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The God Kind of Love

May 26, 2017

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2

1. IT’S GOD’S LOVE. Walking in love is a process that involves sacrifice, commitment, and follow-through, but it doesn’t originate in our humanity. We are born with a tendency to act selfishly, but the moment we receive Jesus, God’s love is deposited within us and we can move into a new dimension of becoming considerate and valuing others.

The love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5b

2. SHOW MERCY. When you show mercy, you will be shown mercy (James 2:13). Study the Word to learn how God’s love responds: Bless those who curse you (Luke 6:28), pray for your enemies, and forgive those who have hurt you. If you get tempted to become judgmental toward someone, all you have to do is look in the mirror and get a reminder of how much mercy God has shown you.

3. FAITH WORKS THROUGH LOVE (Galatians 5:6). The power of the Holy Spirit — His anointing — is activated to flow when we are walking in love. If you aren’t getting good results in prayer, check your love walk. The world will know we are Christians by our love for one another (John 13:35)!

God Bless You!
Pastor Jeff

PRAY THIS PRAYER:
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). The love of God has been poured out in my heart by the Holy Spirit within me (Romans 5:5). By His grace I can do this thing. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

a·gape, noun
Love as revealed in Jesus, seen as spiritual and selfless and a model for humanity.

Copyright © 2017 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. “Agape.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright © 2017 by Houghton.