Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God for God is love. -1 John 4:7-8 NKJV
Are you becoming a more loving person? If not, you may be missing the most important part of being a Christian, because God is love we must love abundantly too. We are to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul, because if we do not, Satan can steal our hearts away from the love of God.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him. - 1 John 2:15
John warns us not to be in love with the things of this world but love God. How much space is God occupying in your heart compared to other things?
Nothing is better for a man that he should eat and drink and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw was from the hand of God.
-Ecclesiastes 2:24.
Do a full evaluation of what you love, is it your car, your house, your boat, a particular person, your family, your garden, sports, a job, music, money, sex, or status. Remember where your treasure is, so is your heart. We live in a beautiful world, and we are to enjoy these beautiful things and enjoy our lives, but we must be careful not to let these beautiful things replace God in our lives or become our idols.
The love of God will change you...it will change your identity. We live in a world where many people are going through an identity crisis. They no longer know who they are, and it is creating a regression in our nation through division, anger, hatred, separation, tribalism, blaming, and victimization. So many people feel good and behave badly because they have not accepted the love of God in their lives. They do not know they are children of God, extravagantly and abundantly loved. Being a Child of God is the only identity that matters because every other identity will pass away.
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children of God. -1 John 3:1
God’s love is given lavishly to His children. We will never truly be able to understand the depth of God’s love, and nothing can separate us from the love of God. We are children of God not because we love Him, but because He loves us. God does not want anyone to perish eternally but desires every one of us to have a born-again experience.
By this, we know love because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay our lives down for our brothers. - 1 John 3:16
Godly love equals obedience. Love is not a feeling, it is an act of will. Love obeyed must be displayed. We are meant to be ambassadors of God. We show our love to God by our actions, practices, giving, keeping God's commandments, and loving others! You can express the love of God right where you are. It starts right within our homes, our neighborhoods, places of employment, and local churches.
For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.-1 John 5:3
Because God loves us we must love others. If you are feeling like you have been struggling with loving God or loving others lately I invite you to watch this message by Dr. Terry Swan, Cross Training, out of our God Is… series. It will transform the way you think about God’s love.
“Love is more caught than it is taught.”
- Dr. Terry Swan
I invite you to view this message from Dr Terry Swan, God Is...LOVE, in its entirety at this link: https://youtu.be/I6I9cB90Fng
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