And eternal life is this: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. John 17: 3
I want to go over some points we learned previously on how to know God and Christ Jesus.
Jesus said: Whoever sees me sees the Father.
1. People had to look to Jesus to see God.
2. In the same way, the world has to look to us to see Jesus.
Today I will use another text that the apostle John writes about “knowing God”.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4: 8.
How to define love? Are there any definitions for love?
We can define as an absolute “dedication” from one being to another, an “affection” among family members, a burning “feeling” from one person to the other, a feeling of adoration, etc.,
A. Defining love is not an easy task, because for each person, love can express something different.
Let’s look at how the Bible defines love and not how people, philosophers, ideology, the world define love.
Love cannot be demonstrated by words alone, but it must be shown in a practical and objective way.
As someone said: Love does not define God, but God defines love.
God is the source of love and God is love.
1st point: Love is True and Sincere.
Little children, let us not love in word or mouth, but in action and in truth.
1 John: 3: 18
Only in truth and in action can we demonstrate love, love must be seen and expressed.
You may even say that you love someone, but words alone mean nothing. In Brazil we have an expression that says, “even parrots can speak”.
It is our actions and attitudes that will prove whether we truly love.
It is our actions that define our words.
There is a generic love circulating within Churches, a false love, a worldly, satanic love.
And it scares me because it is very similar, it deceives us, it is almost impossible to tell one from the other. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to detect a false from a true Lover.
Time will prove whether our love is false or true, because just like fake money, it has no real value, so it is with false love.
You see, the love that you see in movies, in shows, on the Internet, in this world, what you are seeing are two money bills, which are identical, very similar, but one is false and the other is true. No, it’s a joke, both are true.
Suppose a bill is fake, how would you identify it with the naked eye? Just by examining it? There is no way, if we do not detect the fake bill, it will continue to circulate, and it could be dangerous if it lands in our hands. You could suffer a penalty, be criminalized. Usually, to detect fake bills, a detector or a special pen is used, and if this specific line becomes dark it means it is fake.
People exploit each other, they have have sex before marriage.
This is not love, this is what films show, they lie for love and betray for love.
We see people in their 3rd, 4th or 5th marriage, all in the name of love, why? They no longer love each other, or worse, they are married but already ‘in love’ with another person, and there is more, they want the pastor to accept it, the Church to accept it, all of this in the name of love.
In the name of love, parents kill children, children kill their parents, all because of a new marriage, a new relationship, a new lover.
In the name of love nations are destroying themselves, but true love does not give you the right to kill and take anyone’s life.
And this is what Jesus said:
2 You will be expelled from the synagogues;
in fact, the time will come when those who kill them will think they are worshiping God. 3 They will do these things because they have known neither the Father nor me. John: 16: 2-3.
In the name of love, people commit suicide because of an unrequited relationship. All in the name of a love that is not really love.
That’s why Jesus said:
“Due to the increase in evil, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew: 24: 12
Here is the answer to the increase in sin, the violence that generates so much evil: Love is getting cold!
1st Corinthians: 13: 8. Love never ends. Other translations say: it never perishes.
The word here, to perish or end, is the Greek word: “EKPIPTO”
Which means to fall, to collapse, to fall from a place where you cannot remain, so it is literally to fall to the ground, to fall without strength, to be without vigor.
A love that is not true, that is false, will fall, will lose its strength and in time will reveal with which you are building this love.
When the fire comes, the storm and the difficulties will be revealed in truth.
“Therefore, whoever hears these words of mine and practices them is like a prudent man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers overflowed, the winds blew and hit that house, and it did not fall, because it had its foundations in the rock. 26 But whoever hears these words of mine and does not practice them is like a fool who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers overflowed, the winds blew and hit that house, and it fell. And his fall was great ”.
Matthew: 7: 24-27
If our love is being built on the Eternal Rock that is Jesus, it will remain, it will not fall, because the foundation that sustains this love in us is Jesus.
People can offend and hurt us, let’s forgive.
They can curse us, they can chase after us, they can take our cloak, our tunic.
However we will love our enemies, we will turn the other cheek, our love will not fail, but it will remain forever.
If we build our spiritual life in Jesus. “And not in a false religion, a false love, a false humility, a false sanctity, a false cry, a false repentance, a false embrace, a false peace, a false belief, then love will remain!”
Here in this earth everything is mixed: the false prophets and the false believers and there is no way to separate or detect the fake from the real one.
Jesus said that when the holy angels come they will separate the wheat from the chaff, the goats from the sheep, the Holy from the profane. It is not for us to judge, but we have to preach the word, speak the truth and exhort.
“If anyone builds on that foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw” 1st Corinthians: 3:12.
On what foundation are you building your love? If you are working hard and choosing everlasting resources, gold, silver or precious stones, it will remain and not fall.
But if you take the easy way out, wood, hay or straw, when the storm comes it will not remain, it will fall. When the fire of ordeal comes it will burn and suffer damage.
2nd. Love is infinite, it is eternal.
The Lord appeared to him in the past, saying: “I loved you with eternal love; With loyal love I attract you. Jeremiah: 31: 3
I “loved” you, this verb in the original is in the imperfect past tense that indicates a past action not yet complete, a lasting action or an action that usually happens.
It is a love of a continuous existence, an eternal, infinite love that continues on to love eternally. Referring to the past and the future, it a love that remains and goes on endlessly.
However, what we see in the church today is a love like fog, vapor, which soon fades, dissipates. One day they are loving the Lord, going to services, showing devotion, the next day it all suddenly disappears.
Today they read their Bible, tomorrow they no longer read it.
This week they give their tithe and his offering, but the week after he is no longer faithful.
What love is this? If I love my wife and family then my desire is to be with my wife and family.
When your love is true you want to be close to God every day, every meeting, every service, every prayer, reading the Bible every day.
Your heart is burning for Jesus at all times, burning with flames of love for Him, and there are no obstacles, nothing that prevents you from being with Him.
The love that comes from God doesn’t make exceptions, no matter the individual, whether he is a murderer, a thief, a drug addict, a prostitute, whether the person is aware His love or not, we must love them, because love is a gift that we receive from God.
Love is generous, it is voluntary, not an exchange of favors.
Love leads us to have character, zeal, dedication, holiness, passion, enthusiasm.
Love is the essence of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a gift from God.
God poured out His love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5: 5
We receive love with the action of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, because love is a fruit of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is Love. Galatians 5:22
Love is the only new commandment that Jesus gave.
“I give you a new commandment: Love one another. As I loved you, you must love one another. 35 With that everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another ”.
John 13: 34-35.
Love is not only for close friends, family but also for your enemies.
But I say: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44
Love changes the way we live and how we relate to people, makes us see people with different eyes, we see them as the image of God.
I want to conclude with my testimony:
My routine is usually: I work all week during the day getting up at 5am. Tuesday I have leaders’ meeting and Wednesday I have a cell meeting in the evening, some other nights I have discipleships. Wednesday and Friday morning I’m in church at 5:30am for intercession. On Saturday afternoons I go for discipleships and visits and usually arrive around 9 or 10pm at home. Every Sunday I am at the church an hour and a half before the service for prayer.
Now, I’m not going out as much because of the lockdown.
But what shocks me most is when people ask me: How do you do it? How do you handle it?
Some ask as if it were a load, or something very difficult. And yes, it is logical that the body gets tired. But I will answer with a bible text.
Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, but it seemed like a few days, as much as he loved her. Genesis 29:20.
The women in the bible often symbolizes the Church, the bride of Christ. If you love, leave the place where you are, your comfort zone, your house, your couch in front of the television, get up from this place you havefallen.
One day Jesus will challenge you saying,
“I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was sick, I was in prison and you didn’t come to visit me.” Matthew 25:35
We cannot say that we do not have time for God. The Church needs to get back up from the place where it has fallen so God can restore it.
“But I have it against you that you abandoned your first love. 5 Remember, therefore, where you fell, repent and return to the practice of the first works; and if not, I will come to you and I will move your lamp from its place, if you do not regret it.”
Revelation: 4-5
If you are tired, God is able to make the tired strong and renew the strength of those who lack strength. If you have sinned, repent and ask for forgiveness. Today is a day for self-assessment, with what kind of love are you loving Jesus? How deep is it? What is the level? How intense is our love for Jesus?
Conclusion: Love is true and sincere, infinite and eternal. Love is a gift from God. Love must be expressed in practical ways. When Jesus asked Peter if he loved him and Peter said yes, Jesus said to him: If you love me, feed my sheep. Whoever loves will take care of the lost and give his life for them. I want to challenge you to put that love in practice. Love the Lord more and your comfort and leisure less. For it is your practical love that will be taken into account when your works are tested by fire. Prayer: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, this week, in the name of Jesus. And amen.