1 John 4:8-12 (Amplified) tells us, "He who does not love has not become acquainted with God (does not and never did know Him) for God is love." Verse 9 says, "In this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned; in that God sent His Son, the only begotten of unique (Son), into the world so that we might live through Him." Verse 10 continues, "This love; Not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins." Verse 11 ,"Beloved, if God loved us so (very much) we also ought to love one another." Verse 12, "No man has at any time (yet) seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to it's full maturity, runs it's full course, is perfected) in us."
We talked about the love of God being the power of God. We saw in Acts 1:8 (Amplified) where we were to receive this power when the Holy Spirit came. We saw in Romans 5:5 (Amplified) where the Holy Spirit (the love of God Himself) has now been placed in us (by God's own presence) in our spirit (or heart). We have also seen in 1 John 4:8-12 (Amplified) where those who don't walk in this love, really don't know the God who saved them. We say that we do, but when one of them crosses us, we turn on them just like the world does.
When the Word says in Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) that "without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near God must (necessarily) believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (out)." If the only way to please God is by faith, then His commandment to love must be kept and you must learn to love by faith. This means that you, by faith, treat your friends, enemies, and the unsaved persons with the same God kind of love.
Even under the old covenant, this was a cardinal rule. Leviticus 19:18 (Amplified) commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. These weren't even born again men, yet they were commanded to love. It was by faith that they put their emotions under control to His commandment and walk in love. We as born again people, have been filled with His love and been renewed in our spirit by His Spirit to love as He loved.
James 3:8-11 (Amplified) says "But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison." Verse 9 goes on, "With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God's likeness." Verse 10 says, Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so." Verse 11 "Does a fountain send forth (simultaneously) from the same opening fresh water and bitter?"
Until we allow God's love to live in us by faith, we are simply baby Christians without understanding and walking in religious pride. This love of God that we are walking in, is the landmark of Christianity. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (Amplified) is the road map that leads us to Christian life.
In the King James version of the above scripture, the word "love" is translated into the word "clarity." This is a giving kind of love that does things without regard to ones self. Many times over the years, I've witnessed the carnal kind of love through born again people and it's something that is heart breaking. When you see people turn their hearts because of something that someone said, you wonder where this love has actually gone. 1 Corinthians 13:6 says "Love thinks no evil."
We as the Church, in these end times, are going to have to decide to walk in love at all costs. If someone in your family gets mad at you, you don't run away from home or disown them. Only the human kind of love would do that. So, if someone in your family of God makes you mad, then you don't disown them or run (from Church to Church) and not speak to each other anymore.
Church; we have a job to do that is going to have to be based on love. It's time for the power of God to be restored to the Children of God. I don't mean to just start another little church, but to take the church into the world where it really belongs. We have a world full of people who are almost lost in wandering from one thing to another. We're a people who are looking for direction like never before. We, as the Church, have become more of a referral station than a filling station. We've ignored the supernatural power of the love of God and begun to just refer the people elsewhere. We refer them to Alcoholic's Anonymous, to rehab, and to mental institutions for help. We need to begin looking to Jesus to set the captives free as He said He would.
The only way is to become rooted and grounded in the truth and knowledge of the love of God (and the God Himself) Who is in us. This isn't some far out expression of someone who is "far out." This is what we were created to do by our Father. This is what we were made for.
This kind of Christianity is maybe further than some people dare to go, but is nonetheless where we were called to go. Only by understanding His love and walking in His love for other, can we ever re-establish the power of God back to the Church.
Church; we are still the light on the hill and the salt of the earth. The power hasn't left us, we have left it. Return to love and loose the glory of God again.
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