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Lessons of Love
Rod Shimabukuro1John 3:23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
1 John 4:2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. ----------9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
I’m led to observe these passages, in relationship to:
• Believing is the beginning of keeping God’s commands. Not doing, performing, fulfilling. It’s believing in Jesus.
• In believing, His Spirit was given to us, to recognize the incarnation of Jesus (4:2). Which is contrary to our ideas or expectations of how God should love and save mankind. Acknowledge that Jesus cam win the flesh? As opposed to acknowledging Jesus is God, powerful, does signs, wonders, miracles, etc...!?
• The Love of God involves God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the atonement - and His command for us to love others.
My application is to grow in my faith - believing and keep believing - asking the Spirit for wisdom, discernment and teaching instructions. I really - really want to grow closer to Jesus through understanding His Word.
I’m very grateful for the Spirit to be revealing truths that fill my heart with awe and amazement of His character, dealings...His Person!
I want to live differently by loving others with God’s love. This looks, sounds, acts, responds differently with each person. As God is reminding me...Love the person right in front of me, with Jesus love.
Dear Father, Help me to believe, grow in faith, live carefully, loving the person(s) You bring to me. Help me to pay close attention to You, to be all you made me to be to the one person You lead me to. Live Your Kingdom love through me...to draw people to You (not me).
