Love Part 4

Love

The essence of our calling is summed up in a single word: Love. In a world that has romanticized and sexualized love, the church has a beautiful opportunity to show the love of God Himself. Yet, each local church must ask, “Have we confused being ‘nice’ or ‘neighborly’ for being truly loving? Do the people of our community see us as a loving people? Are we dependent upon the Spirit to live His loving fruit through us?”

What does Love in our lives look like? What if it looked like a Starbucks coffee shop?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_dZTrjw9I

Did you see the love of Christ here?

Here are the scriptures I will be looking at for the next few blogs.

Matt. 22:34–40; Luke 6:27–36; John 13:34–35, 15:9–17; Rom. 5:5–8, 13:8–10; Gal. 5:6, 13–14, 22; Eph. 3:14–19

 

As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love. If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you. These things I command you, that you love one another. (John 15:9-17 MKJV)

Jesus revisits the new commandment and adds as My Father has loved Me. We know God’s love is “agape” or unconditional love. Jesus also reminds us that to love God is to keep His commandments. This is love through honoring God’s perfect will.

Jesus also puts the seal of His sacrificial life for you and me to ensure the depth of God’s love for us is truly laying down one’s own life for another. “No one has greater love than this,” Jesus says.

Like most Biblical writings, the point is stressed 3 times. He starts off with how His Father loves Him, so love one another.  He says it straight forward, My commandment is … and then ends with I command you, that you love one another. In Chapter 14:15 He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 MKJV) Like friendly book ends John 14:15 and 15:14 tell us to keep His commandments. Abide in His love and your joy will be full. Jesus said, “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.”

You know “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3 KJV).

When the yoke of Christ is not grievous to you, you have the love of God abiding in you….

 

In Christ,

Greg