FAITHFULWORD.ORG | TEACHINGS

John 3:17; Matthew 22:35,-40; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14-23; John 14:15-18; 15:7-13; I Corinthians 13:13; John 13:34, 35; I Peter 1:22, 4:8; Ephesians 4:32-5:2; Proverbs 24:16; Romans 12:4-21

Living the love life is satisfying and fulfilling. It does not come from self-righteousness, but issues from believing obedience. There is great joy in obedience. The new nature we have as God’s children is to be lovers like our heavenly Father. The Word and the spirit equip and instruct us in walking in love as Jesus did. Matthew records one of the religious leaders asking Jesus which is the great commandment in the law. Jesus’ response was to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. The three areas here are loving God, loving your neighbor and loving yourself. We will never love ourselves until we understand how much God loves us. Matthew 22:40 records that all the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments. The truth is, if we love God and love our neighbor as ourselves, we will be doing all the ten commandments, as well as fulfilling the heart of the Levitical law.

If we want to understand the Word and draw into a closer relationship with our heavenly Father, love is the requirement. The same is true with our spiritual family. Outside the bounds of love, there is no genuine operation of the spirit of God. Without it, God will not give us His healing wholeness. Romans 13 records we are to owe no man anything but to love one another. We owe each other love. God says this is the debt we must pay as Christians. Romans records we are to work no ill to our neighbor and that love is the fulfilling of the law. The old nature is the opposite. If someone harms us, we want to harm them back. But love does not work like that.

We are to walk by the new nature, therefore being more Christ like. When Christ was dying on the cross, he asked God to forgive his tormentors. We are exhorted in Galatians not to bite and devour one another as we would if we walk by the old nature. Instead we are encouraged to walk by the spirit and manifest the fruit of the spirit. The first fruit listed is love. John 14:15 records that Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” We love him by doing the Word. If we walk in the bounds of the Word, we will be walking in love.

Love is rewarding and there is joy in obedience. I Corinthians 12-14 instruct us about the utilization of the holy spirit. Sandwiched in the instruction is I Corinthians 13 which teaches us how to love. We cannot truly operate the spirit without love. Romans 12 further instructs us how to walk in love. When we do so, we will not be overcome of evil but can overcome evil with good. We do this by living the love life.