Faith Knows How to Love

The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome.
1John 5:3 The Message

Faith knows how to love.
True love is loving God first and best.

When we follow this first and greatest commandment — Love the Lord your God with all your soul and might and strength — we are enabled and empowered to love others as Jesus calls us to: Love others the same way you love yourself.

And the miraculous supernatural experience of it all? It is not a burden, nor is it troublesome, to love our neighbors or even our enemies with the same love that Jesus loves us. Learning to love God turns our hearts toward loving those He loves in the same way He does.

But what is it that moves us toward loving God wholeheartedly?
Wholeheartedly receiving His love for us!

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1John 4:10 NIV

The good news of the Gospel is God’s love for us is SO great He came Himself — emptied Himself — to become one of us and stand in our place. covered in sin. die the death we deserve. and endure hell for us.

Receiving His love begins by believing and trusting this fantastically good news. We put faith in His work on our behalf.

Coming to know God’s faithful loyal love has the power to melt a heart of stone and transform it into a life-giving force within your being. Especially when you realize He loves you beyond anything you can imagine. just as you are. knowing all your failures and weaknesses. and then opens the way for complete restoration in your life.

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

— The Lord God, Ezekiel 36:25-27 ESV

I remember what joy overcame me when God captured my heart. Even though it was in the midst of a season of great loss. My heart was to tell everyone about what He had done for me. My love for Him compelled me to find out who He was in Scripture and to know what He desired from me. And I pursued Him in prayer.

First loves are so exciting!
But how quickly we forget…

Jesus warned one His newly found churches:

“I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance and that you cannot tolerate evil. … I am also aware that you have persisted steadfastly, endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you: You have departed from your first love! Therefore, remember from what high state you have fallen and repent! Do the deeds you did at the first…
Revelation 2:2-5 NET (my emphasis)

If we are not careful, we can become easily distracted with works and rules and defending the faith. We forget the greatest exercise of our faith is to love God with our whole heart. Loving Him first and best above everything else.

And loving God means obedience to EVERYTHING Jesus teaches us in Scripture.
Pray without ceasing.
Praise Him continually.
Walk in step with the Holy Spirit.
Die to self: laying down our lives for Him. our neighbors. our enemies.

I believe the faithful work of love is summed up in 1Thessalonians 5:15-18:

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (ESV)

Faith knows how to love.
And it is no trouble at all.
It is our pleasure and heart’s desire in Christ Jesus.
Amen.

May you be blessed with a heart open wide to God’s love for you in Christ Jesus and may you overflow with true love by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Carol

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Feature Image Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash