1 John 4:7-8 – Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
The following story, one of my favorites from early church history, is credited to Jerome (AD 345-420) who was one of the great Christian scholars. It concerns the Apostle John: The blessed John the Evangelist lived in Ephesus until extreme old age. His disciples could barely carry him to church and he could not muster the vice to speak many words. During individual gatherings he usually said nothing but “Little children, love one another.” After a period of time many became tired of the old apostle saying the same thing over and over again. The elders approached him and asked him “Master, why do you always keep repeating the same message to the people?” “Because,” he replied “It is the Lord’s commandment, and if this only is done, it is enough.”
Family, the above statement of the above verses is sufficient. Love is what our faith is founded upon. John 3:16 states “For God so loved the world…” So God loved the world and offered salvation to those who dwell upon it. Jesus said in Mark 12:29-31 for us to love God with all that we are and to love others as we love ourselves. In Matthew 22:40 Jesus said that “All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments.” If we love God we will obey Him (John 15:14). If we obey Him, if we have His love, we will love each other (1 John 4:8). If we love God, truly love God, then sin in this world will dissipate because we seek to please God and we seek to serve each other. Family, God calls us to love. What if everyone in all our churches would just be determined to love God and each other. Really love God and others with a Godly love. First of all there would be great joy and peace in the church. If the church could truly live in love, joy and peace, then the many in the community would want to know what makes us so loving, joyful and peaceful. Many would come to Jesus. If we could truly walk in love and set all else aside, the love of God would change the world. Love is infectious. Now not every person gets every infection that goes around. In the same way not all will get infected by love. But those who do will also infect many others. What would our communities, our cities, our counties, our states, our country, our world look like if the love of God would truly be the motivation for all that Christians do throughout the world? How might war and crime decrease? Would the government need welfare if all Christians truly loved as called to do? How might homelessness, hunger and thirst be eliminated if the whole world loved the whole world? What if everyone considered others before themselves. Family, this would be a different world.
How can we change the world by spreading the love of God? It starts with us. We, each of us, must be committed to live by the two greatest commandments and by the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) that Jesus gave us. How can we live by these? By the Spirit of God opening the Word of God in our hearts and minds, and by us not being only hearers but doers of the Word (James 1:22). Oh we all will stumble along the way, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). Will the whole world “follow suit.” Certainly not, Jesus said the percentages would be small (Matthew 7:13-14). But folks, a few billion “sold out,” on fire Believers, can light this world up with a glow that we have never seen before.
So how about it, what if we could live out lives that are committed to walking in the pure love of God? No “Yeah, buts…” Just do it because God said so. Family, it starts with us. It starts with me. It starts with you. It starts with all of us. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Dare to dream. Dare to believe. Dare to love. 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.