I John 4:18-20 Verse 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear drives out punishment. (So the one who fears is not complete in love.) Verse 19 We love because He first loved us. Verse 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. The person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
This can be a scary verse. Now, sometimes we hate what our brothers and sisters do, but not them. With our Christian brothers and sisters, it is sometimes hard to tell what we hate. Mostly, if the hurt goes deep into the soul. I believe the soul carries your emotions. I’ve not read that anywhere, so I could be wrong.
I believe the fear comes into play because they are afraid to meet the Lord with this guilt of not being able to forgive or love a brother. This in itself is punishment. This can keep you from moving forward. The only way to move forward is to ask Jesus, through the Holy Spirit to help you. It will not happen overnight. If this person keeps adding hurt to your plate, it will take longer. Keep trying. It will be on them and not you.
In your prayers, always ask God to put more love in your heart for Him. The more you love Him, the easier it is to love other people.
We love because He first loved us. Someday we will face the One we love and the One who loves us. Our love for an unseen God is expressed in our love for God’s children….our brothers and sisters in Christ. We don’t love them because there is something about their personality we like and so forth. But because they are a child of God. With the completeness of love, we must be willing to sacrifice for them. Then truly, love is completed.
Dear Ones of the Lord Jesus, it is love that gives our lives the fullness with peace and joy for our journey here on this earth. Remember when you fell in love for the first time and how your heart became so full that you did not know if you could contain that love within you. We need to strive to carry within us a fullness of love for Jesus Christ. As we mature in our love for Jesus Christ, we are able to love others more fully. For when we love Jesus to the point where we cannot contain it, the love flows in such a way that others around you feels that love. That is when you carry God’s presence’s and majesty to others. It is here that you feel God’s perfect peace.
I have seen Christians become so hostile to the sins of others. They are especially hostile to other Christians. Our heart is to look at others in love. Does your heart feel the presences of God when you approach others in sin. There is a saying, and I do not know who began this but it says something like, “Don’t judge others because their sin is different than yours.”
In Matthew 18:15-20, gives further instructions on how to approach those that need Christian discipline. This is a command on how we are to do this discipline. First we are to go to them privately with deep love. If they repent,he is then restored in the fellowship of God and service. If there is no repentance, we are to take one or two more with us and speak to them. These other will be witnesses. If there is still no repentance, then you go to the church. We are to keep God’s name holy.
Beloved, in all these steps, they must be covered with deep prayer to have the Holy Spirit go before you. You must carry with you God’s love and His presences. You must feel the pain that Jesus feels over this precious wounded one. In Luke 15:4, Jesus talks about leaving 99 sheep to look for one.
Matthew 7:1-5, speaks about removing the log out of your eye before removing the speck in another’s persons eye. This must be done before you approacyh another and this must be done with scripture. The same scripture that Jesus uses to judge. Consider this passage as qualification of you judging. Christian discipline should be the highest form of Love. Any other form is sin.
I can not remember Jesus being hostile to any individual in sin. Yes, He was angry with groups of religious leaders and in the temple, but never individuals. If you know of any scripture in the New Testament, please let me know.
Let me again, state the importance of asking God daily to put more love in your heart for Him. The more you love Him, the more you are able to love others. I did not think I could love my husband, children and grandchildren any more than I did at some point in time in the past. Your love to others can grow by leaps and bounds. Then your ministry can grow by leaps and bounds. You being a servant of Jesus Christ can grow deeper. Your love can cause the Holy Spirit to move in greater power. More love can move you deeper into God’s heart. You can express God’s love to the world in ways you never imagined.
Now for the all importance of Saul’s conversion to Paul on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:4). It says, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Jesus did not say why are you persecuting my children. Jesus said, “persecuting Me.” When the Lord repeats a name twice, you better listen because He means it is very important. When the Lord brought this to my attention, I immediately thought of cross words to my husband and other Christians. It is the same as those words being said to Jesus.
I pray that your heart is so filled with love, that you remember this before the fact and not afterwards, as sometimes I do. Ask Jesus to put more love in your heart starting now.
