Christian Foundations (3) - Walking in Love
The Foundation for our Christian life is Jesus Christ Himself, who lives in us, when we believe the Gospel and receive Him as our Saviour and Lord (1Corinthians 3:11, Matthew 7:24-27). God has given us the MILK of the Word, so that we may grow spiritually from being a baby to being mature (1Peter 2:2, 1Corinthians 3:1-3). We grow to maturity by receiving and obeying (putting into practice) the MILK (Hebrews 5:13-14, James 1:22). The best measure of our SPIRITUAL MATURITY, developed through obeying the TRUTH (the MILK of the WORD) is how much we WALK in LOVE (1Peter 1:22, 1 Corinthians 13:2-3). Thus the MILK is designed to develop the LOVE of God in us. Peter commands us to keep increasing in love (1:22). The basis for this love is the rebirth of our spirit, by the incorruptible Seed (Word) of God, so now God’s incorruptible life and love now abide in our spirit (1:23-25).
The Milk of the Word is able to cause us to grow in love, for as we (1) desire and drink (receive) it, and (2) do it (2:2), then (3) the love of God in our spirit will increasingly fill and control our soul. We grow spiritually by (1) receiving God’s love into our soul by faith, and then (2) yielding to it and expressing it in our words and actions. Then, in this way, (3) God’s love is developed and perfected in us (1John 2:5-6), through His Spirit of love indwelling and filling our soul: “(1) We have known and believed the love that God has for us. (2) God is love; and he who dwells in love (by walking in love), dwells in God, and (3) God (who is love) dwells in him” (1John 4:16). “(1) Beloved, if God so loved us, (2) we also ought to love one another... If we love one another, then (3) God dwells in us (walking in love causes more of His Spirit of love to flow into and fill our heart), and His love is perfected in us” (1John 4:11-12). To be perfected in love is spiritual maturity.
“Love is of God; and everyone who loves is (1) born of God and (2) knows God” (1John 4:7). God is the Source of all love, so for you to walk in love, you must (1) be born of God (so you have His love in you), and (2) be walking in fellowship with God (so you are connecting with His love - receiving and expressing His love). (1) As children of God, His love-nature is inside us, we have God’s love in our spirit (Romans 5:5, Galatians 5:22), and (2) as we yield to that spirit of love, the fruit of the Spirit will come forth into our soul and be manifested in our life. SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the process of God’s Spirit, life and love in our spirit, increasingly flowing into our soul and filling it (Ephesians 5:18), as we receive and release His love, forming our character, making us more like Jesus.
Love in its essence is not a feeling, attitude or commitment. These are the effects that love has on our soul. LOVE is a SPIRITUAL reality. Love comes from the Presence of God in us, for “God is love” (1John 4:8), and the Source of all love, for: “Love is of God” (1John 4:7). We cannot generate true love from our own soul. It is the result of yielding to the Grace of the Spirit in us. So to grow in love requires that we live by the first 2 foundational doctrines in Hebrews 6:1-2: FAITH toward God and REPENTANCE from dead works. We need to realise we don’t have love in ourselves, so we must continually receive God’s love from His Spirit by faith, just as we know we need oxygen, and so continually receive oxygen from the air by breathing.
Spiritual growth is the perfecting of God’s love in us, so we must know where it comes from (the Holy Spirit in our spirit), how to receive it (into our heart), and yield to it (in our actions), if we are to grow in love. “We LOVE Him because He first LOVED us” (1John 4:19), so we must first pray for a revelation of His love (Ephesians 3:14-21). As your vision of His love for us expands, our heart opens to know and receive more of His love, and be filled with His love, which in turn increases our capacity to love God and others. We need to trust in the love of God in us, because it is what empowers our spiritual growth. As we yield to the love of God in us and walk in it, His love will be perfected in us, but we have to (1) RECEIVE it into our heart, and (2) ACTION it - put it into practice (Matthew 5:44-48, Ephesians 5:1-2, 1John 2:5-6, 4:7-16).
The Milk of the Word is able to cause us to grow in love, for as we (1) desire and drink (receive) it, and (2) do it (2:2), then (3) the love of God in our spirit will increasingly fill and control our soul. We grow spiritually by (1) receiving God’s love into our soul by faith, and then (2) yielding to it and expressing it in our words and actions. Then, in this way, (3) God’s love is developed and perfected in us (1John 2:5-6), through His Spirit of love indwelling and filling our soul: “(1) We have known and believed the love that God has for us. (2) God is love; and he who dwells in love (by walking in love), dwells in God, and (3) God (who is love) dwells in him” (1John 4:16). “(1) Beloved, if God so loved us, (2) we also ought to love one another... If we love one another, then (3) God dwells in us (walking in love causes more of His Spirit of love to flow into and fill our heart), and His love is perfected in us” (1John 4:11-12). To be perfected in love is spiritual maturity.
“Love is of God; and everyone who loves is (1) born of God and (2) knows God” (1John 4:7). God is the Source of all love, so for you to walk in love, you must (1) be born of God (so you have His love in you), and (2) be walking in fellowship with God (so you are connecting with His love - receiving and expressing His love). (1) As children of God, His love-nature is inside us, we have God’s love in our spirit (Romans 5:5, Galatians 5:22), and (2) as we yield to that spirit of love, the fruit of the Spirit will come forth into our soul and be manifested in our life. SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the process of God’s Spirit, life and love in our spirit, increasingly flowing into our soul and filling it (Ephesians 5:18), as we receive and release His love, forming our character, making us more like Jesus.
Love in its essence is not a feeling, attitude or commitment. These are the effects that love has on our soul. LOVE is a SPIRITUAL reality. Love comes from the Presence of God in us, for “God is love” (1John 4:8), and the Source of all love, for: “Love is of God” (1John 4:7). We cannot generate true love from our own soul. It is the result of yielding to the Grace of the Spirit in us. So to grow in love requires that we live by the first 2 foundational doctrines in Hebrews 6:1-2: FAITH toward God and REPENTANCE from dead works. We need to realise we don’t have love in ourselves, so we must continually receive God’s love from His Spirit by faith, just as we know we need oxygen, and so continually receive oxygen from the air by breathing.
Spiritual growth is the perfecting of God’s love in us, so we must know where it comes from (the Holy Spirit in our spirit), how to receive it (into our heart), and yield to it (in our actions), if we are to grow in love. “We LOVE Him because He first LOVED us” (1John 4:19), so we must first pray for a revelation of His love (Ephesians 3:14-21). As your vision of His love for us expands, our heart opens to know and receive more of His love, and be filled with His love, which in turn increases our capacity to love God and others. We need to trust in the love of God in us, because it is what empowers our spiritual growth. As we yield to the love of God in us and walk in it, His love will be perfected in us, but we have to (1) RECEIVE it into our heart, and (2) ACTION it - put it into practice (Matthew 5:44-48, Ephesians 5:1-2, 1John 2:5-6, 4:7-16).