LOVING AS OUR LORD LOVED!
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
INTRODUCTION: A popular song when I was a teenager was “What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love.” Even non-Christians feel the need to be loved: John 13:34-35. The real question is: “What kind of love does the world need. We wonder sometimes: “Can anyone love others as Jesus did?” The answer is yes! Anyone who has trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior can love others as Jesus did!
I. LOVING WITH THE LOVE OF CHRIST!
The Scriptures teach us that anything the Lord commands His children to do, it is He Who enables them to do it. Romans 5:3-5. Our God does not called the equipped; God equips those He calls: Philippians 2:13-15. The natural man cannot love with the love of God, but every Christians can love others with the love of God: John 14:15-21.
II. SOME MINISTRIES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
When the Holy Spirit comes into the Christian and lives in the Christian, He has many ministries that He carries on in the Christian and for the Christian to empower them to desire to do God’s will and enable us to do our Father’s will. The Holy Spirit seals us in Christ: Ephesians 1:13-14. The Holy Spirit teaches us God’s will through God’s Word: John 14:25-26. The Holy Spirit fills us with Himself, if we will but ask for it: Ephesians 5:18-20. The Holy Spirit fills us with His very character! Galatians 5:22-26. The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts for service to our Lord: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. The Holy Spirit prays for us in accordance to God the Father’s will: Romans 8:26-27.
III. THE HOLY SPIRIT POURS OUT GOD’S LOVE INTO OUR HEARTS!
The Holy Spirit pours God’s love into our hearts: Romans 5:1-5. It is Jesus Christ loving others through us: Galatians 2:20. Our Lord desires to love others through you! Matthew 22:36-40. If we truly love our God we will love other people as well: 1 John 4:7-12; 1 John 4:19- 21; Matthew 5:38-48. You and I have a choice: we can try to love others with our own love or we as Christians can choose to love others with the very love of our God! The choice is ours, the blessings will be theirs if we choose to love others with the same love our God has poured out on us.