WALKING IN LOVE: A BASIC TOOL FOR KNOWING GOD'S WILL

Focus Text: Pillippians 1:9:11

Continuing in this series we intend to bridge the gap between the prayers of the early church and what obtains now in the church of our time. We need to bring back their own experience of God and the way they prayed. Read also How do I know God's will and Knowing and working in God's will

Philippians 1:9-11 "and this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in Knowledge and in all judgement that ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God".

Christianity is a walk in the love of God, in man and through man.. Pastors hardly pray this kind of prayers for their members today. Prayer patterns  have changed, it has taken a down turn. We pray that God will still change the pedestal of prayer in our churches and return her to the first love. In Romans 13:10 love is the fulfillment of the law, because it works no ill to his neighbour. Jesus came to fulfil the law. He did this by establishing a higher law;  the law of love. He  said in the gospel "the greatest commandment is to love God with all your might and strength and the second is like it, loving your neighbour as your self". 

In Galatians 5:6 for in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision avails anything nor uncircumcision but faith which works by love. Love is the vehicle of  the Christian faith. Our faith in Christ can only find expression through our manifestation of love among men. Our faith is impotent or immobile when its not carried by the vehicle of love. In John 13:35 by this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another.  1John3: 14 we know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren.  God is interested in the motive behind all of our actions whether it springs from love or not. Love is our greatest evangelical tool. 

There is no will of God that will negate this law of love. Every decision we have taken must be such that will affect all concerned in love. Not sensual love but the compassionate agape love of Christ. There's a lot of perversion and corruption of love in the world today.  But, the love of God is not just a show of affection. It stems from a deep spring of our communion and relationship with God. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 actively and correctly describes the attributes of love. Love suffers long. This means that the love of God suffers long for the sake of Christ. Love is basically a call to suffer and not really to enjoy.  When we say that we love it simply means that we are prepared to bear someone's shortcomings for a long time without complaining. The greatest demonstration of love was when Jesus  died for our sins. Love never gives up.  No matter what anyone does, we must forgive and continue to love. 

Romans 5:5...love makes not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit. When  a man comes to Christ he receives the grace to love men the way GOD WANTS IT. This becomes the foundation of his life. Every of his endeavour, achievements, decisions, actions, purposes must be properly weighed on this scale of love. We do not need to look far to see the will of God. This is contrary to the ways of the world. But the conviction that love will never put us to shame will keep us focused till the end. Therefore, even if a vision, dream, prophet, man of God emphasised a "will of God" that is contrary to the love of Christ, then it is not according to God's word and cannot be according to his will. Let this mind be in you always.

PRAYER: We pray O lord that your love will grow in our lives and that people will see what we have and want to have it. May we go beyond the superficial to the real love as it comes from your spirit within us. Thank you for sending your word. Shed your love abroad in our heart and cause us to approve things that are excellent in Jesus name. Amen

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