LOVE: OUR DISTINGUISHING MARK

10/03/2022

"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." (Luke 6:32) Love is the exercise of complete and accurate knowledge of a person. It is not a feeling even though it may inspire feelings and it is not a connection, even though it may also inspire same. Love is a verb based on the worth that only God prescribes. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). He ascribed worth to the world of people such that He laid the life of His Son, Jesus for them. The worth of people, irrespective of race, gender, class or whether you like them or not, is only determinable by the One who created them. Therefore, if God says to love everyone, irrespective of status, friend or foe, then there's something He knows about the worth of people that you don't and if you truly love God, you'll trust Him on this one instruction. Today's theme scripture reverberates how loving others is our distinguishing mark. Non-Christians cannot do it, no matter how much they pretend. Only the Christian is capable of determining the worth of a person and we do so through God and as a demonstration of our love for Him. 1 John 4:20 says, "If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" In addition, the Christian cannot hate anyone. Some Christians may say so but it either they don't know what hate is or they are not Christians at all. How do I know this? Romans 5:5 tells us that "...the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Saint, it the love of God is in your heart, you are incapable of hate. Finally, Jesus said "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Yes, Jesus gave us other signatures by which we will be recognized on this planet but the foremost is our love for others. We know that every person we encounter, whether they know it or not, is a representation of our Lord Jesus. And so, if you loved people based on their worth to God, imagine the extents you will go for them. So get out there today and love like you would the Lord. Shalom Faith-Filled Confession I am a transmitter of the love of God today. And as a love-child of a love-God, I go the extra mile for others irrespective of the race, gender, class or whether they like me or not, to bring the experience of God to them in any way possible. I am grateful for this because the Holy Spirit reminds me everytime I encounter people to love them irrespective of their behaviour towards me. Hallellujah!

ONE YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Isaiah 19-21; Ephesians 2