As believers, we are called to do the impossible. That is, we have been called to do that which the natural man would find terribly hard to do. Last week, we covered a very critical aspect of our identity as believers; here on earth, we are just like Christ is (1 Jhn. 4:17). This means more than the position of authority. It also means the position of our hearts. If Jesus is ever so loving, regardless of what the situation may be, then we are also endued with enough grace to be like that.
Have you ever tried to understand someone but they keep giving you reasons to not like them? Well, God wants you to know that no matter the reason, you must keep loving. Love is fundamental to the nature of a believer. More than this, it is instrumental in our expanding of the kingdom. Therefore, this is not a question as to whether we need to love or not. Remember, we were also saved by God’s display of unconditional love. As children of our Father, we must keep loving. (1 Jhn. 4:7-16)
Jesus Christ loved us despite our sins. Before we realized we needed saving, He already came to save us. He showed us the greatest love of all by laying down His life for our sins (Jhn.15: 13). He knew no sin but in order to be the perfect atonement, He became sin for our sakes (2 Cor. 5:21). After leaving His throne to carry out such humble acts, He was still utterly disrespected. Yet, we are made to understand that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:38-39).
This is a self-reflection moment where we must ask ourselves is this same love in me? Can I also love despite and regardless? The commandment Jesus gave us was not just to love one another…or else it would have been easier. Instead, He said to us to love as He has loved us: unconditionally (Jhn. 13:34). That is, regardless of what people do to you, you must love because it is a mandate from our Lord.
Reading through the scripture reveals to us how deep the love of Christ is and it helps us understand how deep our love towards one another must go. It sounds terribly impossible. However, the amazing thing about God is that He never leaves us helpless. His grace empowers us to do these things that are naturally impossible
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Cor. 12:9 NIV
If someone had told Apostle Paul just a day before His encounter with Jesus that he was going to be a powerful Christ evangelist, he probably would have yelled “impossible”. But after a sufficient dose of God’s grace, we can see the Apostle testify to the success he has become in Christ because of God’s grace (1 Cor. 15:10). This makes us understand that the grace of God is enough to turn even the most hateful person into someone so full of love, as we see in Apostle Paul. Jesus told us that our love for one another will show people that we belong to Him (Jhn. 13:35). He knew that the kind of love He was calling us to show is not found just anywhere. That is why such love can be a differentiating factor for us –something that categorizes us as His. It takes the grace of God to love just as Christ loves. God’s grace is ability to every believer. It gives us the capacity to do more.
In Matthew 5:44, Jesus told us that we may have been used to loving only those who love us but now He tells us to love even those who hate us. As much as they hate us, He tells us to love all the more. He set a standard higher than the standard natural to man. How possible is this? Scripture says all things are made possible with God, and in Him, we can key into this possibility. This is the remarkable grace of God. (Matt. 19:26)
So in the end, we can be like the Apostle Paul and confidently say that we are who we are by His grace. We can say that we are full of love –to the same degree as Christ is –by the grace of God. God showed us His love by extending His grace to us. By this same grace, we are empowered to show the same love.
Prayer: Lord I thank you for your grace available for me to love like Christ. From today, I walk in that grace, in Jesus’ name. Amen
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