Walk in Love

Ephesians 5:2- "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma."

In the Bible a person's lifestyle is frequently referred to as their "walk." Here we are told to "walk in love." Jesus' love for us is given as the example for how we are to love. In John 15:12 Jesus told His disciples: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." Notice that we are to love as He has loved us. In this blog I would like to share a few things the word of God says about expressing God's love to those around us.

Matthew 22:37- 40- "Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love you neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.' "

Jesus had been asked which of God's commandments was the greatest, and this was His answer: love God and love people. While studying to write this blog, I kept thinking of the last sentence in this passage: "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Everything God commands will be fulfilled when we truly love Him and love people. This truth is taught again in Romans 13:8-10, which says, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, all are summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.' " In John 14:23 Jesus said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word..." These statements all make it clear that our love for God causes us to be obedient to Him.

Now I would like to mention five characteristics of love:

(1)-Love for God cannot be separated from love for people:
1John 4:20-"If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?"
This statement couldn't be clearer: it is impossible for a person to love God without also loving people. A person who truly loves people is most likely someone who loves God as well.

(2)-Love is to be demonstrated:
1John 3:18- "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth."
This statement makes it clear that true love is to be expressed by our actions. Inward qualities (such as love) produce corresponding actions. If you truly love someone that love can be seen.

(3)-Love is sacrificial:
Romans 5:8- "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
1John 3:16- "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
Jesus demonstrated His love by laying down His life as a sacrifice for a human race that had turned it's back on God. the love of God is a sacrificial love that compels us to go to great lengths to see others restored to God and brought close to Him. This sacrificial love does not cause us to ask what we can get, but what we can give.

(4)-Love keeps us from focusing on others' faults:
1Peter 4:8- "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for, 'Love will cover a multitude of sins.' "
Loving someone does not mean saying it's okay for them to sin, but when you love someone your focus is not on their faults. When we do this we will find ourselves loving people as they are, seeing them as valuable because God loves them and they are valuable to Him even with their weaknesses. God loves even the most sinful and rebellious person on the planet, and His heart longs for them to turn fully to Him. When that kind of love is developed in us there will be no sacrifice too great if it leads people to the Lord.

(5)-Love is something Christians already have in them:
In Galatians 6:22-23 love is mentioned as one of the fruits of the Spirit, which is the result of the indwelling Holy Spirit's work in believers. If you have truly been born again, this love is already in you and the Holy Spirit is working to develop it in you. I believe that as you remind yourself of this and ask for His help, the Lord will help you to walk in His love in an even greater way and you will be a revelation of God's love to those around you.