of what is happening. But agape love is an exception to every rule; it is not the end of a stage of faith, but the beginning of a new and perfect life in Christ Jesus. It is precisely now that I begin to understand the meaning of life; it is precisely in love that the potential of unlimited possibilities, which I can continually realize and discover, opens before me. I begin to understand many of God’s actions that He performed in the past and that I viewed in the poor light of my perception. I am continually pursued by discoveries of the beauty and depth of God’s character, and I cannot stop in this knowledge, for there is nothing more fascinating than discovering the heart of God. And it is love that presents these discoveries in the right light.

My education did not end at the last stage of faith; it only began there. A whole ocean of new opportunities and wonderful prospects opened before me. I am comprehending this science of love, and I understand that this ocean cannot be fully comprehended or allow me to say that I have reached the limit and that there is no path beyond it.

There is also a seventh stage, but it is no longer a stage of faith; it is a personal meeting with the One Who will come for us to take us with Himself forever, for all Eternity. Then my faith in the invisible God will receive an absolute reward for all time: Eternity, with all its riches and glory, will be given to me, and love will be within it the eternal meaning of Eternal life, which will dissolve all fears and apprehensions and make eternal development possible.

My eyes will see God. The One Whom I knew by faith will be revealed to my sight, and without fear I will look upon the faces of the Father and the Son and be transformed into the same image, from glory to glory.

But for now, faith is still in effect. I have eyes of faith that see God in His word, in His promises, in my life, and in the lives of those close to me. I see this image in the faces of my believing friends and admire Christ as I observe those who are led by Him. In their words, I very often hear the voice of God, Who encourages me, comforts me, strengthens me, points out errors, reproves me, gladdens me, and does that which brings benefit and works for good.

I live by faith, and it leads me through severe trials.

Love is not the end of the war, but the beginning of the fiercest battles. For the enemy of the soul has not died, but has flown into indescribable rage, knowing that he has lost me forever and that I will lead many more people after me into Eternity and, with God’s help, tear them from the chains of delusion, unbelief, despair, and distorted stereotypes. But this war does not frighten me; I have long been in the ranks. What is frightening is not to be wounded or to fall under the burden, but to fall and not rise again, to lose God’s hand, to become conceited, and to exalt myself in my own eyes.

Love is given for this very purpose: to lead me through every trial and give me victory in everything.

And being an overcomer is love’s most beautiful advantage. When you have several million in your pocket and need to buy a small bread roll, you do not worry about whether you have enough money for it. In the same way, Love gives me enormous potential and wealth, yet at the same time makes me poor in spirit. I know that I have it, but I constantly need it; I am afraid of being left without it, although I am immersed in it over my head. It fills me within and without. But my heart is a weak, leaky vessel that God is compelled to fill continually with His oil, for if this ceases, I will simply be emptied and will be unable to satisfy this need anywhere. And I place my new heart beneath the waterfall of God’s love and allow these waters to pass through me and pour into the lives of my friends, blessing them with little streams of endless love.

The distinctive feature of Eternal love is that it places me in eternal dependence upon God, and apart from Him it cannot exist; it simply is not present where God is absent. And if God stops this river, where can I go? Who will give me this water of life? I know no one, and I simply do not have it within myself. I am wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Where will I go without Christ? What am I capable of without His love? This is where true fear and horror lie! But for some reason many choose precisely this path. Where is the logic?

A drunken person is incapable of appreciating eternal values. He does not need heavenly treasures. But I can give these people hope, and God gives the words needed for this, while each person must decide for himself.

The stage of love is the beginning of the study of the longest-lasting science, which cannot be comprehended in this life. It is for this reason that God gives me Eternal life: so that during this period I may comprehend at least a little of the depth of this quality of the soul and experience in practice its influence in the lives of my friends. And only there, after billions of trillions of years, will I suddenly understand that love is something very good and very beneficial for my soul, and that there is simply no way to do without it, and I will admit with shame to my friends that at last I truly love them, while all that time I had only been striving toward it. And after trillions of decarions of years, I will suddenly understand how far I was from that true love when I confessed it to my friends, but now I have begun to understand something better, and now I have a very wonderful opportunity to go deeper into this science and to comprehend that great and inaccessible thing which I do not know.

And I am not troubled by the fact that I still know so little about love. It has been given to me so that I may comprehend it, study it, try it, and apply it. And the Mentor given to me is not a human being, but the Lord Himself, Who will teach me everything I need to know, reveal everything I did not understand, and remind me of what I forgot or failed to take into account.

1. In the light of our lesson, please read 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Colossians 2:8, 10; Philippians 3:14–15; 2:13–15; Ephesians 4:13, 15; 3:16–21; 1 Corinthians 13:11–13; Hebrews 5:8; 1 John 3:2–3; 3:18–20; John 17:26; and Jeremiah 1:9, 11–12.

2. Did you gain anything useful for yourself from this lesson? What did you understand?

3. What do you think: is love the end of the journey or the beginning of new discoveries?

4. Will our education and spiritual growth continue after the Second Coming?

5. How do people at the sixth stage of faith differ from everyone else?

6. What does the Lord expect from those who receive God’s love?

7. Are special obligations placed upon a loving person?

8. Is it difficult to love?