Four Steps to Renewing the Mind: (4) Live God’s Love

Four Steps to Renewing the Mind: (4) Live God’s Love

     Life is so much bigger, so much richer and more exciting, when we study and know God’s Word, when we recognize our position in Christ as sons of God, and when we are aware of His presence—that He is in us and with us every moment. We know that we are God’s children and that His loving and powerful arms are always open to us. How thankful we are for that! This is great information to know and understand, but now what? What do we do with all the Word of God that we work so hard to know? We are ready for step four in the process of the renewed mind—Live with the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation. Let’s look at the who, what, why, and how of living God’s love.
     Who is to live God’s love? I Corinthians 14:1 says that we, those who are born-again believers, are to “follow after charity [the Greek word agapē]….” We are to follow after—to pursue, to seek after eagerly, to earnestly endeavor to acquire—agapē love, which is the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation. We are to eagerly pursue the lifestyle of living God’s love, and God’s Word shows us that we have the spiritual ability to do so.
I John 4:15 and 16:
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

     God is love. His very nature is love, and He dwells in us. When we were born again, we received “Christ in” each of us, including our God-given ability to love. Romans 5:5 says that “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [holy spirit] which is given unto us.” We have the love of God poured out in our hearts, and God wants us to manifest this love, to bring it from the inside out, to live it—live God’s love every day. We are the who of living God’s love.
     So what is this love that we get to live? The Bible speaks of human love and brotherly love (philia and philadelphia in Greek), and it also speaks of divine love, or the love of God (agapē). Any person can love with philia love, which is “friendship.” However, agapē love is so much more. It can only be manifested by those who are born again of God’s spirit. It has a strength and beauty above any other type of love that ever existed. As part of the new birth, we were given this love of God spiritually, which we bring into concretion by renewing our minds.
     In John 13, Jesus Christ gave his followers a new commandment.
John 13:34 and 35:
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love
[agapaō] one another; as I have loved [agapaō] you, that ye also love [agapaō] one another.
By this shall all
men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love [agapē] one to another.
     We are focusing on agapē love. I Corinthians 13 is an excellent source to see specific characteristics of what the love of God looks like when it is manifested. You could also do a word study on this Greek word agapē to see the many places and ways God’s love is demonstrated. There is so much depth to this love!
     This love was demonstrated first and foremost by God Almighty, Who is all love, and then by His beloved Son Jesus Christ, who always did the Father’s will. And now us! We can love God and one another with this same kind of love.
     So, now that we know who is to love and what the love of God is—why? Why live God’s love?
I John 4:19:
We love him, because he first loved us.

     Why? Because God first loved us. He loved us into loving. Now we can love with His love. Verse 11 says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” What a beautiful, thankful response to His love when we manifest this love back to Him and to others.
     Another reason to live God’s love is that when we love, we are doing God’s Word. How great that we have the privilege to know God’s Word and then get to apply it.
I John 5:3:
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

     Anything God encourages us to do, He has given us the ability and grace with which to do it. For example, God tells us to be followers of Him.
Ephesians 5:1:
Be ye therefore followers
[imitators] of God, as dear children.
     “Dear” is agapētos. It means beloved, esteemed. We are God’s beloved, His esteemed ones! And just as dear children imitate their parents, we imitate Him….

This is an excerpt from the November/December 2015 issue of The Way Magazine.
Copyright© 2015 by The Way International. All rights reserved.
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