LEARN MORE – GROW MORE – BE MORE – IN CHRIST JESUS

“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness  mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11

 

Godly Love Includes, Not Excludes

October 4 – Godly Love Includes Our Enemies – 1 Samuel 19:1–7 How much love would you have for someone trying to kill you? We all have our limits and knowing someone is deliberately making plans to harm us is taking us to our limits. Our personal love has its limits and we need to recognize and trust the Lord for deliverance and protection from our enemies (Ps. 31:8). God’s love in us has no limits. For in his love we have the capability to love our enemies with regards to they’re being and God’s glory. Love never fails.

October 11 – Godly Love Includes Our Enemies, Part II – Luke 6:27–36 – Love your enemy! Really? God wants us to love our enemies. The word used here is the word, echthros which is where we get the word hate. It speaks of one who is hated, hostile or one who is in opposition. This is a deep dislike for someone and in the context of this passage, refers to our dislike to someone and not their dislike for us. They are enemies, hated ones and the Lord says “love them”. The rest of the context speaks of their dislike and mistreatment of us.

Let us accept the fact, we do not have the capacity, means or even the desire to love our enemies, but the Lords tells us, “love them”. The action asked of us by the Lord takes us out of our natural ability and is humanly impossible. God’s love has no human comprehension and was never intended to be expressed through human efforts. God’s brand of love is divine and for us to express it requires his divine presence. Paul wrote in the book of Galatians (5:16, and 5:22-26) the fruit of the Spirit is love and it is ONLY achieved as we submit our will to the will of the Lord God and walk in that will.

Loving our enemies as pleasing to the Lord is only to be done by the power of the spirit of God who lives inside of us (Rom. 8:9, John 13:34-35). The person to whom God expects of to love is under an influence that opposes Him and he reminds us what we are up against (Eph. 6:10-14). As we subject ourselves to the authority of God in our life we will be able live in obedience to his commandment and display the love of God to this world. Let us walk in the Spirit and love our enemies.

October 18 – Godly Love Includes Our Neighbors – Luke10:25-37

October 25 – Godly Love Includes Grace – 1 Corinthians 13:1–13

Continue to follow and study with us as we seek to show ourselves approved to the Lord, workmen and women who do not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.