"Love, love, love. Love is all you need," sang the Beatles in 1967. Their cry became the mantra of an entire generation and a society that has been all about finding love, falling in love and looking for love ever since. Yet like the old Marc Almond song, we are often "looking for love in all the wrong places."
The Bible is full of love. It starts when God in his love created the world adding to mankind the emotions and feelings of love. It continued when God did not withhold his love, but demonstrated his love as he sent his son Jesus Christ to die for the sin of a world that had rejected his love.
Still, this love of God is so misunderstood, and I think it is because we measure it by our own feelings. Yet God's love is higher, the Greek word for this higher love is "agape." Agape is divine love. It is the love that God pours out on all who believe. Agape is the love that God plants within every man and every woman who puts their faith in Jesus Christ and agape is the measurement of what love really is.
1 John 3:16, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
Jesus demonstrated love, and true love is a result of knowing the love of God. Even in human relationships true love is demonstrated, you can say "I love you," yet it is your actions that prove your love.
The Apostle John sent his letter to first century believers we were confused about how to serve God. Some of these believers came from religious backgrounds and thought serving God was demonstrated by giving sacrifices and keeping rules. Others come from pagan backgrounds and did not equate serving God with morality or loving others. So John, gives the early church what they need as a guideline for serving God.
1 John 3:18, "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
You show your love for God in how you speak to others, you demonstrate your love for God by how you interact with others. It starts with faith, faith in the Lord, then faith translates into obedience. Obeying the Lord's word, and obeying the Holy Spirit, who guides believers into all truth.
In John 13:34-35, Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Does love radiate from your life? Does your faith motivate you to love? If your faith is not proved right by agape, then it's time to look at whom you believe, not what you believe but whom you believe. Whom because biblical faith is focused faith, faith in God, faith in Jesus the savior.
The Beatles were right, all you need is love, but it's love that is received and then love that is passed on. It is received when we turn to God in repentance and faith, it is passed on when we live by faith and love others as He has loved us.
n Pastor Rich Lammay of High Sierra Fellowship is a member of the Carson Valley Ministers' Association.
