"And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it." 2John:6
What is love? It is to walk after His commandments. The Lord said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). The Lord's commandments are more than the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are basic to government and basic to civilization, but the Christian is called to a higher plane where he is to produce in his life, by the Spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering. If these things are in us and abide in us, we are walking after His commandments. If they are not in us, we are not walking after them.
"And this is love." Love is not made in the bedroom ~ it is made in the kitchen, where she cooks and washes dishes. Love in not made in the den ~ it's made when he brings home the paycheck to support his family. This is a way in which we express love within our families. The way to express love in the church is the way you show your concern and the way you help others. You cannot say that you love someone unless you have a concern for them ~ especially a concern for their spiritual welfare.
"And this is love, that we walk after his commandments." Now we are getting down to where the rubber meets the road! This is sidewalk salvation folks! It is that which can walk down the street. You must recall that men like John and Paul were writing to people who lived in the Roman world. In Paul's day the emperor was bloody Nero. John saw one emperor after another rise who persecuted the Christians. Beginning with Titus, the Roman general who destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the persecution was severe. The Roman world was a brutal world, a cruel world, a world that was pagan to the core. And yet here were men and women who were walking down Roman roads, living in pagan cities, and they were walking after His commandments. They were translating the gospel into life. This is the "love" that is desperately needed in our lives today!
"This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it." In other words, this is not to be put on ice, or stored on a shelf folks. You have heard it from the beginning! The Lord Jesus taught this. Now, let's get busy and walk in it! Let's manifest love to those outside!
May your Valentine's Day be blessed as you share the "LOVE" of Christ Jesus.
Love in Christ Jesus, Sandy |
