What is the proof of love? Love is God’s nature, and because we have been born of God, we also share His nature of love.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. `
~ (John 3:16 NKJV)
How do we know love?
Love recognizes a person’s value and celebrates that value through giving and forgiving. There is no one that God created without value.
However bad a person’s actions may be, the intrinsic value that God put in them can never be destroyed.
God saw value in us in our weak and sinful state, but He did not respond to what we were, He responded to the value that He has placed in us, “For God so loved the world…”
By this, we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
~ (1 John 3:16)
What are you willing to give up for the sake of others?
Sadly, in our world today, there is more removal of value from people than recognition of value in them.
When you treat people with indignity, assault them, compromise their health and life, and steal from them, these are the manifestations of a lack of love, those that have God’s nature should never be part of such actions.
By this, all will know that you are my disciples, if you have a love for one another. (John 13:35)
Human nature is naturally selfish, and it lacks the capacity for sacrificial love, that is why we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was given to us to help us get beyond our natural limitations and be more like Christ.
… And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)
People tend always to look put together, like everything is going right in their lives but inside they may be hurting, and they may have challenges that they are facing.
The proof of our love for others is to go beyond how they look, ask how they are doing and actively care and empathize with them.
Sermon excerpt from Sunday sermon by Pastor Boye Oloyede – Sunday 19, February, 2023
Watch this sermon here
