The Life of Love 1 John 3:1-3NLT
Traits: gentleness, soft spoken, wisdom from above, every trait comes from God’s love. Concern, prayerful heart, sweet spirit, caring etc.
Pray that God will help me to quit smoking! I asked him one question: “Do you think God smokes.”
Q&A: “Do you think God is loving, gentle, soft spoken?”
1 John 3:1-3NLT See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.
AMP. See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.
2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall as God’s children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is.
3 And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless).
Give me some traits of an unloving spirit? Unlike God or the Spirit of the AntiChrist.
When you get to heaven you won’t be asked “Were you Pentecost?” No, you will be told that you have the traits of your Father- Father God.
Story: Attitudes of love
Ephesians 4:1-3NLT Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
Traits of the AntiChrist: Resentment, gossip, back-bitting, saying hurtful things, Not willing to take criticism, evil thoughts that produce schemes.
Matthew 5:43-48NLT “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Here at Crane Eater Community we should always look for faces, faces we don’t know, sad faces, scared faces, unsure faces.
Who’s your brother and sister? Everyone.
If you’re born again the life of love is within, so allow this life-love to flow to you and through you.
1 John 4:19-20NLT We love each other because he loved us first. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
Everyone wants to love- and be loved.
True love becomes obscured in all the verbiage and confused by counterfeits.
True love moves beyond talk into action.
True love is also others- centered.
How can we respond to such sacrificial, self love?
1 John 4:11-12NLT Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
Benediction.
