Be Loved - Be Love
First, to understand the love of Christ one must first understand who Christ is. He is the embodiment of love, everything that is done by Him and everything He has done for us, is love. I am reminded of the passage where Paul speaks on love, and then think on how God has shown each of these attributes of love.
1 Corinthians 13 - 3 I may give away everything I have, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing if I do not have love. 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. 6 Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth.7 Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains strong. 8 Love never ends.
The second part, is to understand who we are. Although we were made in the image of God we chose to break full communion with God, and live a selfish, self-centered, self-serving life. We do not live a life deserving of Christ's love, but rather only in complete need of it! We do not change for Christ to love us, (Romans 5:8) but rather we've changed because of it (2 Corinthians 5:17.)
The third part, is to understand how much we are loved and this can be summarized with one verse
John 3 - 16 God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.
So today, it is not our charge the love the lovely.
It is not charge to love those worthy of love.
It is not our charge to love only the ones we want to love.
It is our charge to love as Christ loved, and Christ loved the whole world!
- Josh
July 15 - "My Life's Spiritual Honor and Duty" - utmost.org
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