A Loving Example
A Loving Example
With the love in which God has loved us, this is the same love that we need to love one another. Sometimes that is easier said than done; even more so with sincerity. Perhaps it’s a good time to go back to see how God has loved us to get a basis for what He asks us to do.
He created the universe but within that universe, He created man and woman in His own image and likeness.
He sent His prophets to pave the way for the Savior, His only Son, Jesus.
Jesus became human in all of its attributes, strengths, and weaknesses.
Jesus lived 33 years and in His last 3 years, he publically gave us THE example of what was important to Him: how to live, love, and how to tackle it.
Jesus suffered greatly so that His purpose of redemption of all mankind could be accomplished.
Jesus gave His life; no one took it. Then, He rose from the dead so that He would conquer sin, death, and the grave. Satan no longer has that power.
He said He would go to heaven to be our advocate with our heavenly Father.
He sent the Holy Spirit for all mankind to empower, inspire, and to help us follow God’s plan for our lives.
He gave us His Word that we would know Him; so that we would be able to depend on His consistency, stability, and unconditional, unwavering character and grace.
In I Corinthians 13 He doesn’t just tell us what our love should look like; He is telling us what His love looks like.
Watch.
“…Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…..
…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
I Corinthian 13: 4-8, 13 NIV
I need these words. I need to know that His love is always patient and kind. Me? Always patient always kind…“not so much.” His love doesn’t envy or boast…even when we get blessings that we don’t deserve. He is not proud, He never dishonors us and is never self-seeking but in fact died for us. He is slow to anger and does not keep track of our wrongs. When we ask His forgiveness He is quick to forgive and our sins are buried in the deepest sea or thrown as far as the east is from the west. He doesn’t delight in evil but rejoices in the truth and the truth will set us free. He always protects, He always trusts the best in us, He always hopes for us and always, always perseveres.
His love: never fails.
Never.
Three things remain: faith, hope, and love.
The greatest of these is love.
Just in case we might have a world consensus that God is soft on evil, and that He “doesn’t delight in evil.” Let’s step back and take a deep breath. He sent His only begotten Son to this earth to defeat evil. He loves us so much He delivered us from evil. In the “Lords Prayer” Jesus prays “deliver us from evil…(and in some translations) for Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever and ever amen”. God addressed evil in the Garden of Eden and will continue until the final battle is fought and won. I read the end of the book…He wins and so do we!
SO it is His incredible love, His immeasurable love for us, and His unconditional consistent example of Love that we have to embrace, engage and reflect.Vines
How often we forget, God owed us nothing yet gave us everything. His grace is beyond our ability to comprehend. This is the very grace with which we need to treat others.
This brings us to us. Hmm. First Paul tells us in Romans:
“Don’t just pretend that you love others: really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always. When God’s children are in need, you be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.”
Romans 12:9-13 TLB
A second more succinct view the NIV:
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
Romans 12:9-13 NIV
We say, “but how God?” With the Holy Spirit as our source and guide, Paul says it this way:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 NIV
We are not alone on this journey. God sent His Holy Spirit to be with us, to lead, encourage, strengthen, and empower us to be a reflection of our Heavenly Father to our hurting world. God is not asking us to do anything that He wasn’t willing to do first. He is asking us to spend time with Him. Jesus did. He is asking us to know Him, for as we know Jesus we know the Father. The more we get to know Him the more we become a reflection of Him. His only two commands are to love Him with all our hearts, mind and soul and to love one another. He did it first. He showed us how. His Spirit empowers us to stand against evil, real evil, and to overcome the hatred in this world with love, and to astound this world with His grace and mercy.
So Paul longs for us to offer ourselves, strengths and weaknesses; good and bad; the parts that are whole and those fragments in our lives that are broken to God. We are to do this in an act of worship.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
Romans 12: 1-2 NIV
My prayer for all of us today is Paul’s prayer for us. Can you pray this prayer with me and see what God has for you today?
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,”
Ephesians 1:18 NIV
OR from the Message Translation:
“That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!”
Ephesians 1:18 MSG
