1 Corinthians 13:1-8

God actually raised up the standard when He gave us this new commandment to love. It is easier to be religious and to follow rules and regulations than to love others unconditionally. It's easier to love those who love us and have compassion to those we want to have compassion with. It's easier to say we love the Lord and do the good works we are so proud of doing than to do what He really commanded us to do (1 John 4:19-21). What if God put you in a situation where you have to love as the way He loves you? Seriously can you love like Jesus?

Can you love your enemies?
-Do good to those who hate you?
-Bless those who curse you?
-Pray for those who mistreat you?

And if someone strikes you on one cheek, would you turn the other cheek?

... Can you love like Jesus?


You see we won't be able to love unless we have the love of Christ in us. We need to receive and understand this love and it must be a reality in our lives first before we can give it to others. And the only way for us to fully understand the love of God is through the gospel.

This is why we need to go back to the very foundation of christianity. Christ crucified.


__________________




Having thousands of christian songs in my MP3player doesn't make me a christian. (Ouch)
Wearing a christian T-shirt in public doesn't make me a christian.
Wearing a cross on my neck doesn't make me a christian.


... I'm a christian when I LOVE others unconditionally.

It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that will come out naturally from us if we genuinely accepted Christ into our hearts and sincerely repented from our sins (... by their fruit you will recognize them -Mt 7:20).

We have this already but some of us don't have the strength to carry it out. This is why we need to pray and ask God to enable us. Ask and you shall be given the Spirit that will enable you. Keep in mind that there's nothing good in you but the Spirit that lives in you will be the one leading your actions.

______________




_____________


"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God MUST also love his brother." -1 Jn 4:19-21


"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." -1 John 4:16

________

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• what
• is
• love
• jesus
• cross
• christ
• crucified
• heart
• art
• audio
• bible
• verse
• corinthians
• 13:
• 1-8
• christian
• give
• receive
• fruit
• NCDG83