What's Love Got to do with it?
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice. to God.”Eph 5:12
Everything!
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Love, love, love. Why are we always going on about love? Because God is and because God is love (1John 4:8). God's love is the reason Christianity exists. Romans 5:7-8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God's love is the reason Jesus came into the world. It was love that lead Him to the cross and it was love that held Him there. Love motivated everything He said and did.
The Sting of Religion
Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Jesus didn't die for us because we deserved it but because He loves us. Jesus response to all our sin was to lay down His own life and offer a free invitation to anyone to come and be set free and reconnected to God. The other day I overheard a lady saying that her friend was so religious that she didn't want to associate with her anymore. Her friend said she didn't approve of her ungodly lifestyle. She was clearly hurt by the attitude of her friend and sadly now thinks this is what Christians and Christianity is about. This does not reflect how we treat people yet it was so sad to think of all the people in London who haven't been touched by the love of Jesus but have been stung by religion. Someone once said, "If not you then who?" Who is going to bring the love of Jesus to the people around us if we don't?
What does love look like?
1 John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” The Jesus kind of love is different to worldly versions of love, the emphasis is on giving not getting. Love is about not being selfish and inward focussed but about laying down our lives for others. That sounds a bit heavy? How do we do this in our everyday lives? It's about being available to following the Holy Spirit's leading in every situation so that we can bring His love in whatever way that will be. No two situations are the same as no two people are the same and that is why love is expressed differently in different situations and to different people. The yoke of laying down our lives in love is not a heavy one if we are lead by the Spirit. We don't love because we feel like it or even because we think someone deserves it but because the Spirit of God stirs us and empowers us. If we take time to be filled with the Spirit continually then we can simply overflow.(Luke 6:27-28, 2Cor 5:14, Eph 5:18)
Encounters with God's love
The kindness of God leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4) There is a beautiful scene in Jesus of Nazareth where the woman who is the town prostitute holds the bread Jesus has multiplied in her hand and weeps. She is so deeply moved by someone actually loving her that not long after she bravely forces her way into the Pharisees house and weeps at Jesus feet, finding faith and total forgiveness for her sins. Looking at what Jesus did when He was reaching out to unbelievers, He spoke words of knowledge and prophecy and healed the sick, He didn't just go around talking about the Kingdom. He gave people a taste of the love of the Kingdom. People were touched and moved by the acts of love and compassion time and time again. We too are called not just to talk about the Kingdom but to give people the opportunity to encounter the love of God. Many are desperately searching for something to fill the gap in their lives that can only be filled with an encounter and reconnection with our God of love. “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”
1 Thess 3:12
With our love and prayers,
Pastors Phil and Caroline.
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