Articles
Abide In Love
I know a lot of people are ready to come out of their homes. I am also ready to leave the house, but only to meet my spiritual family once again. Staying home made me realize how much I do miss my spiritual family. Even though it may feel uncomfortable to not be around each other, what makes us strong together is having love for each other as God has loved us.
Not attending together on Sundays and Wednesdays is uncomfortable at times. But thanks be to God, we have ways to connect together and to see each other. We are commanded to love one another and as God called us to be a church, we are still together as one, and with God’s love, He continues to watch over His children. 1 John 3:23, “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” This command has two parts: 1. Believe in Christ (John 6:29) and 2. Love each other (John 13:34-35).
Christ Jesus wants all of us to keep loving each other even though we are far away, nothing changes. In I John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God...the one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Only those who are, to some degree, like Him truly know Him. In His essential nature and in all His actions, God is loving. He shared that same love with us. Now everyone can see that same love by calling each other, texting each other with encouraging writings, and making sure each other are doing well.
The love we have together comes from God, and makes us a church of His. In I Corinthians 3:23, “and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.” We are united with and belong to Christ Christ is in union with God the Father and with God the Holy Spirit. There are some things humans can destroy, but no man, nor Satan, can destroy the church of God. Why? Because God is watching over His true children.
This world can be scary at times. The violence we witness in our world, or the times that stress occurs, these struggles can often make us feel miserable. Humans know how to destroy everything that God has given us, but He loves us so much, He continues to bless us with things we need. In II Peter 1:3, “...seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” God has made available all that we need spiritually through our knowledge of Him.
Because God is love (I John 4:8) and has communicated His love to us (I John 4:10) and commands us to love one another (John 13-34-35). Love supersedes the gifts (I Corinthians 13) because it outlasts them all. Long after these sought-after gifts are no longer necessary, love will still be the governing principle that controls all that God and His redeemed people are and do (I Corinthians 13:13, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”)
