The Greatest is Love

With all the "dos and don'ts" that church leaders have developed over the years and have placed upon believers, it seems that we have forgotten the one most important "do" that Jesus gave to the church. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) Love is God's most potent characteristic, "...God is love..." (1 John 4:16) and it should be the same in the life of every believer.

As new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) believers have the God kind of love already dwelling within them. Now this might be difficult for some to believe, that believers can walk in the same kind of love that Jesus emulated in His ministry on earth as the Son of man. But let's look at what the apostle Paul tells us, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) Do you see that? By virtue of being born again, God's love was instantaneously pour out in the heart (spirit) of every believer through the Holy Spirit who dwells in the believer who is also God.

Next, we see something else concerning the God kind of love in the believer. The apostle Paul tells us, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." (Galatians 5:22-26) Love is a fruit of the recreated spirit. Again, as soon as one is born again, the God kind of love becomes a part of the believers recreated spirit through the Holy Spirit.

However, a closer look at this passage reveals some important things. First, And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Have you responded by faith to this statement? Have you crucified the flesh with its passions and desires? In other words Jesus said it this way, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (Luke 9:23) Do you deny the flesh with its passions and desires on a daily bases? If not, then the God kind of love will not be able to take root in your heart.

Secondly, If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Unfortunately, most believers do not comprehend what it means to walk in the Spirit. Simply put, to walk by the Spirit is to yield to the influences of the Holy Spirit and not the influences of the flesh. To do this we must apply what the apostle Paul applied to his life as he followed Christ, "...and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) You cannot escape this spiritual principle. You must live "By faith in the Son of God!!!" Believers will never live beyond the passions and desires of the flesh until they operate in revelation faith that is, unwavering faith upon the Word of God. The sad thing is, most believers operate in sense knowledge faith, which is natural faith that every person has. This type of faith relies solely upon what our five senses can comprehend.

Finally, if believers do not truly live by the influences of the Holy Spirit, but live by the influences of the flesh, that is the senses, they will do exactly what the apostle Paul warns not to do, "Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." These things are the result of placing "dos and don'ts" upon believers rather than focus upon the one commandment that Jesus gave to the church, to love one another. The God kind of love is what brought forth the incarnation. The God kind of love is what motivated Jesus to love the people that He came into contact with as the Son of man even though they were constantly antagonistic toward Him. The God kind of love is what lead Jesus to surrender His life into the hands of those who would kill Him. The God kind of love is what paid the sin debt accrued by humanity. The God kind of love has provided the means for humanities greatest need, redemption. It is the God kind of love that will destroy the denominational barriers and differences in the church which will show a lost world that believers are Jesus' disciples.

To walk daily in the the Spirit and exercise the God kind of love is a choice that every believer must come to grips with. I believe the Lord is saying to many believers today the same thing that He spoke to His people Israel on Mount Carmel through the prophet Elijah, "...How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; (walk by the Spirit) but if Baal, then follow him" (walk by the flesh with its passions and desires). So let us do the former, ditch the flesh once and for for all and respond to what the apostle Paul says concerning what truly matters, "...faith working through love."