Love

10/11/12 There is only one God approved motive that is acceptable to live the Christian life – LOVE. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” If you would pause for a moment and consider your sins you will find that they are more numerous than you can imagine. And yet our gracious Lord died on the cross and the One who knew no sin became sin so that you and I might live before Him. And His motive was love. When a person is saved (born again) God pours His love into that person and enables them to love by His Spirit. (Rom.5:5) 1 John 4:7-8 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. Love is the supreme motive because God is love. 1 John 4:8 is often misunderstood. ‘God is love’ does not mean that love is God. The original language has an article before God. Literally the text reads, “The God is love.” This means that God’s nature and character is love. Kenneth S. Wuest translates verses 7-8 this way: “Divinely-loved ones, let us be habitually loving one another, because this aforementioned love is out of God as a source; and everyone who is habitually loving, out of God has been born with the present result that he is regenerated and knows God in an experiential way. The one who is not habitually loving has not come to know God, because God as to His nature is love.” This is powerful. Not only does God love us but everyone who has been born again (regenerated) loves as God loves because the Spirit of God who inhabits you enables you to love. As Wuest puts it, love is out of God as a source. The defining character trait of every born again believer is love. That is why the Apostle Paul said that without love his words were nothing more than a clanging cymbal. And without love Paul said in effect I am nothing and I will gain nothing. (1Cor.13:1-3) Without love all your works are empty and will amount to nothing on judgment day. Without love you will not obey the Lord. Without love you will not only not be holy you will not want to be holy. You must have love, God’s love. And the only way to get that amazing love is the new birth. Have you repented of your sin and trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Can you prove it by how you love? Prayer: Father, your work of love for me and in me is amazing. Grant me opportunities to love as you love. In Jesus name, amen.