MONTHLY INSPIRATION – NOVEMBER,
2020
THE GOSPEL OF LOVE
Copyright © 2020 by Abia Friday Abia
and Trinity Discipleship Fellowship
One word that best represents or summarizes the gospel is the word love, and there is no dispute about this.
Jesus taught that love is the greatest as well as the summary of all God’s commandments (Matt. 22:34-40). Paul taught likewise. According to him, between faith, hope and love, love is the greatest (1 Cor. 13:13). If love is greater than faith with which mountains are moved (Matt. 17:20-21) and all the flaming arrows of the evil one are extinguished (Eph. 6:16), and hope with which we are never disappointed (Rom. 5:5), then it is great indeed. Paul also taught that without love, all the gifts and virtues we possess are utterly useless and meaningless (1 Cor. 13:1-3). Such is the greatness of love.
We Christians are clearly and specifically commanded to love (1Jn. 3:11; 4:7-8, 21; 2 Jn. 5-6). In fact, the fact that God loves us demands that we love others (1 Jn. 4:11). We cannot do otherwise, unless we decide to disobey the specific command of Scripture.
Love is so important as far as the gospel is concerned. The Scripture regards it as proof of new birth in Christ (1 Jn. 4:7-8). In fact, as the Scripture puts it, anyone who does not love is a child of the devil, not of God (1 Jn. 3:10). Such a person does not know God (1 Jn. 4:8), and his claim to belong to God is outright falsehood (1 Jn. 4:20). The Scripture cannot be stronger and clearer on a matter.
Love is the foretaste of Heaven (cf. Rev. 21:4, 27). When we Christians love others, we show them how the Kingdom of God will be.
But who do we love? In addition to loving fellow – Christians (1 Jn. 3:11; 4:7), we must love others as well, including those who do not love us (Matt. 5:43-48). Thus, the Scripture does not allow us to pick or choose whom we love. On the contrary, it urges us to love all.
When we speak of love, we have the best example in God Himself. He does not wait for us to love Him before He loves us back. He first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19), and He did that unconditionally, without any merit on our part (cf. Rom. 5:8). He loves the whole world ( Jn. 3 : 16 ), not with words but with action (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8). He gave up His only – begotten Son for us all (Rom. 8:32). He loves eternally (cf. Rom. 11:29). No one has ever loved or will ever love like Him.
We Christians must follow God’s example in love. We must love all, including those who hate us. We must love unconditionally. People do not need to merit our love before we love them. If we love conditionally, we lose our reward, and are no different from unbelievers (see Matt. 5:43-48). We must love with action. God demonstrates His own love for us by giving us His only – begotten Son to die for us (Rom. 5 : 8; Jn. 3 : 16; 1 Jn. 3:16; 4:9-10). The Scripture affirms that we must not love with words, but with actions (1 Jn. 3:16-18). In fact, according to the Scripture, we ought to lay down our lives for others, since Jesus Christ laid down His life for us (1 Jn. 3:16). Therefore, as faith that is not accompanied by actions is dead (Jam. 2:26), so is love that is not accompanied by actions.
The gospel is the message of love. Consequently, disciple-making can only thrive where love abounds (cf. Acts 4:32-37; 2:42-47). Without love, no one can successfully make disciples (cf. 1 Cor. 13:1-3). Ours is an age in which everyone loves, except with actions. But it is never enough to talk about love, without demonstrating it with actions. Therefore, for the sake of the gospel, let us love, not with words, but with actions (1 Jn. 3:16-18). The love of God for us in Jesus Christ not only demands it, it compels us (cf. 2 Cor. 5 : 14).
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