Life Marks: LOVE – A GIFT FROM GOD

During a conversation with some of the religious leaders, Jesus was asked to give his opinion about which of the commandments (and there were hundreds of them) was the greatest of all. As we saw last week, His answer was simple and straightforward, “Love God, and love people” (Mt. 22:37-40). Adding to what Jesus said, the Apostle Paul said that if you “love your neighbor as yourself,” you are fulfilling all the requirements of the Law, particularly regarding human relationships (Gal. 5:14). Just think of the impact it would make on all of our relationships if we could genuinely love one another.   

Jesus also said that LOVE would be the single character trait by which all people would be able to identify His followers (Jn. 13:34-35). We might be tempted to think that if someone attends church regularly, reads the Bible and prays diligently, gives generously, and is a walking commentary on biblical knowledge, then that person must be one of Jesus’ disciples. Sadly, many people have deceived themselves by thinking that because they excel in doing all of the above, they are genuine followers of Jesus. But the evidence of one’s relationship with Christ all hinges on LOVE, love for God, and love for people.

So let me ask, “Why did Jesus single out LOVE as the only identification mark of a Christian? There are so many other impressive qualities that Jesus could have chosen, but He chose LOVE. Why? The answer is simple – LOVE is a gift of God. The same One who loves us desires that we love others, just like He loves us. The Apostle John had this to say, 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 Jn. 4:7-8).

Notice again John’s words, “…love is from God,” and it is given to the person who is “born of God.” Jesus told a religious leader named Nicodemus that the only way to enter the Kingdom of God is to be “born again.” Being “born of God” is a supernatural work of God in which LIFE is given to anyone who recognizes their need for a Savior. Believing that Jesus died for their sins, they agree with God about their sin and ask to be forgiven. And the moment LIFE is imparted to the “repentant sinner” (just like it was to the prodigal, as we saw in blogs # 5 & 6), then the capacity to LOVE becomes immediately available. John went on to say,   

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him (1 Jn. 4:9-10).

God sent His son into the world for one specific purpose, and that was to give us LIFE. Furthermore, Jesus wanted His disciples to know the qualities of this LIFE, and so He told them that it was both “abundant” (Jn. 10:10) and “eternal” (Jn. 3:16). Without the LIFE of God living inside us, we will never have the capacity to love others. And that is why John says plainly that “love is from God,” and that’s why John took this to its logical conclusion by saying that if we don’t have LOVE, then we have never been “born of God,” and if we have never been “born of God,” then we do not have His LIFE living in us.

We should all be praise God that Jesus did not come into the world looking for obedient “rule- keepers.” Unfortunately, the same religious “rule-keepers” that were present in Jesus’ day are also present in our own day, and we have all met plenty of them. They try to find peace, joy, fulfillment, and even eternal life in religion, that is, in keeping a certain set of prescribed rules. Can you imagine that? Of course we can, because that is our natural bent too. Many want to “earn” a right standing with God, and they want to earn it the “old fashioned way,” by keeping rules. Many expect to someday stand before God so that they can let Him know what a good “rule-keeper” they have been. The problem is that they have never taken the time for some honest reflection so that they could see how far short they have fallen from keeping the greatest commandment of all, to love God and to love others. Those who are bent on “rule-keeping” simply do not know how to LOVE, because for the most part, they are consumed with judging others who do not keep the rules as they do.   

Let’s face it, Jesus did not come to help us become better “rule-keepers,” but to give us LIFE. And once His LIFE is imparted to us through His Spirit, then we have the capacity to LOVE others, and that LOVE extends even to our enemies.

I hope you will join me next week as we continue to look at this amazing virtue that we call LOVE.