1 Corinthians 13:4a – Love never fails.
Mark 12:31 – The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.
Mark 11:25-26 – Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. 26[“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]
“Love never fails.” God never stops loving us. From before we are born to the day our earthly flesh dies, God has loved us and given us every opportunity to love Him back. He called to us even when we told Him “no.” After we have said yes to His mercy and grace and then have acted in deeply hurtful ways to Him, He loves us. His love never fails. It is with us always. But what about when we fail, does He give up on us? No! There is nothing we could do to stop His love because we never did anything to earn His love. Many people have repented for yelling angry, even hateful, things to Him. He still loved. Many people have done disgusting things with Him right there. He still loved. Yes, we fail Him. People can stop loving. God never stops loving. Not under any circumstance does His love stop. True love, that is a God-like love, never fails.
“…Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” We must love each other. It is a commandment from God. If we say we love Him, is anything we feel, think or believe more important than a commandment from God? As Jesus asked Peter if he loved Jesus with a God-like love, or even a brotherly love, He told Peter that if he did love Him then He will do as Jesus said and love and care for the flock of Jesus (John 21:15-17). Jesus never gave a provision to stop loving. If we belong to God we will always love Him and others. If we don’t love then we don’t belong to God (1 John 4:8). To have received God’s love means to possess His love in overflowing abundance and that means that the love we receive will flow from us to others. True love, that is a God-like love, never fails.
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. 26[“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” We can clearly see that to not forgive is a sin. We also know that God forgives our sins through the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:9). Is unforgiveness a sin that God does not forgive? No. What Jesus taught is not that any act is unforgivable. What He was teaching is that anyone who will not forgive does not have God’s love within. Therefore, as 1 John 4:8 clearly state that if we don’t have God’s love within, we don’t have God within. Family, if we don’t forgive, we don’t have love within, and if we don’t have love within then we don’t belong to God, and, we never did. It is the same message from Matthew 25:31-45 where Jesus was not saying that their sin was unforgivable but that they did not have God’s love within and their actions proved that. Unforgiveness, regardless of the offense, is a lack of God’s love within. It is a lack of appreciation for one’s own forgiveness. We should not deceive ourselves. Jesus gave us the parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18:21-35 and if we won’t forgive we are that Unmerciful Servant. Jesus said to those who were hearing Him “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Family and Friends, this Unmerciful Servant had been forgiven, his debt wiped clean. Then, when he would not forgive, his master took away mercy and grace and placed the full debt back on him. Forgiveness is not an option. It is not a work. It is evidence of God’s love within us. And, if we don’t have that, well…you know.
Abundantly love each other. Always and completely forgive each other. Jesus said “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). Family, let us love one another as God loves us. Let’s forgive each other, as we want to be forgiven and as God has forgiven us. It is not an option that Jesus gave, it was a command. Praise God! True love, that is a God-like love, never fails. His forgiveness never weakens or fails. Praise God! Yes, praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Leave a Reply