What is the extent of love that God is calling us to? If we are being transformed into His nature (1 John 4), then it means embodying who He is. Consider the following verses:
We are called to love: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11).
Who is “the other”? Jesus asks in Matthew 5:46-47, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”
Loving those in our immediate family and church community is much easier than loving those outside of our circles. However, the love that God is calling us to far exceeds this type of love. In Matthew 5, Jesus begins with this statement in verse 43: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Jesus is urging us to love those who consider themselves our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. This reflects a gospel-centered mindset. Romans 5:10 tells us, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
This is the love that Jesus demonstrated, and it is the love we are called to embody so that by putting on Christ, we can win more souls for heaven (1 Corinthians 9:19).
On my last deployment with the Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief we sang the song “They’ll know we are Christians by our love”.
I’ve listened to that song everyday since then.
https://youtu.be/wo4ijOIs6as?feature=shared
“We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord. And we pray that our unity will one day be restored.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
I’ve seen first hand the fruits of our labors when we let the Holy Spirit’s love flow through us.
When people reject Christ or the Bible, I’ll try and explain to them that all we are truly trying to share and offer them is LOVE.
I also always read John 3:16 and 17 together. It because it’s very important for people to understand Jesus didn’t come to “condemn the world”.
John 3:16-17
[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
LOVING A PERFECT STRANGER
Loving a perfect stranger, praying with them cry with them. Share your heart with them. Be there to listen and let them know that they are loved. Embraced them with a hug. This May be something they may not have ever experienced before. “LOVE”
You may not speak their language. There is one universal language and that is “LOVE”
A little bit of “LOVE “can save a life. Think about that… This is something that I have experience and it has changed my life forever.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
One of the most repeated commands in the Bible is to love one another. Jesus tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). He also says “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
It’s easy to love your friends, family, people who are nice, who you like and admire. But what about the people have rejected you. How about the people who are just hard to love. Jesus says to love them too. Sometimes the most unlovable people are the ones who are hurting and need Jesus’ love the most. And by loving them when no one else does, you may change their life.
That’s the most incredible way to show your love to others is Introducing them to Jesus Christ. Jesus instructs us in Matthew 28:19-20 to share our faith with others and make them disciples. What better way to show someone love than introducing them to the God who is love..
A song by Jars Of Clay.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love..
https://youtu.be/JowmbtX-64w?si=bQhaHJ6M9Nf8-Nh2
Let’s be honest, some people can be tough to love. I think about how we look in God‘s eyes, and how He could possibly love us. I imagine that he literally sees us as children, little kids. When I come across someone who is difficult to love, I try to imagine them as a child. It’s easier for me to accept their undesirable character traits when I picture them as a child who doesn’t know any better.
I know how important it is for us as Christians to show love to people and to not be judgmental. Most of the non-Christians I meet who refuse to accept the gospel use the excuse that Christians are not nice people and are judgmental. This shows me how damaging it can be when we refuse to show love. We are in a spiritual battle against the enemy, and he is using our lack of love as a weapon in his arsenal. We have to fight back with love.