The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:7-8 NLT
Don’t fall asleep. What do I mean by that? Keep your light on. Don’t let the increasing lawlessness of this present age cause you to abandon your hope for the future. Our hope is not in earthly things. Our hope is in Jesus. He’s coming back again, all the signs are pointing to it. When? No one knows. So stay alert. You don’t want Him to come back and find you sleeping on the job.
What’s the job? It’s the same for all of us. The rules apply equally to everyone. God does not play favorites. Your job is to obey God. God commands us to love. He would not ask us to do something that He Himself doesn’t do. Our love is a walk of obedience.
Here’s the deal, in this life you will have trouble. People will lie to you. People will steal from you. You will be betrayed, abandoned and rejected by those closest to you. They couldn’t do it if they weren’t. It’s simply human nature. People are selfish. People are immature. People are ignorant.
So what can you do? Isolate to protect yourself from ever being hurt? Loneliness is more toxic than drinking and smoking. We need each other. This is where the community of faith can answer the needs of this broken world.
Love like Jesus.
Does Jesus wait until you’re perfectly holy and righteous before He welcomes you into a relationship of redemption? No, Jesus is a friend of sinners. He initiates the relationship. He extends mercy, grace and love to those who least deserve it. Something about His love leads us to repentance. God’s love draws us in. The goodness of His Presence keeps us in His Kingdom.
Religion wants to build a club and exclude others. Jesus wants to set everyone free from religion so that they can live the abundant life. If we call ourselves followers of Jesus, then we should be led by the Spirit of God and compassion should be the fuel that inspires all of our ministry to others. It’s hard to go wrong when love is the motive.
I hear stories everyday about the horrible things humans do to each other. What’s the cure? How do we heal? Love like Jesus.
The penalty for the sin of the world was satisfied by the blood of Jesus. He purchased our freedom with His life and death on a cross. His resurrection and ascension confirmed His identity. Because of grace, by faith we are saved. Jesus is our salvation. He forgives us when we turn from our wicked ways.
We need to love like Jesus as we live like Jesus. That’s the Way of Jesus. Obey the will of our Father in Heaven as we keep in step with the Holy Spirit’s leading and so prove that we are the children of God.
Forgive those who have sinned against you. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean what they did was okay. You’re not excusing their sin, you’re forgiving it.
It simply means that grace, an outworking of love, is greater than sin. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Hold others in judgment and condemnation and you will be judged and condemned according to the same standard you use. The rules apply equally to everyone. You reap what you sow. God loves mercy because He is merciful. God loves justice because He is just.
Live as the children of God. Love like Jesus. Pray for those who persecute you.
Father in Heaven, forgive us for being judgmental and critical of others instead of building others up in love. Forgive us for being agents of bitterness and wrath. We repent. Wash us and make us clean. May we be the light of the world as the love of Jesus rules and reigns in our hearts. Give us Your eyes to see the lost as You do. Give us faith to patiently endure until the end. Give us boldness to speak the truth in love. Come Lord Jesus, come. Amen.
And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
1 John 2:3-6 NLT