Let’s Talk About Love
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 (ESV)
My mother is a pretty good example of a life laid down. I’m the youngest of her three children and the only one to spend their entire youth with her. Recently, I was quite sick, and my mom answered the phone at three in the morning and took care of me for the next three days. She’s looked after me and everything I need. All the while she never did it begrudgingly, never making me feel guilty or that I can’t come back to her again for help (and often she does more than I ask of her). Her response shows me that she enjoys providing for me more than providing for herself. This is one good example of what the Apostle Peter says.
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” 1 Peter 1:22 (NIV)
Now even though I am talking about a mother and her child, this is a great example of wholeheartedly loving someone in actions and not solely words. Peter is calling all believers to love each other with a pure heart. All believers are called to have a sincere love for people. It’s not just having fuzzy feelings, but it’s true self-sacrificial love for the benefit of others. Basically, we should abandon our own selfishness and seek the good of others. Peter says to have this love “deeply” and exhaust everything, we need to love one another. How do we do that?
In the next verse, Peter says “since you have been born again.” It is only by remembering we have been born again and having a new nature in Christ that we are able to love each other in a self-sacrificial way. In Christ all the old things have passed away and all things have become new. What are the old things? They consist of selfishness, sexual immorality, greed, wild parties, covetousness which is idolatry, lies, deceit, slander, jealousy, envy, hate, strife, selfish ambition, drunkenness, and the like (Colossians 3:5-11). These are all attributes of the old man and examples of a lifestyle controlled by a sinful nature, but a life controlled by the Holy Spirt looks very different. It’s characterized by the Fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We must take off this old man and put on the new nature because we are God’s chosen ones who are holy and beloved, putting on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. We should bear with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven us. We must also forgive. And above all, we put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:12-14).
Love is always put on the highest pedestal in the Christian life - the authentic love for the benefit of others. We should tell others the truth and act in love even if it offends our listeners. We don’t purposely try to offend, but we share the truth in love. Love just like forgiveness, is an action more than a feeling. It’s a decision to pray for your enemies, feed and provide drink for your enemies, and forgive your brother. Love is actively seeking the good of others, even if they oppose us, and even if it makes life more complicated for us. This can soften the hearts of others, and even bring them closer to Christ. This is all possible because of the work God has done in us through being born again.
Because of this great gift of God, how much more should we meet with, provide for, comfort, sacrifice, and walk in love with our brothers and sisters? Even the decisions we make should be considered in the light of, “does this help or harm the spiritual growth of others and myself?”, as well as “does this honor the Lord?” Love is what wraps everything together for the Christian. So please, let us be patient and kind with one another, and with those who don’t know the love of Christ. Let us not go back to living in the flesh by envying others or being boastful, neither let us be arrogant, rude, or insistent on our own way. Let us also not be irritable towards others or resentful toward each other, or anyone. Let’s not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoice in truth (1 Corinthians 13:6). Let us not give up on one another, enduring with patience and love for one another. Let us assume the best of others. Let us have a confident hope in God, and cheer for the truth to win out in their lives like our favorite Olympian in the race. Let us be cheerful and confident that God will do what He says, that truth and love will win out in the end, and that we will be presented guiltless and blameless on the day Christ Jesus is revealed to the World. Finally, let us, because of love, and his great love towards us, endure all things. Let us continue to walk in love when life becomes difficult, not having our hearts grow hard, but having them remain soft and grow deeper into God and His people.
I encourage you to read your Bible, meet together in fellowship, and pray. These are some spiritual practices that help us grow in our faith. We need to lift each other up while it is still today, so none of us might become discouraged and give up. Also, so that none of us might fail to receive the grace of God. The Bible is a Christian’s spiritual food, and it helps us grow in our walk. Studying the Word and more importantly living the Word, will ensure that we are grounded and steadfast in our faith through all things, by God’s grace.
Let’s Pray:
Father, we thank you for who you are. You are an awesome, Holy, righteous, just, and loving God who is worthy of all the praise. We need you more than we think we do, or know we do. Father, I pray that you would help us love self-sacrificially, laying our lives down for our friends, and having our love be in action not just in word. Father, change our hearts to love like Jesus did, even if it is painful and makes things more difficult. It is completely worth it. Change our hearts and minds, making us more like Jesus. Forgive us for our sins, Father, and help us not to fall into the temptation of loving for ourselves, but let your will be done in us and help us love each other. In Jesus Name. Amen.
About the Author
Isaiah Hill
Member of our church, faithfully serves in the River Young Adults Ministry