“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves
is born of God and knows God.” Hebrews 10:23
Love is one of the warmest words in the language, and that God is love is one of the most sublime, uplifting, and reassuring truths known to mankind. In any language, “Love” is the most powerful expression of the most powerful emotion and experience in the world. One of our greatest needs as human beings is to be loved. We need to know that somebody truly loves and accepts us unconditionally.
So God is unconditionally committed to our well-being. Bible shows that God made love a law. Why? He made it a law because He could not trust us to do it ourselves. Jesus said in John 15:12 “This is my commandment that you love one another…”
We think that love has to do with feelings. However, the love that Jesus commands us to have is one that is above feelings. Biblical love is Agape love, which refers to unconditional love. Therefore, if anyone attaches conditions or reasons to why he or she loves you, then agape, unconditional love has ceased. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 5:46-47 “If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.”
God wants us to know that His love is unconditional, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us while we were still unlovable sinners. Wherever there is a reason, there is a condition. Wherever there is a condition, there is expectation. 99% of all the problems in relationships have to do with expectation. Expectation guarantees disappointment. Disappointment leads to division, which leads to divorce. Divorce can take place in any type of relationship and not just marriage. Therefore, we need agape love, which is love without reason or condition. God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like His son Jesus.
God is the perfect example of true love. Amazingly, God has given those who receive His Son Jesus as their personal Savior the ability to love as He does through the power of the Holy Spirit. Love came as God in flesh, as God incarnate, and lived our life, died our death, and rose again for our sake. That is love. That is Jesus Christ.
Love is a two-way street. Any loving act must be warmly accepted or it will be taken as rejec- tion and can leave a scar. If we are too busy to give and receive love, we are too busy. Nothing is more important than responding with love to the cry for love from those who are near and precious to us
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Garment of Praise
Monthly Insights for Spiritual Growth, Encouragement and Personal Victory.
Oluyemisi Onanuga
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
Cover design by Fotologue Limited Lagos Island , Lagos ISBN 13: 978-1-60683-046-8 Copyright © 2020 by The Living Stones Ministry thelivelystonesministry@gmail.com
Published by Fotologue Limited. Lagos , Nigeria. www.fotologue.com
Printed in the Nigeria . All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the Publisher.