November
2, 2003
NO
GREATER LOVE
"This
is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved
you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's
life for his friends" (John 15:12, 13, NKJV).
God was
in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians
5:19) and manifesting His love to all mankind. "It was
to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that
the King of glory became one with us... When we love the world
as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished.
We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts"
(Desire of Ages, p. 641).
Jesus
said, "If anyone loves Me, he will
keep My word; and My Father will love him and We will come
to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me
does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not
Mine but the Father's who sent Me" (John 14:23,
24). This promise of the Father and the Son coming to dwell
in us is fulfilled when we keep His word. The word is, "If
you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father,
and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with
you forever-- the Spirit of truth" (John 14:15-17).
We learn
to love God when we begin to recognize His values. His values
are lovingkindness, mercy, justice, truth and doing what is
right (see Jeremiah 9:23, 24 and Micah 6:8).
Consider
the following contrasting values:
|
The
values of our Creator:
Love
Faith
Hope
Honor
Acceptance
Mercy
Justice
Truth
Righteousness
Life
|
The
behaviors of the enemy of God and mankind who appears
to have no values:
Hate
Distrust
Hopelessness
Dishonor
Rejection
Cruelty
Injustice
Lies
Wrongdoing - Sin (James 4:17)
Death
|
The list
can go on and on. Jesus came to show us a better way; and
then he guaranteed our acceptance by the Father of true values
and freedom. It is the enemy of true values and freedom that
creates havoc, destruction and death in our lives.
With
God's Spirit living in us we are transformed more and more
into His likeness, His values, His loving and kind ways. By
rejecting His Spirit's pleading, we fall into the traps of
the enemy of our souls.
"If
we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been
perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and
He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit" (1 John
4:12, 13).
|
