THE DRIVING FORCE OF LOVE!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2021.

SUBJECT: THE DRIVING FORCE OF LOVE!

Memory verse: "If you love me keep My commandments." (John 14 vs 15.)

READ: First John 4 vs 7 - 14:

4:7: Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 

4:8: He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

4:9: In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 

4:10: In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

4:11: Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another. 

INTIMATION:

The major driving force in sharing the “Good News” is the love for God and our neighbors. Learning to love how God loves is the most important aspect of our mission. God has never made a person He didn't love. Everybody matters to Him: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..” (John 3 vs 16). Therefore, everybody should matter to us, especially the unsaved souls, and we must reach out to them.

Whenever you feel indifferent about others, especially the unsaved souls, and about your mission in this world, spend some time thinking about what Jesus did for you on the cross. What else can you offer in return to Him than obey and serve Him with all your heart, caring about what He cares for, and loving all He loves. Christ's love should compel your actions as it did for the believers in Paul's days: "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if one died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again." (Second Corinthians 5 vs 14.)

The love of Christ constrained the believers to certain courses of action. They took certain difficult, and delicate steps in the spreading of the Good News. And so shall it be to us this day. They knew that Jesus, out of His great love, had given up His life for their sakes. He had not acted out of His own self-interest, selfishly holding on to the glory of heaven that He already possessed. Instead, Jesus had willingly "died for all." 

We should no longer live to please ourselves; we should spend our lives pleasing Christ. Therefore, you must learn to love other people the way God does. God has never made a person He didn't love. Everybody matters to Him. Therefore, everybody should matter to us, especially the unsaved souls, and we must reach out to them. If you have been indifferent or afraid to share the Good News with those around you, ask God to fill your heart with His love for them.

Jesus gave us the “Great Commission” to go into the world and preach the Good News. And our memory verse gives us Christ’s yardstick of measuring our love for Him—keeping His commandments. How else do we demonstrate our love for Him who loved us first and gave His life up for us than to keep His commandment of preaching the Good News to the world.

However, we need wisdom in reaching out to unbelievers, making the most of our opportunities to tell them the Good News of salvation: "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." (Colossians 4 vs 5 - 6.)

When we tell others about Christ, it is important always to be gracious in what we say. No matter how much sense the message makes, we lose our effectiveness if we are not courteous. Just as we like to be respected, we must respect others if we want them to listen to what we have to say.

Prayer: Abba Father, You poured out Your love in my heart through the Holy Spirit indwelling me. Engrace me to respond to Your love by obeying and keeping Your commandments, especially in preaching Your saving grace through Christ to the unbelievers, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!