HOW TO LOVE
“Grace teaches us that God loves because of who He is - not because of who we are!” Phillips Brooks
John returns to a couple of great memories of times with Jesus - all around the theme of love - genuine and shared.
"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." (3:11)
It's amazing that we Christians need to hear the message, the command, of love so often -- and still we don't get it. Our churches are too often filled with selfish, bickering people. The world knows the church for its judgmentalism and rigidness, not for its love and joy. How very sad. This should not be our reptutation! Sunday, John will remind us to love first - love most - love always! There will be disappointments and disappointing people - let it be ‘water off a ducks back’ - only love will ‘waterproof’ us from sin and sinners!
No one but God can teach us how to truly love - lets spend our time seeing His love for us and how He showed love to us! Then we must go out and live this love in a sin darkened world - bringing the light of His love in us!
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good but that God will make us good because He loves us!” CS Lewis
See you Sunday - bring someone who needs the love of God in their life!
Pastor Mike