PURSUING THE LOVE OF GOD Part 4
Series: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH & LOVE.
I. Introductory Remarks.
The Christian life is to be a life of victory in all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Even though there are many obstacles and trials that come our way that try to prevent us from walking in victory, we can experience the victory that God has ordained for us as recorded in 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. This is where faith comes in. We must walk by faith to experience the fullness of victory in all of the areas that pertain unto our life.
Through faith we have access to the spiritual inheritance God wants us to walk in for our marriages, our families, our job and everything else that pertains to our lives. No wonder it says in Hebrews that without faith we cannot please God. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
II. Faith Works Through Love.
In this teaching however, I want to talk about the relationship between faith and love. Faith works and operates by love. This is one of the most important principles in the release of our faith. Without this principle or quality working in our lives we will never know what it is to have our faith released effectively. This quality is found in the Book of Galatians and is called love, this is the reason why we must pursue love. Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
1. The Relationship Between Faith & Love.
For Paul, the controlling principle of life is faith expressed in love, as in the life of Christ. The essence of Christianity is not legalism, but a personal relationship to Jesus Christ which is characterized by faith and love. The Christian faith comprises of three basic things:
a. An encounter with the love of the Father as revealed through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus.
b. The transforming power of that love in the believer to produce conformity and empowerment.
c. The third thing the Christian faith comprise of is an expression of that love by faith through you to the world.
We see this connection between faith and love time and time again in the Writings of Paul.
a. Ephesians 1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints...
b. Ephesians 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love...
c. Colossians 1:4....since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;
d. 1 Thessalonians 1:3...remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father...
e. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.
f. 1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
111. Characteristics Of Love
When you think of love, What comes to your mind? The marks of love are found here in 1 Corinthians 13. These are the characteristics that release the faith in our lives so that we are able to receive what God has for us.
VERSE 4:
a. Love suffers long.
b. Love is kind.
c. Love does not envy others.
d. Love is not prideful, lifting up self.
VERSE 5:
a. Love does not behave unseemly (bad conduct towards others).
b. Love does not seek for itself (is not selfish).
c. Love is not easily provoked (made angry).
d. Love does not think evil of others or think of evil in general.
VERSE 6:
a. Love does not rejoice in iniquity (does not take pleasure in doing wrong or hearing wrong about others).
b. Love rejoices in truth (not lies and gossip).
VERSE 7:
a. Love bears all things (even hard things).
b. Love believes all things (believes in others).
c. Love hopeth all things (does not give up hope in God or others, despite the circumstances).
d. Love endures all things.
VERSE 8:
Love never fails (regardless of the circumstances).
Some of the things mentioned here are as follows:
? longsuffering
? kindness
? lack of envy
? is not provoked
? self sacrifice
? humility
? Self abasement
? kindness
? good behavior
? unselfishness
? hope
? believes all things
? patience
? rejoicing
? forgiveness
? endurance
These are the qualities that faith must pass through if it is to be released effectively in our lives. Love is the acid test for your labour in Gods Kingndom. Your work for the Lord is to be a labor of love: Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love. . .(I Thessalonians 1:3)….For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. (Hebrews 6:10)
2. The Example of Jesus Feeding the 5000 - John 14:1-21.
Jesus performed many miracles while He ministered in the fullness of Christ on earth for 3 1/2 years. He always exhibited a perfect faith that was motivated by a genuine love for the people He had been sent to minister to. Your love is to abound, which means it is to continually increase. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment. (Philippians 1:9 )And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men. . . (I Thessalonians 3:12)
In the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000 we see how perfectly love was the motivation behind the miracle. This was a great victory for Jesus and for the people. In fact they were ready to make Him king following this miracle.
? Background - The pressure of circumstances over the death of John the Baptist -- a foreshadow of His own death in the following year -- forced Him to retire privately for rest, not only for Himself, but for His disciples, who had returned from their first mission.
With them were the disciples of John the Baptist who had brought the bad news of the murder. All needed a season of bodily and spiritual refreshment.
? He was not annoyed at being thwarted.
Matthew 14:13-14 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. {14} And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
Though He was denied the rest he needed and sought, He was moved with compassion and embraced the opportunity of teaching the multitude and healing the sick. His faith was being released through the love He was exhibiting to these people.
The heart of Jesus was always ready to melt over the manifold needs of men. Sympathy prevailed over the quest for solitude. Even though others showed very little consideration to Him, He was ready to show full consideration to them. This is faith working through love.
We see kindness, self sacrifice, humility, unselfishness, a lack of provocation and longsuffering -- all marks of love being exhibited by Jesus as His faith was released for this great miracle.
IV. Practical Expressions Of Faith & Love In Our Lives.
How does this apply to us in a practical way from day to day??
? Are you praying in faith for your marriage? Do acts of kindness and unselfish deeds even when your mate is unworthy of your love. This will release your faith and God's hand in their life.
? What about the grumpy boss you're praying for to get saved? Do you respond in love when you feel you are being taken advantage of?
? Are you praying in faith for financial provision? What's your motivation? Is it for your own selfish gain or is it to better meet your families needs, etc.
? What about your gifting in God? What's your motive? Is it to build others up or is it to puff yourself up?
When the phone rings at an inconvenient time do you get all bent out of shape or do you respond in love? Even though others may be inconsiderate, you can respond in love by being considerate to them. Take the time to listen and draw them out, even when you are not feeling like it. Your gifting will come out as you take the time to respond in love.
V. Concluding Remarks.
Remember faith and love are inseparable. Practicing love from day to day in all of these areas keeps you in a place where your faith is being released in a positive way from day to day.
Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Dr. Tg Badia
