Love, Not Lip Service

I John‬ ‭4:7‭-‬11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ [7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. [8] He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. [9] In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. [10] In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Can we say that we love God if we aren't loving others? John tells us that if we do not love, we do not know God. Why is that? Simply because God IS love. Love is not just an attribute of God; God IS love. How did He prove His love, and that He is love? He proved it on the cruel cross that He allowed Himself to be nailed to. He proved it when He poured His own wrath, for our sins, upon Himself; when He became flesh and dwelt among us. God the Son came to show us that He is love, by laying down His life for us. He rose again, and now offers us eternal life freely because He paid the price. He calls us to love one another, as He has loved us. That being said, let us be reminded that loving one another isn't just saying, "Love you, brother/sister." No, loving one another is about demonstrating it with our actions, with our attitudes, and with our lives. Loving others, as God loved us, is about taking up our cross daily and putting the needs of others before our own, as God leads. It means that we are willing to sacrifice for the benefit of others. The best way to do that is to cast our cares and burdens upon the One who cares for us (1 Peter 5:7); thereby being free to take up the burdens of others (Galatians 6:2). Let us not love with lip service. Instead, let us love with service to God and others.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).