Love – 5 Elements to Truly Love others, Unconditionally, Sacrificially, Consistently.
No, not always perfectly, but a new direction...of the way you think, the choices you make in living your life towards others, living out the “Christian” Life!
1.NEW BIRTH – Is necessary, imperative in order to supernaturally love. “ … Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” -{John 3;2-5}. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time “- {1 Peter 1:3-5.} “…Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God.”– {1 Peter 1:23}. The NEW BIRTH is a new spiritual life, initiated by God, through the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, By His Spirit, through the Word of God!
2. NEW POWER – It takes more than human sinful effort to truly LOVE Scripturally. It takes Divine Power – “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence”- {2 Pet 1:3}. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live the Christian life. {Read Rom 15:13}. He is “…the Spirit of Power.” “It is the Spirit who gives life…”-{John 6:63} Paul prayed for the believers, “I pray that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being…“-{Eph 3:16}. Note this strengthening comes through the Holy Spirit, and with…Power…for you, for ALL believers! Power to live, power to live lovingly.Strengthened with Power by The Holy Spirit to love!
Power to Deny, and Prefer- “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus”- {Phil 2:3-5}. Denying yourself in order to prefer others, and note it begins with the mind, the thought life informing and influencing the choices to love! The “mind of Christ”as seen in this passage is where He DENIED Himself, voluntarily lovingly laying down His life on the cross, in order to PREFER others for their highest good! You have the Power to DENY and PREFER others. And so as you “renew” your mind, learning to think from the Scriptures, knowing He has told us to live as such you have Divine Power to empower you otherwise to tell you to live this way without the Gift of his Power by His Spirit as revealed in His Word, would be to mock you, frustrate you. Indeed it would be cruel. But,”God has given you EVERYTHING pertaining to Life and Godliness…” “God is at work IN you both to desire and DO, for His good pleasure.”- {Phil 2:13.} “I can Do ALL things through Christ who Empowers me”- {Phil 4:13}. You have Divine Power, Choose to Continually DENY yourself and PREFER others, for Jesus Sake! Love is not based on “feelings” but a choice of the will!
3. NEW MOTIVE – “…ourselves your servants For Jesus Sake”- {2 Cor 4:5}. This new motive of Love is the supreme motive. If you seek to “love” so others may think highly of you, or ‘love’ you back, then it is hay, wood ad stubble and will not pass the test of good works which God rewards. Also if you do it for selfish gain, when you are not loved back you will be temped to be resentful, bitter, but the problem is your or my motive is wrong. The Motive to Love others must be higher, holy, for Jesus sake ultimately. and for His Glory. His NAME. His Fame. “Let all you do, do for the glory of God” – 1 Cor 10;31, Note whose Glory we are to do all for. Not mine, not yours but the Glory of God. We love that God might be glorified! Jesus said,”Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. “- {Matt 5;16.}
4. NEW PATTERN– “ Let all be done in love”- {1 Cor 16:14;} “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”- {1 John 3:16-18}. Love is as simple as meeting a need! The man left lying in a ditch and two men, who had Scriptural knowledge chose to walk the other side of the road and left him. They had knowledge about God but did not show forth the love of God! Then a man came, the good Samaritan, he saw, he stopped, he stooped and took care of the man. He took him to safety and provided for him, and even said when he returned from his journey if the injured man needed anything he would take care of it. This is what it means to LOVE OTHERS! Love is a verb, it is an action!
5. NEW PERSON, IDENTITY/ PEOPLE/ TESTIMONY- You are part of God’s “New Creations”-{ Read 2 Cor 5:15-18.} Something there, that was never there before! It is not a new renovation, nor a new “make-over,” but A New creation! “By this all men will know you are My Disciples by Your Love for one another”-{John 13:34-35}. Love the believers; Love your enemies; Love all. Your Different…. This is what differentiates you from others. You Love people! It is said of a woman by Jesus, She LOVED much because she was forgiven much.” Indeed just as God in Christ has forgiven us so we should forgive… A NEW PERSON, WITH A NEW IDENTITY, marked by Loving other people!
As a follower of the LORD Jesus, you can love, sacrificially, unconditionally, consistently, through adopting God’s mind from the Scripture depending on the power of the Holy Spirit through denying yourself and preferring others one choice at a time, for their highest good, for Jesus sake!
As a follower of the LORD Jesus, you can ABOUND in love. Paul prayed, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment… “- {Phil 1:9}.Paul does not say, “start loving,” for they already were, but he wants them to “ABOUND STILL MORE AND MORE…” to increase in love, Overflowing like a river that overflows the banks, and cannot be contained, but rises higher and higher eventually overflows into surrounding fields. Increase more and more in living the life of Love
As a follower of the LORD Jesus, you can love, because of…
New Birth
New Power
New Motive
New Pattern
New Person
GOD KNOWS ABOUT YOUR LOVE; “For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have SHOWN YOUR LOVE TO HIM BY caring for other believers, as you still do.”-{Heb 6:10 NLT}-
This Is What Differentiates You From Others…You Love People!
Thank God for The New Birth. Meditate, Memorize These five aspects and seek to share them with someone to encourage them!