“Learning To Love Like Jesus” This seemingly lofty pursuit has been well defined in Holy Writ, and will require a devotion that is as we have already seen, must be fueled by the Word of God and sincere, fervent prayer to God. So, let us examine some of the “properties of this most intense kind of love, so that we are able to deepen our abilities to begin: “Walking Out The Requirements of the Love of Jesus” (John 13:35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Micah 6:6 – 8 (KJV) Mic 6:6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Mic 6:7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
New Testament Scripture Reading: Luke 6:27 – 33 (KJV) Luk 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Luk 6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Luk 6:29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Luk 6:30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. Luk 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. Luk 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. Luk 6:33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
Transforming Power Statements:
1) Thus far as we have been learning to understand and apply the things God is teaching us about how to Love Like Jesus, we can conclude that the fuel for this highest level of love (agape) is obedience to the word of God and the Holy Spirit of God, but also fervent prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, as we have heard from the Apostle Paul. (Eph 3:14 – 3:21) Factoid: A head full of “knowledge” will only make us more guilty in the day of judgment because we knew just “what” to do but chose rather not to do it. Paul taught the Corinthians: (1 Cor 8:1 ) 1Co 8:1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
2) The Prophet Micah teaches us that it is not the size nor quality of our offerings to God that “Impress” God (in this case our sacrifices,… things that are dear to us or cost us the most) but to do justly, to Love Mercy, and walk humbly, which is to say be honest and fair, flexible, and prayerful toward each other and all others outside of the body of Christ.
3) Jesus’ teaching in Luke’s Gospel is written to the ones who “hear Him”, which means that some are not listening to God, but for the ones who are, (hopefully us) we are to tenderly handle antagonists, even against their hatred, cursing, and abuse toward us, which is exactly what God has done toward us when we were not saved; This is the heart of walking in the Love of Jesus! Saul of Tarsus began to Walk Out The Requirements of the Love of Jesus and became Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles, when he realized the requirement to forsake the works based righteousness of traditional Judaism, and trust completely in the Finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary, and be lead by the Holy Spirit of God to understand and apply the true interpretation of the Scriptures, and to dedicate the rest of his life to spreading this Gospel as far as humanly possible in his time, regardless of the toll of personal suffering and discomfort it cost till the day of his death. Onesimus the runaway slave who stole from his owner Philemon, began to walk out the requirements of the love of Jesus, when he was saved through hearing the Gospel from Paul in the prison and was then sent back to Philemon his owner with a letter requesting forgiveness for all of his wrong doing against Philemon, and a request to charge whatever wrong Onesimus had done rather to the account of Paul. In the general epistle of James, he closes out this profound word from God to the Church by indicating how we as members of the body of Christ are to operate one to another in the area of oversight and forgiveness by saying: Jas 5:19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, Jas 5:20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.