Springs Article 2021-02 (3)
1 Corinthians 13:4-13
Mark 12:29-33
Matthew 5:43-48
Why is love the greatest commandment?
- God is love!
- 1 John 4:7-8
- God created mankind in His own image and after His own likeness
- God created you for the purpose of relationship (intimacy) with Himself
- Genesis 1:26-27, Revelation 4:11
- God loves you more than you love yourself. Your love for yourself is selfish and limited by what you know; God’s love for you is righteous and unlimited
How can I walk in God’s love?
- The first step is receiving God’s Love. You do this by believing and confessing Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour
- John 3:16, Romans 5:1-5, 1 John 4:19
- The second step is responding to God’s Love. You do this by submitting and yielding yourself to ‘the Word and the Spirit’ of God
- Ephesians 5:1-2, John 15:10
Why is loving God more important than loving your neighbour?
- You cannot love your neighbour properly without being motivated by the love of God
- Loving the creator properly leads to loving the creation properly
- Loving the creation ahead of the creator is idolatry
- Exodus 20:1-6, Mark 12:29-31, Romans 1:25
- The first response to God’s love is to love God back with everything. You cannot do this without embracing ‘humility and obedience’
- The second response to God’s love is to love your neighbour (fellow human being) with the love you have received from God
- Loving your neighbour selfishly is not true love
- Loving your neighbour properly demonstrates that you love God properly
What is the relationship between love and truth?
- The love of God is based on truth and righteousness!
- The love of God involves both mercy and justice
- Goodness is incomplete without truth and justice
- Love rejoices in truth and always aims to promote the righteousness of God
- 1 Corinthians 13:6-7
How can I reach out to people living in sin?
- God loves everyone and He doesn’t want anyone to perish!
- God wants all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth
- 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9
- God loves the sinner despite their sin. However, God never wants people living in sin to remain the way they are
- You are to love the sinner but hate their sin
- You are to show love (patience, kindness, mercy) to the sinner in order to get their hearts to open up to the Word of God
- You are to speak the truth in love, Ephesians 4:15
- Tell the sinner the truth about their sin and their need for the Saviour
- Loving the sinner includes praying (interceding) for their salvation and speaking (preaching the gospel) to them in love
How can I be sure to make Heaven?
- Put God (YHVH) and His Son (Jesus Christ) first in everything:
- Believe and confess Jesus Christ as your one and only Lord and Saviour
- Humble yourself before the Lord
- Believe the Word of God
- Abstain from Idolatry and Immorality
- Repent quickly and forgive quickly
- Serve God with your time, skills and money
- Live by Faith, walk in Love and persevere in Hope
- Abide in Christ (devotion and service)
- Live for God’s glory (obedience)