THE END OF THE COMMANDMENT. 1 Timothy 1:5. From the heart, genuine, uncontaminated love has been the core from the beginning. It started with One who loved the objects of His creative love: “Herein is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us…” That love was expressed through evening walks and heart-to-heart talks with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, revealing new thoughts and opening vistas of God’s heart, mind, and soul to those He loved.
Other words of God that came from the heights of Sinai to sinful men were written and recited. They came loud and clear amidst the bolts of light from colliding atoms, and an unseen hand began to carve in stone the reason for the law – “I have loved thee.”
Self-interest and counterfeit faith have nowhere to hide and cannot provide rest for a sin-weary soul. In love, emanating from the pure heart of a faithful servant and steward of God’s grace, comes a message of love guided and directed by the Spirit of God. Such faith in One unseen emerges fully and freshly from a grateful heart, and along with this faith is a divinely given love that flows from a pure heart.
Like a lone figure on a solitary hilltop, now surrounded by watching eyes, stands the ultimate proof of “charity out of a pure heart” – “God so loved.” The fulfillment of the commandment is proclaimed to the entire world: “Herein is love…God loved us,” now, “We love Him…”, “Love one another.”
Faith is the foundation upon which the message of God's redeeming grace is built. Hope is the attitude that directs our focus to the core of the salvation message and the reason we share the Gospel. Love is how the foundation and purpose of the message reach the hearts and minds of those who hear. It is the action that brings about the outcome God desires. Love is the selfless concern for others and their well-being. “God demonstrated His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Like Paul, our purpose in life is to “live Christ” and promote love by loving one another as Christ loved us. That is how people recognize we are His disciples. Our love reveals who we are inside. When our attitudes and motives are rooted in love, our hearts will be pure and free from sin's power and presence. When that is true, we will be driven by a sincere desire to please God.
When we please God, we will have a clear conscience that is guided by the word of God, led by the Spirit of God, and free from condemnation through the grace of God. Then, our faith in God will be certain, genuine, and steady because our love will be authentic, consistent, and lasting. Love comes from God because it reflects His nature. Love is a fruit of the Spirit, not merely a gift of the Spirit. By its nature, love unites us and governs our actions. We can only love as God intends through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is difficult to love as God requires because it only happens when we are truly dependent on Him to do for us and through us what we cannot do on our own. The objects of our love are often unlovable and may even reject love when it is given. Even then, we are called to return with more love.
Love is the lifeblood of the Body of Christ. It is what makes the gifts work. It gives value and real meaning to what a person does. Faith, dedication, sacrifice, and power produce very little lasting impact unless they are motivated by love. Without love, irritation, anger, and even division can result from using one's gift in the energy of the flesh. The love of God can reach every area of life and fill all those empty spaces where grace is needed. The enriching power of God's love can strengthen and heal the weak saints and help control those vigorous individuals who tend to push forward by their own personalities and act without divine guidance.
Love strengthens the Lord's people in their faith by guiding us to Jesus Christ and transforming our work from mere duty into an act of love. It prevents us from taking pleasure in another person's suffering but helps us to empathize with others properly. When all other efforts fail or come to an end, love endures, and through the unity of God's people and the recognition of the value of diverse gifts, maturity will develop and be sustained through divine love working within the divine nature that God grants His people.
The best way to show love is to love God fully; love others the way God loves us, regardless of whether they want to be loved or not. People can't see God, but they can see His love in us when we act like Him. This confirms our Christian faith in a tangible way. Loving one another is the clearest sign that someone is a Christian [Jn.13.34-35]. To understand this: read about it in the Bible, meditate with God, stop trying to impress God, pray and thank Him for His love, let God love you, and cherish His love in your life. "NOW ABIDE FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE; AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE."
The supremacy of love, referred to as a better “Way” in 1 Corinthians 12:31, is in the sense of a road rather than a manner of life. The power of expression is determined by the heart, not diction. The importance and value of love are clearly emphasized throughout the scriptures. Extreme efforts by humans may lead to sacrificing property and personal lives, but even such sacrifices can occur without love. The rights and virtue of love become evident when we love our brothers and sisters. This is far more important than religious actions.
One of the greatest things a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to His children. Love is eternal in its nature because God is love, and He is its source. Love is timeless in its value. Love embodies patience, kindness, generosity, humility, courtesy, unselfishness, good temper, guilelessness, and sincerity. Love is fullness in its completeness. Love holds the capacity for wholeness. The love of Christ in a believer enables us to know our Lord Jesus better and become more like Him in our walk. When we see Him visibly, we will recognize Him as He knows us now.
Spiritual gifts are given to strengthen faith and provide a solid assurance of hope based on God's promises. Faith will become sight when we are changed, and the confident hope we have in God's promises will be fulfilled. Love will stay the same because we will be like our Lord, who is Love. Love is sincere—honest and straightforward—never trying to second-guess anyone, and genuine—I truly mean what I say.
Love surpasses all other qualities as the ultimate in the human heart, mind, and will – it embodies Christ in you! Among all signs of Christ-like character a person can display, love is the most significant. Throughout every part of our Lord’s time on earth, it was clear He loved His Father and us. I want to be like this when people see me – to know I love God and others.