Greetings Grace Baptist friends,
Last week I wrote to you about living on the edge. As believers, sometimes we tend to drift from our center, Jesus Christ, and move towards the world. Samson was a good illustration of that. He had power, but his heart drifted from God. Yet in the end, Samson was reconciled. But his story could have been so much better.
So, what does kingdom living look like? In Luke 10 Jesus sent out 72 believers to spread the good news of the kingdom. He told them in verse 8ff, “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’”
From this, people associate the kingdom with power. Power to cast out demons, and heal the sick. That may be part of it, but I think that it is better to associate “love” with the kingdom of God. By serving the people who were in that town, healing the sick, and associating with them… the disciples were actually demonstrating Christ’s love for them. We have been given the Holy Spirit primarily so that we can love others well, with a holy and selfless love. This is the real mark that the kingdom of God has come among us. Take a look with me please at 1 John 3:11-15…
“11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”
The message that John is reminding the church about, is the message that they each should love one another. John had heard this from the very beginning. Meaning, this is what he heard directly from Jesus when he first started to follow Jesus. This is the foundational message, and everything ties into this. All of the disciple’s arguing over “Who’s the greatest in the kingdom,” and “How many times do I need to forgive by brother,” and seeing all that Jesus said and did can be summed up in this. Love one another. In fact, all throughout this epistle, John keeps referring back to love. The Spirit of God was given to us that we might be able to love through the power of the Spirit as Jesus loved.
This makes sense to me, since the fruit of the Spirit is described as: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are all various aspects of love—and it describes Jesus so well. Joy is love’s strength. Peace is love’s security. Forbearance is love’s endurance. Kindness is love’s conduct. Goodness is love’s character. Faithfulness is love’s confidence. Gentleness is love’s humility. And self-control is love’s victory. God has given us power to love and demonstrate the presence of His kingdom.
John goes on to warn us about being like Cain. Don’t be like him, he says. Why? Because he belonged to the evil one. Those who belong to the evil one are like the evil one. What did Cain do? He killed his brother. Cain was a murderer. Why did Cain murder his brother? Was it because his brother was threatening him and he had to defend himself? No. Rather, Cain killed his brother because of pride. Abel’s actions were righteous. Able loved and worshipped God. Able was a godly man. But Cain couldn’t stand it, because his heart and actions were evil—and he couldn’t compete with his brother. Cain was incapable of love and obedience to God. Why? Because he didn’t have God’s nature in him. John is telling us that we are to be sure that we have God’s nature in us. Don’t pretend to be something that you are not. John wants all of his readers to be right with God.
In John’s Day, it was a serious thing to testify of Jesus. You could lose everything, including your life. It was against the “law” to be a Christian. The culture disdained Christians because they were so different. Jesus knew this and had taught that this would happen to John and all the other disciples. John says in verse 13, “Don’t be surprised if the world hates you.” Jesus had told John that! In John 15:18-19 we read, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” We are not here to compete with the world, or to be loved by the world. Rather, Jesus wants us to love one another in the power of His Spirit; and to love the least and the lost in His name. Doing that will mark us as His disciples.
In fact, this seems to be the “acid test” of true Christianity. In verse 14 it says, “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other.” How? Not in a syrupy, watered down, “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch my back,” kind of love. But with the tough, resilient, and tenacious love of Christ provided by the Holy Spirit. It is the kind of love that keeps on giving without seeking anything in return. It’s a love that doesn’t give up on people, doesn’t take its ball and go home when irritated, or when things don’t go your way. It’s the kind of love that this world is always longing for but it just can’t seem to find. Why? Because you first must be born of the Spirit.
John gives us another test: it’s a contrast to true Christianity. He says, “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, (just like Cain, who was of “another father”). And we know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.” John is talking about one’s heart. Not the fact that a murderer, on the surface, could never enter the kingdom of God. If that were true, a whole lot of Bible characters would be disqualified from heaven. Including guys like Moses, David, and even the Apostle Paul. John is illustrating for us two natures here. Just like a fig tree can only bear figs, and an apple tree can only bear apples. So, the fruit of the Spirit bears holy living; while the fruit of the fallen flesh bears evil and hatred—a life opposed to God.
On the outside, many people pretend to be Christians. They do Christian kind of things. They attend worship services, (but so do pagan worshippers). They pray, (but so do pagan worshippers). They give to the poor, (but so do pagan worshippers). They try to behave, (but so do pagan worshippers). But when it comes down to where the rubber meets the road—there is this huge difference. The pagan does it for self-esteem; to look good, to get something out of it. The Christ follower does it because they have been filled with the love of Christ through the Spirit of Christ. They love God and others in the power of the Spirit. Love is the defining mark of a true Christ-follower.
On a scale of one to ten, ask yourself how well you are doing on the following ten expressions of love. Ask God how are you doing when it comes to love:
1. Are you a great listener? Do you give people your undivided attention? Do you probe and ask follow-up questions? Do the people around you consider you a great listener? The first duty of love is to listen.
2. Do you serve people? Are you always looking to serve people in practical ways, from helping with the dishes and giving someone a call to helping a single parent? Do you find ways to serve at church? Do you exude servanthood? Are you more of a giver than a taker?
3. Are you a big-hearted forgiver? Forgiveness may be the biggest test of love, and the hardest. Do you freely forgive people who hurt you? Or do you hold grudges, keep score, and give the silent treatment? Forgive people the way your God forgives you.
4. Do you pray frequently and fervently for people? Prayer for someone, especially for someone with a big need, might be the most powerful way you can love them, yet it is unseen and often not done. When you tell someone you will pray for them, do you wholeheartedly pray and ask them later how the prayer was answered?
5. Do you accept people who are different? Do you enjoy the differences in people and readily accept others who are different in ethnic background, racial background, economic status, political affiliation, personality, and more? Do you revel in the glorious way that God has made us different?
6. Do you verbalize your love? Do you say the words “I love you”? Do you write the words “I love you”? These are the three most life-breathing words in your tool belt.
7. Do you touch people to express love? Touch, such as a hug or a hand on the shoulder, is powerful. Jesus touched the leper, which exploded his heart with tender compassion. Do you regularly utilize the power of touch? (I will be talking about His touch this coming Sunday.)
8. Are you an encourager? Encouragers are lovers and lovers are encouragers. Are you always alert to encourage and affirm people? Do you speak to people’s fears and give them hope and confidence?
9. Do you consistently speak well of people? Do people know that you will not slander them behind their backs because when you are talking with these people you never slander others? Do you consistently say good things about people?
10. Do you weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice? Romans 12:15 gives us this important test of love. Both are crucial, but the latter, rejoicing with someone, is much rarer. When someone has a broken heart, just show up and care. When someone has lots of success, then dance and sing.
When it comes to love, the way Christ loved, just how well are you doing? To love this way is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. At the end of your life, will it be said that you, above all else, loved people?
(Ten tests of love taken from Jeff Well’s devotional: Walking in Love)
1 John 3:16 says it like this: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” People empowered with His Spirit love like Jesus loves, and when they do… the kingdom of God has come near. And that makes all the difference.
My prayer for you is taken from 2 Cor. 13:14 “I pray that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ will hold you fast to Him. I pray that God’s love will compel you to serve Him. And I pray that the Holy Spirit would bind you all together in fellowship with Him. Amen.”
