Love-An Evidence Of New Birth

What is the evidence that you are a born again Christian? How will people know that a person has received Jesus Christ as his savior? One major change in your life as an evidence of new birth will be your love attitude. This article explains why love is an outward evidence of being born again.

We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death – 1 John 3:14 (AMP)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love – 1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)

New birth is when a person believes that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, accepts and confesses Him as his personal Lord and savior – Romans 10:9-10. The individual receives an inward witness by the Holy Spirit that he is a child of God – Romans 8:16

Many times when I am sharing the word of God with people they tell me that they are born again. But while talking with them I discover that they are actually not born again Christians. This question now comes, “How can you know a believing Christian?” Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 that you will know them by their fruits.

Love is the number one outward evidence of new birth: evidence of being a child of God – Galatians 5:22. The scripture says that he who does not love does not know God. You can’t claim to be a child of God and not know God. That means you can’t claim to be a child of God and not love! If you don’t love, it means you have not passed over out of death into life in Christ – 1 John 3:14

The Spirit of God at new birth pours the love of God in our hearts; therefore, anyone who does not love has not really received Jesus as his personal Lord and savior. The Spirit of God within a believer helps him to love even the un-lovable. Read more...

 

Why Christians Suffer?

  Does it pay to be a Christian? What kind of life should a person expect having identified with Jesus? When people consider the Christian suffering, they shudder; but the truth is that Christians suffer for two basic reasons. This article explains these two reasons why Christians suffer.   

Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also – John 15:20 (NKJV) 

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution – 2 Timothy 3:12 (NKJV)

 

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does- James 1:22, 25 (NKJV, emphasis mine)

It really pays to be a Christian, a follower of Christ. But following God has a price attached to it, which when you really consider is very minute compared to the glory that awaits you. The blessings of being a Christian are enormous and they cover your life on earth and life after death, i.e., eternal life in heaven. However, the list of blessings will be for another time.  

Let’s consider why Christians suffer. The two basic reasons are: first, for being a Christian and secondly, for being disobedient to God and His words

A.      Suffering as a Christian

Jesus made it clear that His followers will suffer persecution because He too suffered persecution – John 15:20. And Paul writing to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12, expanded it a little more by saying that all who desire to live godly in Christ will suffer persecution. That means, any Christian who is not suffering persecution is not living godly!

Christian suffering means that you have truly identified with Jesus. The scriptures in 2 Timothy 2:12 (KJV) makes us to understand that if we suffer with Him we will reign with Him but if we deny Him, He will also deny us.

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Behold The Greatest Commandments

What do you think are the greatest commandments? When Jesus came He pointed out the two greatest commands of God and towards the end of His mission on earth He gave a new commandment to His disciples. The summary of these three commands give the summary of the new covenant. This post explains more about these important commands of Jesus.

 

Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV)

I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another – John 13:34 (AMP)

Many people emphasize on the importance of the Ten Commandments, and they should, but the truth is that following the three greatest commandments of Jesus fully takes care of the Ten Commandments.

In the Old Testament if you break one commandment you have broken all (James 2:10), but in the New Testament when you obey the three commands of Jesus, you will automatically obey all the Ten Commandments of God. Now, what are these three commandments?

The Greatest commandments of Jesus

1.       Love God with all your being

Jesus said that this is the first and great commandment. You are to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. This means that God is to be number one on your priority list, every other thing should come after God. And to love God is to obey all His commandments: including the Ten Commandments. God is to dictate your thoughts, words and actions. In summary, breathe God!

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How To Assess Your Love Walk With God

A daily sincere assessment of your love walk puts you daily on a higher level of righteous, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. And the best way to do so is by comparing it with the description of love as stated in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, which I call the love balance. This balance gives you the true picture of where you stand in your walk of love. This post tells you how to assess your love walk.

Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it... – 2 Corinthians 13:5 (AMP)

Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin] – 1 Corinthians 10:12 (AMP)

If you have made the love of God your quest, then there is need for you to evaluate how you are doing daily, lest you fall. A daily assessment with love balance will appraise your performance for the day, correct and give you instruction on how to do better next time, 2 Timothy 3:16. 

The love balance – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

The above scripture defines the love of God and so can be used to determine the level of your love walk with God. When you use it as your standard you will not miss it, instead you will grow from glory to glory. Read more...

Living Right By The Love Of God

Do you desire to do and live right all the time? Or are you struggling with all manner of temptations and you need help? I have good news for you. The power to overcome the weakness of the flesh and please God lies on the law of the New Covenant: the love of God. This post explains how God’s love helps you to live right.

For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died; And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (AMP)

Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the law – Romans 13:10 (AMP)

Many people sincerely  desire to obey God and His commands but are most times defeated because they have not embrace Christ’s new commandment to us: that we should love one another even as He had loved us, John 13:34. Your victory over sin depends on how much you obey this instruction.

The love for God and man in you delivers the power to do and live right to you. Your love for God will urge you to please Him and your love for your neighbor will help you to do good to him. The love of God in your heart will not allow you to think evil of anyone talk less carrying it out.

When you understand that the life you live now is Christ living in you, and that you are no longer to live to and for yourself but to and for Christ, the power to do good will be greatly increased in you. And Living for Christ is to walk in love at all times.

When you struggle with walking in love, it means that you are not yet dead to self ( Romans 6:6-11), but your desire to please your flesh is still very much alive. God’s love empowers you to put God and His will first before your own will and desires. Read more...

How To Be Like God On earth

Why are Christians not as God in this world when the scriptures say that we are gods? Why are Christians not exercising the power to be like God on earth? The answer lies in our walk of love. This post shares how walking in love empowers to live like Christ.

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world – 1 John 4:16-17 (NKJV, emphasis mine)

He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” – John 3:2 (NIV)

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work – John 14:10 (NIV)
We are to be like God on earth in every area of our lives. This is God’s perfect original plan but we see this not being so in the lives of Christians. They are buffeted and battered by the enemy, yet they are gods, Psalm 82:6.

Jesus lived as God on earth and His secret was that God was with Him all through His walk on earth. The scriptures say that he who abides in love abides in God and God in him, and Jesus abided in God’s love, John 15:10. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil because God was with Him, Acts 10:38.

When you walk in love, Christ will dwell in you and you will be empowered to be like God on earth. If you desire to do exploits and enjoy all round victory, then you need to walk in love. Walking in love is walking in God, in His dominion and authority.

If you love others, God will live in you and His love will be perfected in you, 1 John 4:12. When you allow the love of God to be expressed through you, you manifest God on earth. God desires to manifest Himself on earth but He can only do so through vessels that manifest God’s love, John 14:21 Read more...

Building Up Confidence For The Day Of Judgment

Can you boldly stand before God on the day of judgment? Are you scared of being told “depart from me”, by Jesus? You need not be: there is a perfect way to build up confidence for that day. The best way is by a walk of love. 

In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world – 1 John 4:17 (AMP)

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ – Luke 13: 24, 27 (NKJV)

Many people don’t believe that the day of judgment is coming and that they should prepare for it. The truth is that it shall surely come to pass. If other prophesies of God came to pass, this one will also.

What is the day of judgment?

It is the day that God will judge both the living and the dead, books will be opened and whosoever was not found written in the book of life will be condemned, Revelations 20:12, 15, 2 Timothy 4:1, 1 Peter 4: 5-8.  

So, what kind of life should we live to escape damnation?

 It is a life of love. Love is the beginning and the ending of God’s manual for escape. It meets all the requirements of God and is the fulfilling of the law. The commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet and any other commandment, are summed up in the single command, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, Romans 13: 8-10.

Walking in love builds up your confidence for the day of judgment. You will be bold to stand before God knowing that you have met God’s requirements for eternal life with Him. You will not be afraid of death because you will ever be ready to face God boldly. Read more...