Emulate Him In Your Love-walk – Pastor Chris
Thursday, May 18, 2017
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith (Galatians 5:22).
Your maturity as a Christian is measured by the love of God that you express to others. Romans 13:8-10 says, “Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law….love is the fulfilling of the law.” 1 John 3:14 says, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”
The new creation is created to love. Observe our opening verse again; it doesn’t say, “But the fruits of the spirit are…”; rather, it’s specific. It says, “…the fruit of the spirit is love…,” letting you know that love is the dominant fruit of the recreated human spirit. It’s important that you understand and walk in the dimensions of God’s love.
In Ephesians 3:16-19, Paul reveals the four dimensions of God’s love: the breadth, length, depth, and height of His love. He then prays for the Church to comprehend these facets of divine love: “…that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).
You can only give of what you have, and the more you have of a thing, the more of it you can give. So, how full are you of His love? How much can your love give, and how much can it endure?
The Lord Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Let love flow out freely through you at all times. Let your words and actions be love-motivated, because only such receive God’s blessings and approval. God, in Christ, demonstrated His love, and also gave you the ability to love like Him (Romans 5:5).
Emulate Him in your love-walk. “THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance” (Ephesians 5:1-2 AMP).
CONFESSION
I have the ability to love like my heavenly Father. Everyone I meet is touched and impacted by the love of God that flows through me. I rejoice exceedingly for the great love with which the Father loves me, and the ability He’s given me to express His love to others. Glory to God!
FURTHER STUDY: Ephesians 5:1-2 1 John 4:8-12 John 15:9
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 8:31-47 1 Kings 22
2 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Mark 11:1-11 Numbers 21
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