I was a pleasure to hear from our former Pastor Greg this Sunday. He continued in the series of Walking in the Spirit focusing on Love and Joy. I so delighted in his remembrances of songs of praise used in years past to focus us upon Jesus. He challenged us to think about the Advent wreath and how we progress from hope to peace to joy to love to Christ and that it would work just as well in reverse. All things point to Christ and yet all things come from Christ too. He is our sovereign Lord.
Pastor Greg started out focusing on Galatians 5:6 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Love is what is essential as our faith in Jesus is lived out in our lives. Love of God comes first. The first 4 Commandments speak to our need to have no other God before us and to worship only Him. The rest of the Commandments speak about our relationship with our fellowman. We are to treat others with love and respect not stealing, cheating, coveting, lying, etc. Christ emphasized this in John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” That is a tall order as Christ loved us sacrificially even going to the cross for us. He refined it a bit more in Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Loving God is paramount but loving others as yourself means to look out for them as you would yourself. Most people would put themselves before others, but Jesus wants us to think of others as if they were us, and put them and their needs right there with our own. Jesus commanded us to show love and be loving towards one another. This is the central work of the gospel in us and in our world! Here are some verses you can mediate upon as you seek to show sincere love for others in Jesus’ name.
John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 15:17 “This is my command: Love each other.”
Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,”
1John4:11-12 “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
Now, what about that joy? Joy emanates from the love of Christ. Being cared for and love by Christ brings joy to our soul. Knowing we will be with Him in heaven brings us joy that will last for eternity. Scripture tells us that the joy we have in Christ is complete joy. John 15:11 “ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Knowing Christ brings the ultimate joy into our lives. God’s joy is the kind we have through the indwelling Holy Spirit and faith in Jesus gives me access to this unlimited joy. I can claim a joy filled attitude no matter what the circumstances are that surround me. Praise God!
Our challenge is to live in and with the love of Christ for others, doing it joyfully so that they can see the love of Christ in us- no matter what the circumstances.
Linda
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LINDA'S BLOGLinda is a member of Crossroads church and regularly blogs about her faith.
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