The best example of love can be seen in the relationship
that God has with humanity. John 3:16
explains that God so love the world that he gave his only begotten Son. This example removes any doubt about what
true love is and how it should be displayed by the church. While the gift of the Son is the foundation
of Christianity, the key words in the passage is that he gave. The love that God had for humanity was seen
in his giving of something that was extremely important. Love has been described as the perfection of
divine nature by which God communicates himself (Towns). Based on this description, we should
communicate our love through actions and not just words. It is not enough to declare salvation in the
lord and your heart is still empty towards your brother. God requires that we show our belief in him
through our treatment of others. This
type of expression will stand out among believers and non-believer alike.
Because many people
struggle with love because of past hurts, showing love can be difficult to do. Some have even suppressed their feeling of
love in an effort to deal with tragedy.
Even after salvation, some may still struggle with allowing their
emotions to be seen by others. However,
once the believer begins to grow in Christ, the love that Christ gave begins to
come forth in the heart of those that believe. Once this occurs in the heart,
it becomes easy to love family, friends, and people as a whole. One way to communicate love is by sharing the Gospel
with those who are lost. This shows that
the heart and mind has been transformed to care about the things that God cares
about. When love is seen in a person’s
life, it stands as a clear indicator that they have matured pass the sin and
selfishness that held them captive.
In the love of Christ!
Pastor Sean
