We Love Jesus
If we don’t worship God we will worship something else.
“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” (Romans 1:21-25)
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14:21)
We Love Each Other
We are commanded to love everyone.
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” (Luke 6:35)
But we are especially instructed to love other Christians.
“This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:17)
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow-man has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)
“Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.” (1 Thessalonians 4:9)
“Keep on loving each other as brothers.” (Hebrews 13:1)
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (1 Peter 1:22)
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)
“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” (1 John 3:11)
“And he has given us the command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:21)
Our love for one another is evidence of our love for God.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
Our love for one another reflects the love that God has for us.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)
Our love for one another is practical.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” (1 John 3:16-17)
We Love Gymea
Our first responsibility is to help those who are closest to us (family).
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8)
Our next responsibility is to other believers - our church, and then believers further away.
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10)
We also have responsibility to non-Christians in need when opportunities arise. We must make sure that we are not ignoring needs that are right in front of us. We should have a special concern for those who cannot help themselves. Ultimately we have a responsibility to boldly and unashamedly proclaim the gospel. Jesus must be offered as the only solution for the very thing we can’t do on our own - make ourselves better or save ourselves.
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14-15)
Please keep praying for us as we grow in love for Jesus, each other and Gymea!
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