Friday, February 3, 2012

Talk Tuesday-The Abide Series, Pt.III-ABIDE IN LOVE

Hey BGOers, I just wanted to apologize for my tardiness in issuing out this week's Talk Tuesday post. We had a bit of a difficult week. Hope this blesses you and remember to keep on commenting!
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ABIDE IN LOVE-This is our last part in the ABIDE Series, from John 15:1-10. Jesus tells us, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you wil abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” John 15:9-10. What does it mean to abide in His love?
  1.  Love the LORD your GOD. In the first part of Luke 10:27, Jesus instructs us on what loving GOD entails; “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” Luke 10:27. We are to LOVE GOD above all else, and with all of our being. When we LOVE Him first, only then will we be able to fulfill the second part of Jesus' command in Luke 10:27. 
  2.  Love one another. "...and, Love your neighbor as yourself” Luke 10:27. In order to ABIDE IN HIM, we must ABIDE IN LOVE. "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him" 1 John 4:7-9.
  3. Love in purity of heart. "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart," 1 Peter 1:22. Jesus teaches us about love repeatedly. The power of LOVE, as manifested the one who laid down His life for us is captured in this statement, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins" 1 Peter 4:8. If you, like me, have ever wondered what that type of love looks like, we only have to travel to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." May the LORD JESUS CHRIST bless us as we seek to ABIDE IN HIM all the days of our lives!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen! I think you summed it up perfectly: if we love God first..and then we can love others effectively. Because u first loved God, he then gives you the ability to love others because of his love poured into your hearts..by loving him first (Romans 5:5) etc, etc etc. It’s like a perfect, endless, flowing circle. Love God, love others, love God, love others. It’s unending.

I read in Galatians recently: ‘the only thing that counts is faith expressed through love.’ That verse really spoke to me. Immediately after my time with God, I had this desire to pick up the phone and call my brother in law who is now out of work after 25 years. He’s in a personal hard place and he’s still young with a family. I simply called him to encourage him. Why did I call him? Because right after spending time in God’s word, I had this desire to love my brother in law and show concern for him (Doug). God put it into my heart..AFTER I spent time loving him and calling Doug was not planned. It was so effortless and I know Doug was touched.

Beloved said...

As the pace of life increases and various challenges grow, people can become so insensitive that we will be more and more tempted to act towards others the way they act towards us ... but as we spend time with the Lord as we all agree we will have the strength and sensitivity to do what does NOT come naturally, which is to love others in spite of their behaviour towards us... and to care for other regardless of the problems we ourselves are going through...

Beloved said...

So thanks for sharing and for the reminder, as shown in this example of a person who was encouraged by a simple phonen call after losing his job... May the Lord open our eyes to see how we can do more of the same with those around us, not in a forced way but by His Spirit.

Anonymous said...

This is a very powerful series ABIDE IN HIS LOVE. It is superb and much more greater than we can ever imagine or think of.... In other words "His Love Conquers All" and it is always there to fill us up when we running on empty.
Thank you for refreshing our thoughts with your insight and research and spreading the love of God on BGO.
God bless.