Love by the Spirit’s Power
Reading Time: 9-10 Minutes
Jesus Commands Us to Love
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40 NIV
We are fully loved so we can love! I have found that I cannot love without the power that comes from yielding to God’s Spirit. God’s grace not only saves us but equips us by the Spirit to live as He has commanded us to live. Love is not a list of things we must do to please God. God is “Agape” love. He lives inside us to fill us with His love so that He spills out to those around us! If we have fallen short, it’s never too late to begin paying attention to the Holy Spirit, obeying Him and relying on His power.
Our Love-Relationship With God
We receive every gift of grace through a love-relationship with the Lord. God is Almighty and All-Powerful, but He is Father, Savior and lover of our souls. He is Teacher and Counselor. Jesus wants to sit down with us in a real relationship through the Holy Spirit because He loves us! A great part of growing in God’s power to love is allowing the Lord to correct and discipline us. We must become like little children in order to receive all that He has for us!
I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Revelation 3:19-20. NLT
God is much more worthy of our attention and affection than any person on earth. He is everything our hearts crave. Repentance and transformation in His presence lead to experiencing Him in greater measure. Disobedience in any area of our lives will hinder our ability to love as Jesus commanded.
Jesus wants to sit down with us every day and stir up the embers of our intimacy with Him. When we meet with God we become even more desperate to get closer to Him. God’s Agape love is so extravagant and powerful! He is the source of love and His love is undefiled– unlike what we see in this world!
Live From the Heavenly Realms
If we are still focused on living from the earthly realm we will become vulnerable to the deception of our enemy. Accepting the lies of offense, jealousy, unhealthy competition, gossip, depression, inferiority, pride, etc. will steer us away from the blessings of His presence. Our Agape love will diminish like the flame of an unattended fireplace. (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
Therefore we must live from the heavenly realms where we are seated with God. (Ephesians 2:6) In simpler terms– we pay attention to the Holy Spirit, depending on His truth and power to transform us from the inside out. If we drink of the Holy Spirit’s river instead of the polluted streams of this world, we will bear the good fruit of the Spirit!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 NASB
Agape Love Gets Us Through Trials
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5 NKJV
Difficulties will come. But the Lord empowers us by His Spirit to live victoriously through every trial. Trials are opportunities for us to grow stronger in our love-relationship with God and toward others.
When the enemy tries to cripple us with intimidation and fear, we must remember that God’s Spirit lives in us. He gives us authority and power against evil spirits. His perfect love drives out fear so we don’t have to stress or panic. (1 John 4:18)
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]. 2 Timothy 1:7. AMP
God’s Agape Love Forgives
Unforgiveness is a spirit of death trying to get you to curse another person, but by doing so, you curse yourself. Forgiving others is not an option if we want to remain in Christ. We are forgivers like our Father! That is who we are! Hallelujah!
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15. ESV
If we love God, we will forgive others because His Spirit lives in us. (1 John 3:15)
Fight For Each Other
How can we really be sure if the love of God reigns in our hearts unless we are put to the test. There will be disagreements, but it helps to remember that our conflicts are not against people. Our war is against our enemy, the devil.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. Ephesians 6:12 NET
Let’s fight for one another, and against the enemy that is trying to defeat our faith! Faith expresses itself through love! (Galatians 5:6) As the Body of Christ “we’re on the same team,” and as caring children of God we draw others into God’s Family. (John 13:34-35)
God’s Love is Bound to His Truth
Agape love is truth. So there are times, of course, when the Holy Spirit prompts us to stand up for truth, justice and protective action. Holy Spirit requires us at times to correct or rebuke, especially those dependent upon our authority. Without God’s truth, the understanding of God’s love will become distorted. God’s truth is found in His Word– the Bible.
Love Like Jesus
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8 ESV
Jesus emptied Himself of His Heavenly rights and valued us as more important than His own comfort, even to the point of suffering and death. How much more should we value one another? God loved us before we ever thought about Him. (1 John 4:19) While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. (Romans 5:8) We have been born again to love others like Jesus.
Agape Love is Humility
Jesus’ humility was a key to the miracles, deliverance and healings He performed. These signs and wonders Jesus performed demonstrated the compassion of His Father. (Luke 14:7-11)
“But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:10-11 NKJV
We will never be able to give God glory or see God’s glory if we are still clamoring for attention. Humility is foundational to our faith.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 AMP
When it becomes our joy to put others first, it is a sign that our hearts have been transformed by our Father’s mercy and grace. We are like Jesus!
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 1 John 4:17 NIV
Grow Grow Grow
One way to grow in Agape love is to pray in the Spirit every day. Holy Spirit knows how to pray for us much better than we do. So, if you have received the gift of tongues, do not neglect the gift. He drives out what doesn’t belong and fills us with Himself!
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a ESV
To live in victory from the inside out is to live in God’s love. So, we must pursue the Lord in prayer, in His Word, in worship and in transformation by the Spirit. Our love-relationship with God is an ongoing “dying to self” and submitting to the Holy Spirit. It is not easy, but the rewards are astounding!
God’s Love is Worth Any Cost
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39. NLT
I experienced God’s indescribable love in full measure in a dream. The atmosphere of Heaven entered my inmost being! I believe this ecstasy I felt in the dream represented the Holy Spirit. God wants us to know that we can experience Him in increased measure as we continue to seek Him. He is more faithful, generous, merciful, protective and powerfully romantic than we can imagine! Jesus loves His Bride with great passion, and He wants His Bride to overflow with His astounding love!
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
