There is a song that we used to sing – “We are one in the
Spirit, we are one in the Lord … and they will know we are Christians by our
love ..” Jesus said (John 13:35) “By
this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one
another.” Love is central to our new life in Christ. Paul said (1 Corinthians 13:2) “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand
all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove
mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
It does not matter what you accomplish on this earth if love
is absent. As a Christian, it begins
with love for God. (1 John 4:19) “We love because he (God the Father) first loved us.”
How we communicate that love is first, by being grounded and devoted to loving
God. That means we seek His will and not
our own. We embrace Him and not our
culture. Many Christians have a problem
with this. You can love someone who sins
without loving their sin. Our culture
says you cannot love someone is you don’t agree that their actions (sin
according to the Bible) are acceptable and right. God says you can. You must decide who you are going to listen
to and obey. Don’t underestimate the power of the culture you live in. Wanting to be accepted by the culture is a
strong motivation to compromise your faith. Many if not most would prefer to
remain silent rather than suffer rejection and criticism.
How will people know you are a Christian? By standing on the
Truth and not participating in the Lie.
By loving God and not being ashamed – even when the culture will try to
shame you into going along. Jesus said (John 15:18-21)"If the world hates
you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it
would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I
told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me,
they will persecute you also. …. They will treat you this way because of my
name, for they do not know the one who sent me.”
If we embrace God we will be light in a dark world. Standing for “right” in the power of your
flesh is impossible. You are able to
stand because you are a disciple and trust in the Lord and not yourself. You have prepared yourself spiritually. (Ephesians
6:14-18) “Stand therefore,
having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of
righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given
by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with
which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all
perseverance” CHARLEY (Phil 4:13)
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