“FROM THE PASTOR’S HEART” January 29, 2019
Jesus Christ is the only One who has ever lived in this world that did not have a problem with showing love. Sin has caused the image of what love is to be distorted, showing and receiving love complicated, and a means of manipulating others. Love, as God intended it to be, is the greatest and most fulfilling thing people will ever experience. This is why God commanded, explained, and has provided both examples of the proper way to show love and improper ways to give and receive love through His Word. Knowing how God loves and has called His people to love Him through worship is useless knowledge until it is acted upon. This is why John wrote to encourage and remind those in the body of Christ to love one another. “ 4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it” (2 John 4-6, NKJV).
Loving ourselves and others in the same way God has loved us is the most authentic way to express worship of God no matter where we are or what activity we are engaging in at the time. The character and presence of the Lord is best shared with a world who is in complete denial of their sin through genuine Christlike love that is shared with others. This is what John meant by, “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it”. Love is shown most authentic in times of great stress, heartache, and trial.
Anyone can put on an air of love for a brief period of time when things are comfortable and easy. It is only when life is difficult and painful that the true nature of a person and how they actually feel about others and life in general is revealed. Are those around us seeing the Christ-like love that kept Jesus on the cross at Calvary? Is there forgiveness of the offenses others have done to us as God’s children? The climate and atmosphere of society today is providing a perfect arena for the children of God to proclaim the presence of God, His power to overcome in obedience, and the miraculous love of God that is impossible without dependence upon His Spirit. Let us not love with words only, but genuinely love as God has loved us by revealing to people the whole Gospel message with them: the perfection of God, sin and rebellion of mankind, the forgiveness and atonement of Christ, victory over sin and death through Jesus’ death and resurrection, His ascension into heaven, and the expectation of His return.
Praying beyond the physical: Father, channel Your love into me and through me by the power of Your Spirit using the challenges of this day. Jesus, teach me to follow Your perfect example of loving the Father and others in all I will endure this day. Spirit, help me to love as the Father and Son love by choosing to allow You place me in difficult situations. Pastor Tom
