This morning, it’s important we refresh our focus on agape [God’s binding and selfless love], because it is so easy to lose track of just how unconditional and self-giving God’s love is for us. God is always focused on the well-being [wholeness] of his children. According to 1 Corinthians 13, God’s love is “patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices when the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (vv. 4-7).
“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.” C.S. Lewis
Agape is the pivot point for balancing God’s amazing gifts of grace and faith to his children. Everything rests on divine love, because it never fails. Without receiving God’s love through Jesus, we don’t have grace (Ro 6:11). Without using faith, it is impossible to receive the love of God or please him (Heb 11:6). The need for obedience to God’s commands of love fill the Old Testament, but does the gift of grace with faith in Christ change the believer’s need to continue in obedience to God’s love commands?
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus sums up his Ten Commandments in this way: Love God wholeheartedly and love your neighbor like you love yourself (22:37-39). So, obedience to love is still our command. Grace—the power for living—is provided by Christ. He taught his disciples, “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth” (John 14:15-17). Therefore, we must put our faith into motion by believing in Christ’s love for us and the Spirit’s desire to help us.
Remember today, love is always the pivot point upon which to balance grace and faith. When we become irritable with difficult people, act rudely, prideful, or keep a score sheet for every wrong thing done to us, we diminish God’s love, as well as his gifts of grace and faith operating in our lives. When we choose to walk in love and refuse to allow ourselves to react unkindly, we defeat the enemy. Let’s win the battle, today!
1 John 5:1-6 NLT Faith in the Son of God
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ [Messiah] has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for reminding us about your pure love and how you are teaching us all the time through the Spirit to walk in it. Thank you for your love, grace, and faith. We need your strength and your wisdom to be victorious. So, please fill us with love today, Lord, and help us win the battle against evil. In Jesus’ name. Amen.