“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7). Jesus’ mandate to the church is to “love God and love others”. One of the biblical pictures of the church is “the Bride”. You can’t say you love Jesus, and not love His church. If you truly love Jesus, you will also love His church and desire to be intimately connected with other followers of Christ. This is our Spiritual family. This is the heart of God. Ephesians chapter 5 talks about the relationship between a husband and wife and compares it to Christ‟s relationship with the church. Verse 32 says, “this is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you must also love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” Jesus wants us to enact the same love He has for us by showing that love for one another. The heart of God longs for people to know His love for them and allow that love to flow out to others. Romans 5:5 says that when we accept God’s love for us, it flows through us. As His love flows through us it purifies our motives and helps to make sure that the very foundations of the church are built on the practice of loving God and loving others.
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
We, the church, are called to be witnesses of God’s love to the world. The best witness we can be is to love one another as Christ has loved us.
God bless, have a great week.
Love to you all,
Glenda.