Beloved, I am glad to share with you today on the next window of the temple of truth, namely universal love. This universal love is summarized in the following passage: Mat 5.43-47: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 45 so that you may be the son of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and it rains upon the just and the unjust. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward do you deserve? Do not publicans act the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing extraordinary? Do not pagans do the same? 48 So be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”
It should be noted that love of neighbor, in its fullness, has been taught only by the Savior Jesus Christ, and that it is a creation of the Gospel in Christian’s heart. This is what he says in the verses of Matthew mentioned above. He teaches us three new degrees of charity towards enemies, namely: to love them, to do them good, and to pray for them. The last is the one that we think we can do most easily, but it’s the most difficult because it’s the one we do with God. And nothing must be more sincere, nor more cordial, nor more true, than what is presented to the One who sees everything to the bottom of the heart.
That’s why this supreme motive of Christian morality, which is to be in reality sons of God, animated by his Spirit, is to look like him as a son like his father, and to imitate him in our feelings and our life. We read this in Ephesians 5.1: “Become therefore the imitators of God, as beloved children;”
And you have noticed: never does the Lord Jesus say “our Father”, including himself in this word with his disciples; but always “my Father” or “your Father”. This very significant distinction shows how much he wants his disciples to be directly related to the Father through love that exists in a family. But when he has finished fulfilling his mission after having conquered death on the morning of his resurrection, he tells Mary that he has not yet ascended to “the Father”: John 20:17 “Jesus said to him, “Do not do not touch; for I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go find my brethren, and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. As if to make it clear that they are all children of the same Father who is in heaven.
It’s this father who shines his sun on everyone without exception, because it’s his blessings in creation, even towards his enemies, that He shows and that are offered to be imitated in our turn. This so that we may know and love God as our Father. The following verses will edify you on our theme.
I. CHRISTIAN LOVE IS ORDER
- Love for all humans
-to love one’s neighbor as oneself: Lev 19.18 “Thou shalt not take vengeance, neither shall you bear any rancor against the children of thy people. You will love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. ; Mat 22.39 “And this is the second, which is like unto him, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Rom 13: 9 “For the commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, and those that may still be, may be summed up in this saying: your neighbor as yourself. ” Gal 5: 5 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value, but faith which is active through charity.” James 2.8 “If ye fulfill the law of the kingdom, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well.” Ga 6.10 “So while we have the opportunity, let us practice good to all, and especially to the brethren in faith.
- Love your enemies:
-committed in the Old Testament; Ex 33: 4-5 “When the people heard these sinister words, he was desolate, and no one put on his ornaments. 5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people; if I went up one moment in the midst of you, I would consume you. Take away your ornaments from off you, and I will see what I will do to you. ” Pro 25.21-22 “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. 22 For burning coals are on your head, and the LORD will reward you. “
– commanded by Jesus: Mat 5.43-45 “You have heard that it was said,” Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. ” 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 45 so that you may be the son of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and it rains upon the just and the unjust. ” Rom 12.20-21 “But if your enemy is hungry, give him food; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; For by doing so, you will burn hot coals on your head. “21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” 1 P 4.8-9 “Above all, have one another earnest love, for charity covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without murmuring. “
- To love strangers: Lev 19.34 “You will treat the stranger to stay among you as a native among you; you will love him as yourselves, for you have been strangers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. ” Deut 10.19 “You will love the stranger, because you have been strangers in the land of Egypt.” Heb 13.1-2 Persevere in brotherly love. 2 Do not forget the hospitality; for in exercising it, some have lodged angels without knowing it. “
- The commandment to love:
– ordained by God: 1 John 4.21 “And we have this command from him, that he who loves God also love his brother.” 2 Jn 6 “And love is to walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment in which you must walk, as you have learned from the beginning. “
-Is ordained by Jesus: John 13: 34-35 “I give you a new commandment: Love one another; as I have loved you, you also love one another. 35 To this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. ” Jn 15.12,17 “This is my commandment: Love one another, as I have loved you. 17 What I command you is to love one another. 1 John 3: 13,23 “For what was spoken to you, and what you heard from the beginning, is that we must love one another, 23 for what was spoken to you and what you heard from the beginning, it is that we must love one another, “
- The expressions of this love
-an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit: Gal 5.22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, temperance”; ; Col. 1.8 “and who has taught us of what charity the Spirit animates you”.
-is expressed by self-giving: John 16.3 “And they shall do so, because they have known neither the Father nor me.” 1 Cor 13: 4-7 “Charity is patient, it is full of kindness; charity is not envious; charity does not boast, it does not swell with pride, it does not do anything dishonest, it does not seek its interest, it does not irritate itself, it does not suspect evil, it does not rejoices not at injustice, but rejoices at the truth; 7 she excuses everything, she believes everything, she hopes everything, she bears everything. “
– welcome and support of the weak: Rom 14: 1-13-16 “Welcome the weak in the faith, and do not argue over the opinions. Let us judge each other no more; but think of doing nothing for your brother, a stumbling block or a fall. 14 I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, and that a thing is unclean only to him who believes it to be unclean. 15 But if, for a food, your brother is grieved, you no longer walk according to love: do not cause, by your food, the loss of the one for whom Christ died. 16 Your privilege is not a subject of slander. “
-Generosity towards the needy: 2 Corinthians 8: 8-8 “Just as you excel in all things, in faith, in word, in knowledge, in zeal in every respect, and in your love for us, try to excel as well. in this charity work. 8 I do not say this to give an order, but to test, by the zeal of others, the sincerity of your charity. ” Phm 9-10 “it is preferably in the name of charity that I address you a prayer, being what I am, Paul, old man, and moreover now prisoner of Jesus Christ. 10 I pray you for my child, whom I begotten being in chains, Onesimus, “
-Not fear in such love: 1 John 4.18 “Fear is not in love, but perfect love banishes fear; for fear presupposes punishment, and he who fears is not perfect in love. “
II. CONSEQUENCES
- Consequences of this love
-we demonstrate that we are true disciples: John 13.35 “To this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
-We are assured of eternal life: 1 John 3: 14-15 “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love remains in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. “
- God loves the sinful world:
-by loving the world: John 3.16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
-by hating sin: Rom 5.8 “But God proves his love to us, in that, when we were still sinners, Christ died for us”; Titus 3: 3-4 “For we, too, were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to all kinds of lusts and pleasures, living in wickedness and envy, hateful, and hating one another. other. 4 But when the goodness of God our Savior and his love for men were manifested,”
-by sending his son he shows his love: John 3.16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 1 John 4.9-10 “The love of God has been manifested to us in that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by him. 10 And this love is, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the atonement for our sins. “
- God shows a special love for his people
-in his love with his Son: John 16.27 “For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I am gone out of God.” John 17.23 “I in them, and you in me, that they may be one, and the world know that you have sent me, and that you have loved them as you have loved me.”
-in our election: Eph 1.4 “In him God has elected us before the foundation of the world, that we may be holy and blameless before him,”; 1 Th 2.16 “forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they may be saved, so that they will not fail to put an end to their sins. But anger eventually reached them.”
– in our call: Rom 1.7 “to all those in Rome who are beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! ” Jude 1: “Jude, servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who were called, who are loved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:”
-giving grace: 2 Th 2.16 “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who has loved us, and has given us by his grace everlasting consolation and good hope,”
-by adopting us: 1 John 3.1 “See what love the Father has shown us, that we may be called children of God! And we are. If the world does not know us, it’s because he did not know it. “
-forgiving us: Esa 8:17 “I hope in the LORD, who hides his face from the house of Jacob; I place my trust in him. “
-by going to life with Christ: Eph 2.4-5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 who were dead by our trespasses, brought us back to life with Christ (it is by grace that you are saved); “
-by giving us the Holy Spirit: Rom. 5.5 “But hope does not deceive, because the love of God is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us.”
-In our obedience: 1 John 2,5 “But he who keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfect in him: by that we know that we are in him.”
From what precedes, we retain that Jesus uttered these important words, which constitute a remarkable progression in fraternal love, in the new way of looking at one’s neighbor, both in degree of pain and in that of good to do without leaving any room for sin. While enemies curse, hate, and persecute, believers and Christians rather love, bless, do good, and pray for their enemies. And so it’s a question of really going from feelings to beneficent acts. Of course, the consequences of this universal love taught by the Lord Jesus Christ necessarily leads to eternal life. Our prayers are with you all in this matter, by God’s grace.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows :
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be glad to respond to your queries and comments as necessary, before sharing with you next week on the divine norm.
May the Almighty God bless you profusely.
David Feze, Servant of the Lord Almighty.