THE FORCE OF LOVE

THE FORCE OF LOVE 

Walking in love as believers is very key to us. It puts together all we do for and with God. Jesus in His words called it a great commandment.

Matt 22

 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

 38 This is the first and great commandment.

 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets

We can see from the above text that the law and the prophets teach that we should love the Lord and love our neighbors. John further explains this to show us that the commandment is to believe in Jesus (love the Lord) and love one another.

1 John 3

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment

The commandment is to believe in Jesus and love one another.

Having seen the importance of this love , WHAT THEN IS LOVE?

God is love (1John 4:16). We cannot understand what true love is without looking at what God did in Christ Jesus.

1 John 3

 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

The word perceive he used here is to know(to learn to know ). So how we know or understand the love of God is by looking at Christ sacrificial work . So we can say that love is that strong feeling of affection towards another which is shown in what we do for others without wanting to get anything in return. This is God’s love. It is purely based on sacrifice not selfishness. This love can be expressed to different persons in different ways. Any expression of love that is not based on this cannot be called true love.

Romans 5

 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God commended (demonstrated) His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We didn’t deserve His love. We were not His friends. Yet unconditionally, He showed us what true love is so we can do same to others. Now we know that all we do must be without selfish interest. This is the hallmark of being a believer. We have to be like our father who causes the sun to shine on the good and wicked . We are even told to love our enemies. The love of God is without DESCRIMINATION. It is purely unconditional and sacrificial.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 describes this love by giving certain attributes of love .

1 Corinthians 13

 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

 Paul in teaching spirituals begins this chapter by showing us that the abilities of the Spirit like tongues, special faith or prophecies are only useful when demonstrated in love . As Reverend Eghosa Alvin Osunde always say, the things of the spirit are better demonstrated in the hands of love and wisdom. The spirituals are given to us to benefit one another in love . Paul later went further in verse 3 to show us that generosity must be based on love not selfish reasons. So we give out of love . Any giving not done out of this love is vain no matter the magnitude of the gift even to giving your body to be burnt as we see in that verse 3. From verse 4 we see the attributes of God’s love .

Love is patient,

kind,

long suffering,

not envious,

is not easily provoked ,

 is not selfish,

 believes all things and endures all things.

All these attributes describes who our God truly is. Remember God is love and we cannot understand what love is without looking at who God is and what He did in the work of Christ. So we see what true love is. We are to work in all of these.

1John 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another

1Thesalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you

Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law

There are several admonitions to love one another just like the ones above. We are to abound in love towards every man. What we owe everyman as believers is to love. Remember what this true love is, purely unconditional and selfless as shown in our God.

You may ask, how then can one love unconditionally?

This is what been born again does to you. The moment you believe in Jesus, you receive God’s nature in the Spirit hence, you can act like Him and move like Him on earth. It is innate for us as believers to walk in true love.

Romans 5

… the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The Spirit that has been given to us is the force of God’s love in us. It is in our nature to walk in love . Let’s see

 Galatians 5

 13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

In Christ, we have liberty. We are free and we are told not to use this freedom to walk in the flesh but to walk in love serving one another. This walking in love is what is called walking in the Spirit in Verse 16. Remember, the love and nature of God is in the Spirit you have received. All we do is to make progress in that Spirit. The word walk ( Greek word peripateō ) means to make one's way, to progress in, to live, to regulate one's life or to conduct one's self. We have the Spirit (God) in us. We must in our choices and mind make progress in, live in and conduct ourselves in the Spirit. This is what separates believers in actions. It is the extent at which we have given expression to the Spirit in our conduct.

Galatians 5

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Note

 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Verse 19 to 21 of that Galatians 5 listed the works of the flesh. The flesh here speaks of that which is contrary to the Spirit of God in us. In verse 21, we see that we can not partake of the Kingdom in these actions. Those that do these things cannot inherit the kingdom. This means that we can not see the rule of the Spirit in these actions. The kingdom of God is in the reign of God through His Spirit. These actions are contrary to the produce of the Spirit. God cannot be found in them , hence a believer should not be found in them.

Then from verse 22, we see the fruit (produce ) of the Spirit.

Galatians 5

 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Kindly read the above text again. You will notice , the fruit of the Spirit is love. Joy , peace and the other attributes mentioned there can also be found in the love. You will see a similarity between these attributes and that of 1 Corinthians 13 explained earlier.

Pay attention to Verse 24, you see that they that are Christ have crucified the flesh. This means that the man in Christ Jesus has inherent in Him the ability to live above the works of the flesh. All he needs to do is live in the Spirit. It is to make progress, walk in the Spirit. Instead of being concerned with avoiding sin, while not realize NOW that God’s Spirit is in you. You have the force of love right within you so GIVE IT EXPRESSION. This is why a believer does not feel comfortable in doing any work of the flesh . It is acting opposite His nature or what James called deceiving oneself ( James 1:22-25).

Dearly beloved believer, know that you have the power to work in love. You have the power to actually have your actions in love. There is no work of the flesh that you cannot work out of. You can forgive, you can work in this unconditional love. You can go the extra mile for people. It is God’s nature in you. You are just like your Papa , Jesus Christ.

So choose now to walk in the Spirit always. Walk in love . Allow the fruit of Spirit gain expression through you . Hallelujah. Have you been blessed?

Declare these words loudly;

I am born of the Spirit

The love of God is shed in my heart

I have the Holy Ghost in me

I have the force of God’s love

I walk in love always

I do not struggle to walk in Love

It is in my DNA hence I live it out daily.

Hallelujah.

By Emeke Modesty Obiazikwor

www.emekemodesty.com

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