April 7, 2006

 

Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.

 

--1 John 2:8-9

 

Yesterday, we talked about how we, as followers of Christ, can love others because He first loved us.

 

Today, we’re going to talk about how God empowers us to love others. That’s what the verses above are talking about… how we move from the darkness of indifference towards others to being able to show them love and grace.

 

Did you know that God never commands us to do anything He won’t enable us to do? It would be unfair for God to expect something of us that we couldn’t do.

 

So what does God do? His fills us with His love, which gives us a greater capacity to love others.

 

God has commanded you and me to love others.   In fact, Jesus tells us in Luke 10:27, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

 

This is the bottom line according to Jesus! Your neighbor is anyone who is in need. And because we can see others through eyes of love, our hearts should beat for people a different way.

 

GOD GIVES US THE POWER TO MOVE FROM INDIFFERENCE TO LOVE FOR OTHERS.