Real Love- Part 2 Series

Imagine, those ten that were healed of leprosy. If the Lord would have stopped, having the foreknowledge that only one would come back and nine would not give him thanks, He had the choice to say, “I won’t do this for them.” But did the Lord do that? No! He did not. He loved freely. Freely we have received, freely we give. So whatever we dispense of our time, of our talents, of our treasure, for the good of other people, the Lord Jesus is pleased with that. That love will actually show the world that it is divine in nature; that it does not look for self-gain, there is no political correctness about it, it holds fast to the principle of self-sacrifice. That is the marked difference between the love of the world and human love, God’s love- self-sacrifice, seeking God’s honor first. So the love that comes from above is just like the Lord Himself. In Ephesians 5:1 [New International Version], the apostle speaking by the Holy Spirit says this:

1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children

2 And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Love, once more is defined here. The Lord Jesus thought about me and you and the whole world. He had that affection for people that they may prosper, that they may be set free from damnation and condemnation and misery. The Lord cared and He didn’t think about His own position. The Lord left all the glory as you know, came down straight to the womb of Mary. He was born, as a human being, the God-Man. And from Bethlehem and then to Galilee, throughout Jerusalem, all of Judea, everywhere He went and preached, even to Samaria for the woman at the well; all His sacrificial Love, no self-interest.

We have to check ourselves tonight and every day to say, “Lord, do I have Your love?” The love that says, “I can make a gain out of acting this way or saying this, or giving this, but I choose not to consent to that at all. I want to do this because I want to give for the good of that person or those people.” That’s God’s kind of love. So, the Lord describes His love as a sacrifice to God on our behalf. Love that is from God must be sacrificial.

The Love of God is love for God first. Divine Love is love for the honor of the Almighty - above honor for a man - which includes, according to Matthew 10:37, even one’s parents and children. Now, we are not preaching rebellion, we are not preaching disobedience. We are preaching the truth of God’s Word that when the human affection comes in the way of God’s will for my life when God has clearly told me and shown me from His Word, from His Holy Spirit, also sometimes confirmation signs; that whereas I love my family when it comes to God’s will and to please God, I must show the love for God above that love.

Otherwise, the Lord doesn’t just say simply, “You are not going to accomplish what I want you to accomplish.” That’s not all. He says, “You are not worthy of me.” That’s the point at which, the love for God and the love for man, even if it is family, come to a head. The Lord clearly told us beforehand, that we must be prepared for those kinds of challenges, and choose to side with the Lord. And you know what happens when we side with the Lord? Though, we still have affection for the people and the family, though we still pray for them and seek their best - because we seek their best - we obey God and love Him more? The Lord Himself will do supernatural things on the other side. He Himself will intervene because we are walking in obedience to Him. We are walking in fellowship with Him by loving Him first. God will take care of them; God knows what to do. God knows who is going to respond to His love. God knows what every person needs. God knows the things that the family may be deprived of when I do God’s will.

You see, there are many cases where the Lord called someone. You recall the Prophet Elisha, he was plowing with the oxen. If you recall Peter, the disciples- James, John; they left their family. They left the father in the boat. They left their livelihood. All of the human affection is based on human wisdom and so-called practical wisdom - actually is the most impractical thing! It was when they left that, when the Divine Love and human love came to a head, that their lives were forever transformed. It’s when they obeyed God’s call, loving Him first that they proved that they are worthy of Him, exactly as the scriptures say. That’s when the Lord began to teach them. That’s when He gave them the Holy Spirit. That’s when He made them, as it was said by their enemies, to turn the world upside down. Actually, they turned it right side up. But, they only were able to do that when they loved God first. So that’s what it means to put God first.