Love of God in Action!

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” – Romans 12:9-13 NIV

Because God has loved us first, we ought to pass the love of God to one another by loving others in Christ Jesus (1 John 4:7-21), since this is also the second greatest commandment of God (Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31) and the law of the Spirit of God (Romans 13:8-10).  This means that we have to love our enemies as well (Luke 6:27-36). The main reason why we have to love one another in Christ Jesus is that each of us actually are members of His body (1 Corinthians 12:27) and love brings all of us in unity (Colossians 3:12-14). This is probably because love covers every kinds of sin (1 Peter 4:8).

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:1-7)

Since we are members of Christ Jesus, it is good to come together and be united in prayer and to worship the Lord and to fellowship with each other, just like what the early believers did (Acts 2:42-47).   This is the main reason why churches are available in this world, so we can be united as a body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:4-5) This does not mean that we have to come together in churches, just to worship the Lord and fellowship with each other. We can and have to do these priorities outside of churches as well, as each one of us are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:19-22).

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:19-25)     

However, when we worship the Lord, Almighty, we have to be filled with the Spirit of God every single moment, even though we do not come together to worship Him. Worshiping the Lord is our biggest priorities that we have to do, as it is the main reason why we are on the earth (Romans 12:1-2).Therefore, we ought to crucify our nature, such as desires and passions (Galatians 5:24-25), due to the fact that we are not be able to serve both God and the world (Matthew 6:24). This is because the desires of the Spirit is contrary to the desires of our own nature (Galatians 5:17). Thus, Jesus promptly declares,

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. (Mattthew 16:24-27)