Ephesians 4:32- 5:2 “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
Pastor Herk continues: Though we deserve the just punishment for our multitude of sins against God and our fellow man, out of love and the grace of God, Jesus Christ died in our place as an atoning sacrifice for our redemption and salvation. Ephesians 2:1-5 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” The Lord loves the unlovable and gives the offer of redemption, reconciliation and restoration unto eternal life freely to all.
Sadly, few accept and receive the gift of God. The Lord Jesus instructs us in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Jesus is the narrow gate. In John 10:7,9-11 Jesus validates that He alone is the ways and the means to salvation, true life and eternal life stating, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” It is not amazing that there are not many ways to Heaven and that Jesus Christ is the only way. What is truly amazing is that God provided a way to Heaven for sinners at all. The repentant, born-again Believer is saved by God’s grace alone, by our faith alone in Jesus Christ [the Savior of the world] alone. And not only saved, as John 1:12-13 certifies, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.
In Jesus’ Sermon of the Mount in Matthew 5:43-48, the Lord instructs His followers, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But, I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” How do you be salt and light to reach those who do not know the Lord with the loving Gospel of salvation when you are avoiding them? It doesn’t matter if they deserve it. Love as you are loved by God and forgive as you were forgiven. In our earthly nature, it’s easy to love those who love us and have like interests. Likewise, it is tough to love the unlovable and forgive the unforgiveable. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” That is why we must follow the guiding of the Holy Spirit and be imitators of Jesus with Christ-like love. We struggle with this because we feel that they should know better. Jesus loves them.
A third aspect in the love of God is that His Word is active in His creation and in the lives of His creatures. Likewise, we are to love others with actions, not just words. James 2:15-17 explains, “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” Godly works of putting in the time, talents, treasures and effort in true love, care, concern and compassion for our fellow man. Ephesians 2:10 declares, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” God doesn’t just declare His love for us throughout the Bible and the ages, but He has demonstrated His love for us daily. Be imitators of God’s love in action with Christ-like love.
Let's conclude Pastor Herk's message on Christ-like love in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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