Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them (1 Jn. 4:16). Likewise, whoever does not live in love, doesn’t live in God and God doesn’t live in them. Moreover, they cannot even claim to know God at all (1 Jn. 4:8).
Some of the virtues expected of us as believers include kindness, compassion, gentleness, humility, patience and forgiveness. And of all these virtues, we are encouraged to have love because it binds them all together (Col. 3:14). What this means is that we can find all of these virtues in love. Half of the challenges the church faces today can be solved by love. For better understanding, the church is the body of Christ: anyone who believes in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Many times, we raise prayer points asking God to give us more power. But what the church needs is not more power. All power had been handed over to us in Christ Jesus, since the day He rose from the dead (Matt. 16:19; 28: 18). What the church needs is more love. There is a love problem in the church today and it’s already taking a toll on us. Love binds us in unity. When we are united, our prayers would be more effective, our message would be more powerful and we would be better guarded against the enemy.
When we find it hard to love our brethren, we cannot love unbelievers and if we can’t love those we see, then we cannot possibly love God…no matter what we think.
Love for one another.
It’s so pitiful to see that these days, even believers rejoice in the downfall of other believers. They don’t mind the church being under attack provided it’s not their pastor or denomination involved. We forget so quickly that we are all members of the same body and hurt to one is hurt to all (1 Cor. 12:12-13). Jesus tells us that a key indicator to the fact that we belong to Him is our love for each other (Jn. 13:35). The only time we can confidently call ourselves Christians is when we are sure that we are showing a Christlike love to one another.
We are called to a high-standard kind of love. We are told to lay down our lives for other brethren, in the same manner Christ did, laying down His life for us (1 Jn. 3:16). This doesn’t necessarily mean that we should die for someone else –though it may be required of us to be martyrs –but we should be ready do to so if necessary. Our love should be that deep, that sincere and that active. If everyone of us had this mindset, wouldn’t we be better children of God?
The kind of love found in the early church is second to none. People were willingly selling their property and giving out all that they had just so others could benefit from it (Acts 2:44-45). There was a tight bond among the brethren. However, the letters of the apostles helps us understand that their love was still not perfect. How much more the type of love in the church today…if there’s any at all.
Love to the world.
Take note that this does not say love of the world. Rather it says to the world. The love we have must be shown to the world too. It is not reserved for people of the faith alone. There is a burden on believers to show this love to the world, because the world doesn’t have it. It is the love that Jesus showed to Zaccheus that saved him (Lk. 19:1-10). It is that same love that delivered apostle Paul (Acts 9:1-19). It is still that love that He showed to us that made us what we are today (Rom. 5:8).
Your working of miracles, zeal and even your great faith is nothing, maybe even useless without love (1 Cor. 13: 1-3). That’s how important the matter is to God. And your love should be more than words. It should be in action and in sincerity (1 Jn. 3:18). To really show that we have love, we must act on it.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 gives us a guide to what real love –the God-type of love –is. It tells us love is patient, kind, not selfseeking, not easily angered, patient, believing, trusting and rejoicing in truth. If we, as the church, live by these principles, we would live as better humans and as better children of God –since love fulfills the law. (Rom. 13:10)
Again, all our spirituality and religion becomes mere activity if we do not have love. Matter of fact, we cannot lay claim to knowing God if we do not have love. What is a church that does not know God? Something close to a body without a soul: lifeless.
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:8 ESV
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