OUT OF LOVE AND FOR LOVE
LOVE WARRIOR
In the New Testament 99% or more of the time, when it speaks of loving one another, it is speaking of loving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
The word also tells us we are to love everyone. To love all we must see others as God sees all. Because God loves all, He saw value in all life and so should we. God loves all of mankind that is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our substitute, our atonement for our sin. Jesus Christ loves us so much He was willing to come, He was willing to surrender to the Father's will, enduring the cross, He died and on the third day He arose, conquering death, hell and the grave, for everyone who receives His invitation to come and follow Him, accepting His gift of eternal life, receiving His forgiveness for our sins. In this we surrender to His Lordship in our lives. The invitation goes out to ALL but few accept it.
But this writing today is directed at loving our brothers and sisters in Christ. I saw some years ago that if we can't love our brothers and sisters in Christ, how can we love those in the highways and byways.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.
1John 3:16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.
1Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud of rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice in injustice but rejoices whenever truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.
1Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up I put away childish things
What is the one thing a child has in common and will throw a temper tantrum for? WANTING THEIR OWN WAY! Do we still want our own way? How badly? Look again at the verses 4-7 "Love does not demand its own way" so why do we?
DON'T BE ONE WHO THROWS A TEMPER TANTRUM
This is what I see: lets say two people in the church both want their own way. Demanding our own way is selfish and can become manipulating and controlling, then they will begin to enlist others to join their side, because they are convinced their way is right and the best. Yet, only one can get their way; so here is what I see as the result:
THE ONE WHO DID NOT GET THEIR WAY will produce (and probably more):
1. An offense
2. Anger
3. Jealousy
4. A church divided
THE ONE WHO GOT THEIR WAY will produce (and probably more):
1. Pride
2. Boasting
3. Arrogance
4. A church divided
Remember in 1 John it says "we are to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters". That means we make a sacrifice of our wants, our ways etc, because our love for them is greater than our own wants and our own way.
A friend recently found two words written in her notes "LOVE WARRIOR", that spoke to me. To me it says, "I WILL FIGHT FOR GENUINE LOVE EVEN IF IT MEANS I SURRENDER MY WANT FOR WHAT YOU WANT"!
Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity!
That my friends is how I see a LOVE WARRIOR. We will fight the demonic work that attempts to enter in to destroy the love and unity in the church house.
The scriptures above are how loving the brethren looks like! At the moment of our salvation, we received the mind of Christ, we received His love for others, so isn't it time we put away the childish thoughts, reasoning, words and allow God to grow us to maturity. Nothing happens overnight it seems, but our part in our growth is to seek God in prayer, in His word renewing our mind, in fellowship together with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and picking up our cross daily and following Him. Complete surrender to His will, His way. Then we will see how we surrender ourselves to one another, for God's kingdom purpose.
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