How are we doing Loving others?

Love is what is the hallmark of the follower of Christ-

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” -{1 John 4:7-12}.  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” – {John 13:34-35} and is an evidence the life is in submission to the Holy Spirit who produces the fruit of love in a life,” But the fruit of the Spirit is love…”-{Gal 5:22}

THE LIFE OF LOVE; Read 1 Cor 13:4-8 replacing the word “love” with your name or “I”…and read out loud. Not for condemnation but self examination, and then prayer in dependence upon Him to develop and display more and more Love…for others for His honor -{2 Cor 4:5}

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!”-{1 Cor 13:4-8 NLT} .

How did you do as you read the characteristics of love and placed your name in the place of love? The TEST of Love?

A HIGHER PURSUIT; “Let love be your highest goal!”-{1 Cor 14:1 NLT} ” Earnestly Pursue Love…”  While we give ourselves to lots of PURSUITS, whether it be education seeking masters, a job, learning a trade to become the best which all take time, concentration, discipline, we must above all pursue to be those who choose love and do love others…it’s more than a “bible study” but a life laid down, by choosing to deny ourselves and instead to prefer others, seeking or demanding nothing in return, only their highest good. That is not possible apart from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to be able to live so! We then have the power to love and have His perspective as this verse says… “… Ourselves Your servants, FOR  Jesus sake.”-{Read 2 Cor 4:5}. Note the Ministry, “…Ourselves YOUR SERVANTS….” and note the Motivation, “…FOR Jesus Sake!”

Sacrificial Love is not based on feelings. The cross was an act of His will. He voluntarily laid down His life for others, for His Father’s glory. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”- {Rom 5:8}, Note He did not wait till we cleaned up our act, for we could not we were dead in our sins. We were incapable of loving or desiring Him. -{Read Eph 2:1-3}.“BUT GOD… being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”-{Eph 2:4-6}. God so loved us He sent His Son- while we were His enemies He chose to LOVE Us! Not based on anything within us that was lovable but because HE is Love and chose to set His Love upon us. And as His children we are to love others because He has FREED us to do so, ” For you were called to freedom, brethren;  only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”-{Gal 5:13}

Love is a reflection of who you belong to. Love is what people need. God has demonstrated it towards you, now you have been freed from sin as your master to choose to love others…denying yourself, choosing to prefer others “…FOR Jesus sake.”

The Test of love is living out Love’s Behavior – “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!”-{1 Cor 13:4-8 NLT}. Theses verses are more than a nice plaque on a wall. They are to be lived out daily in our choices. Defining “love” is not up to us, God has demonstrated it, has recorded it in His Word for us to know and supplied His Spirit to empower us to live this new life of demonstrating love! -{Read 2 Peter 1:3-4;Gal 2:20}. But what about how we have chosen NOT to love? There is blood=powerful, cleansing blood, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”-{1 John 1:9}. We have an Advocate with God, Jesus the Righteous. “I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”-{1 John 2:1). Confess, repent of it and begin afresh choosing to deny yourself in order to prefer others, “FOR Jesus Sake…”

The Test Of Love is Proven In Our relationships!

Memorize – 1 Cor 13:4-8 so the Holy Spirit can remind you the choices to make which Honor and display the NEW LIFE of Christ in you , in the relationships you encounter…

Meditate – upon 1 Cor 13:4-8

Live out – 1 Cor 13:4-8 “For God is at work IN You both to desire and empower you FOR His good pleasure”-{Phil 2:13 NLT}