Yet, our bodies must fall in line or we will never be able to show love and do what is required when the time comes to act on God's behalf. Some Christians call this sanctification or preparing the way for God to work through us. If we do not bring the flesh under control it will often hinder us. Righteousness and salvation come through Christ and only Him. Yet, to be a soldier and servant of Christ, you must train yourself to become an instrument that God can work through.

^{1 Corinthians 9:25-27}

²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

God=Love

Jesus=Love

Holy Spirit=spirit of love

We know that God is love for the Bible tells us so and from this we can deduce that Jesus (the Son of God) is also love and if that is a true statement then it only makes sense that the Holy Spirit is the essence or spirit of God and that spirit is also love.

If all these things are love then you can come to several other realizations.

God's Will=Love

God's Salvation=Love

God's Mercy=Love

Truth=Love

Light=Love

Righteousness=Love

Faith=is not only belief in Jesus Christ but also the love whereby He saved us and confidence in that love.

I know this sounds too simplistic and probably silly. However, it is a way of understanding connections in the Bible. Jesus says He is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is love so love is the way, the truth, and the life, just as an example. Anywhere in the Bible that states anything concerning the light, grace, truth, righteousness, etc. is just another way of describing love. Even Jesus says the great two commandments are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. When Jesus gives the disciples a new commandment, it is the commandment to love one another.

We are saved through an act of love by a God who loves us. Love is good and hate is evil. Love is life and hate is death. If you do not believe in this just read 1, 2, and 3 John. The message that they have heard from the beginning is the same thing that is mentioned in the first part of the Gospel of John. The one they handled, the word made flesh among men and the message that we have heard from the beginning is love. Jesus commands us to carry on the love He showed to us with passion and conviction.

1 John 1:1

1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We write this to make our joy complete.

There is no greater purpose for us than to bear fruit for Him and His praise and this is done through the soil of love. Love is how the world identifies us as believers, not a cross worn around the neck or a bible in our hip pocket. Love is the mark of excellence but love is a hard lesson to learn and most may find that it takes all their life to fully learn it (even with the Spirit's help).

We should be stirred up to love and now that we are aware of this commandment we must understand what love is. Their are many words in the Bible that mean love such as Jesus, spirit, truth, charity, word, grace, salvation, and righteousness because essentially all these words are rooted in love. Paul spells out so elequently the definition of love in the following verse.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

God loves us. Now it is up to us to love Him and love others. Jesus gave us a new commandment that supersedes the old. He gave us a commandment that is based off the "spirit" of the law which is to love one another. It is incredibly hard to be a Christian in this world because the world does not know or operate in God's perfected love. It is essential that we, as Christians, are humble, selfless, compassionate, patient, forgiving, and always seeking to shine God's love on someone.

Of course that sounds good but it is easier said than actually done. Our shortcomings in obeying this law of love are actually about our failure in our relationship with God. In order to bear fruit for Him and His glory we are going to have to spend some time with Him. As I have said in other posts, God doesn't repeat Himself for nothing and neither does Jesus.

John 15:12-17

12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

The world does not operate in love. It operates in status, arrogance, intellect, self-worth, greed, malice, and distrust. If we learn anything from the news these days, it is that there is not much you can trust in the world. Even world leaders and leaders of powerful organizations have their personal agendas and their corruption can be seen almost daily in TV news reports. Jesus offers us not only a salvation and righteousness that is through grace but another way to live.

Selfishness is at the root of our sinful nature and it leads to hate which in turn leads to death (spiritually). To be tough and independent and resourceful is what the world looks to but we Christians are to be humble and express the love that Jesus gave us to others around us. No where in the Bible is this message more resounding than in 1 John.

1 John 3:11-20

11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

16This 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. 17If 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? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

Hate is the exact opposite of that. A total self absorption, unforgiving, zealous for revenge, arrogant, boastful, mean spirited, competitive, and conceited. These are the fruits of hate and leads to bitterness, anger, and resentment. Once we start down the path of hate these expressions get stronger and swallow up our life.

Jesus commands us to love one another as He loved us. That is a pretty tall order but we must remind ourselves everyday of this commandment and strive to meet it.

Colossians 3:12-14

12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Despite all this, God did not create us to be that way. We were created not to be selfish and live in hate but to live as a community in selflessness. Christ shows this love through His redemption and cross. It is a shame what we have become but Jesus offers us a new way. He instructs us to love in the same way He loved us. He loved us not in arrogance, He did not come to rule over us or to judge us but to die for us so we could understand the essence of God's love. This encourages us to believe that His way is a better way.A decision must be made by each of us to change our lives from selfish and consumed by our own desires to His love which is selfless and consumed by His desire.

As Christians we may fall victim to the way of this world from time to time but our desire must be to move on in love. It is not an easy road and there will always be challenges. Hate is so cliche and only leads to death, but God offers us something more... His love.

^{Romans 12:9-13}

⁹Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹²Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

God has suffered us as we have spent thousands of years dishonoring Him and His ways. Seeking out our own ways and understanding. In arrogance, many have thrown God away and hated Him. Many are filled with disbelief and hate for God and His ways. Yet, His ways are about love, community, fairness, justice, peace, honor, and integrity. All He wants is our love and when we learn how to love Him that is when the most amazing change in our lives comes to reality.

No matter what we have done, no matter who we were at any time in our lives, He is open to mercy and forgiveness. My message in this continuing post on The Commandment of Love is simple. Make God real in your life. Remember Him. Honor Him. Worship Him. Spend time with Him in prayer and reading His word. Never let the day or the circumstances you may face disrupt your relationship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Be compelled to love Him like you never have before and all of the issues of life will turn around.

We are sinners and without Christ we remain incapable of God's love, incapable of desiring Him, incapable of bringing glory to His name by serving others. We must remain in Christ through His communion, words, and fulfilling the commandment of love by serving others above our own interests. It is absolutely amazing how many Christians do not remain in Him. The word belief has such a broad meaning. It is not a statement or an opinion but a way of life. It is seen in action not simply words. Words are important but we will do what is in our heart. May we love Him and His Son in both word and deed.

1 John 3:17
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 3:10
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

In doing these things, we remain in Him. As He says, we can do nothing without Him. He is the vine and we are the branches. If you do not stay connected to the vine, you will be cut off and will not be able to do anything (bear fruit) for the glory of God.

His words must be in us, we must obey His commandment of love (not only loving others but loving Jesus and the Father), and finally we must perform communion often.

John 15:10
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
1 John 3:14
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
John 15:9
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

John 6:56

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

1 John 4:17

In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

 John 15:4

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:7

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

John 15:9

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.

1 John 4:8

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:16

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.