Love
Love is the core value of Christianity.
First of all, God is love and He loves every person on this place we call earth.
“The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Second, Jesus loves God.
“On the contrary, I am going away so that the world may know that I love the Father. Just as the Father commanded Me, so I do. “Get up; let’s leave this place.”
Third, Jesus loves us.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word.”
Ephesians 5:25-26 HCSB
Fourth, we are to love God.
“He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.”
Matthew 22:37-38 HCSB
Fifth, we are to love each other.
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35 HCSB
“Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.”
Sixth, we are to love our neighbors.
“The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Seventh, we are to love our enemies.
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”
Which area have we fallen short in? God has never stopped loving the people of the earth, that includes us! There may be times when He has to discipline us to bring out a more perfect love in us, we do the same for our kids. One of the best marriage advice I have heard is: “We are called to love our spouse, neighbors, and enemies. So therefore go and love them.” The same is true in all our relationships. There ought to be no room for hate in any relationships we have.
We all grew up with the golden rule: treat (love) each other the way you want to be treated (loved). We find this expressed in Jesus' own words.
“Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them — this is the Law and the Prophets.”
But there is a platinum rule.
“And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.”
Love each other as Jesus would!
Let us lay down our lives for His work and His people.
“The Lord of Hosts says this: Make fair decisions. Show faithful love and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor, and do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.”
Zechariah 7:9-10 HCSB
“Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
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