Striving In Love Together

A huge misconception about relationships today is the concept of, “As long as I make my spouse or other relationships #1 priority, than those relationships will be guaranteed to prosper.” Man continues (even believers) to believe that any kind of life can be built upon only what we naturally bring to the table.

Here is a fact: Marriages and relationships between believers fail ever day! Not because of God’s failure of what He has given us, but what we fail to give to Him!!!

1) Love is the secret of true obedience to God

When we have feelings toward God as to a loving father, we will then consider it joyful to do His will.

We never take the perspective that Jesus is driving us forward with a whip.

We have godly sorrow when we fall short of obeying Him.

Who are those who always work the best? THOSE WHO WORK FOR LOVE.

Those who do the will of the Lord best are those who do it from the heart.

PARENTS! Do you want to raise your children right? Teach them to LOVE GOD!

2) Love is the secret of right behaviour towards our neighbor

This standard of love will create in you a desire in every way to do him good.

Remember how Jesus treated those who apposed Him.

For someone to feel loved creates in them a sense of confidence for that person.

We believe that that person would not on purpose do us harm or use us.

When we need a friend, we believe they will be there.

3) Christ speaks toward our duty with our feeling of love

Take a look at these standards:

(v29) “Lord” = one who is in a position of authority; master.

(v30) “love”

Deut. 10:12 “12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,”

(v30) “heart”

Often used metaphorically for the inner person.

(v30) “soul”

Can refer to a person’s inner life or to the life-principle.

The inner life of someone; whole inner person.

What produces a variety of internal human processes.

Or, the totality of a person.

(v30) “mind”

Denotes the seat of thinking and the place from which desires originate.

Also, the thoughts and desires that originate there.

Can refer to one’s ability to comprehend and understand.

(v30) “strength”

Capability, implying person potential.

Jesus is explaining a love that is of the strongest of all affections and the most comprehensive.

All the petty details are unnecessary.

There will no lack of intention when this kind of love is present.

There are no exemption clauses or get out of love free card when it comes to showing love.

4) Christ speaks to the measure of which we should love God

We are to love God far better than we love ourselves.

You may be surprised how much you love yourself when you begin to really love God above yourself.

For yourself: Laying in bed until noon, scrolling social media, video games, movies, sports, spending money, etc...

For God: Bible, prayer, family worship, giving, sharing the gospel, Sunday worship, etc...

You cannot love God too well!

There is never a fear if we are loving God too much.

Illustration: Car sensor peeping when getting too close to another car.

He is worthy of all the love we give Him.

Question: Why does God command us not to be unequally yoked together?

For a marriage to be pleasing to God, the two making a covenant together must be directing their greatest love toward God.

It is not primarily our love for each other that materialized a deep faithfulness to each other, but our deep love for God.

Without an eternal “constant,” our relationships will be at best temporary.

A changing world with changing circumstances and with changing struggles (+) God as our constant object of love = and unchanging commitment to our relationships.

5) Christ speaks to the measure of which we should love others

FACT: This is not a NATURAL feeling.

FACT: We are all born hateful, selfish and hating one another.

Titus 3.3 “3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.”

One of our pleasures could be loving others TOO MUCH!

It is easy to err when it comes to the level of affection we give to others.

There is risk of us shoring too much and too little.

Therefore, we need the RULE to love others as OURSELVES. No more, no less!!!

These two rules are essential for us to frame our practices when it comes to doing wrong or right in relation to God and man.

6) How is this standard of love possible for anyone to live?

Can anyone say they have loved God and man perfectly? NO!

With that answer, lets consider God’s law:

God’s law requires PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS (this includes perfect love)

The reason many undervalue the GOSPEL is due to their ignorance of God’s law.

This is why we need to atonement of Jesus Christ.

1 John 4:19 “19 We love him, because he first loved us.”

Surrendering our faith to Christ is equal to surrendering our love to Christ.

Peace with Him = Love for Him.

Then and only then will you find love for God.

Quote: “We cannot have fruits and flowers without roots.” (J.C. Ryle)

Quote: Faith in Christ is the true spring of love to God: they love most who feel forgiven.” (J.C. Ryle)

Ephesians 3:17 “17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,”

The only way to spread TRUE LOVE around the world is to teach the world about the atonement of Jesus Christ and the work of the Spirit.

7) Notice how religion brings someone short of being a child of God

Among the canonical gospels and the remainder of the New Testament, there is never mention of this man ever coming to faith in Jesus.

So many today continue in their life just like this man; intellectually religious, but inwardly dead.

To attain religion is NOT EQUAL to a relationship with God.

Quote: “We must not only know the leading doctrines of the gospel with out heads, but receive them into our hearts, and be guided by them in our lives. May we never rest till we are inside the kingdom of God, ti.. we have truly repented, really believed, and have been made new creatures in Christ Jesus. If we rest satisfied with being ‘not far from the kingdom,’ we shall find at last that we are shut out for evermore.” (J.C. Ryle)

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