Christ has called each of us to radiate His love in reciprocity because of His love for us. The Bible says, “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). As Christians who embody the Spirit of love, our lives ought to exemplify the love of Christ, who is the epitome of love. When we walk in love, love walks in us. When we share the love of Christ, love flows from us. Love, much like seed, grows when it is spread.
The apostle Paul encourages us in Colossians 3:12-14, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
We are relational beings and our bodies are designed to love. When we experience love, chemicals such as dopamine flood our brain and produce a variety of emotional and physical responses that deepen our feelings of attachment to the focal point of our attraction. We are then compelled to replicate these experiences in order to maintain the euphoric feelings we have encountered.
Love is a pleasurable experience. It begins as a passionate infatuation before transitioning to a compassionate and deeper appreciation of the circumstances that surround the connection. As our relationship grows in intimacy, loyalty is forged while we rationalize the extent of the love we’ve received and the commitment and impetus associated with it.
SELFLESS LOVE
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). The Greek word used for love here is agape. It is selfless love. When we come to terms with the gravity of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we cannot help but feel as if our hearts have been pierced by the very spear the Roman soldier thrust into Jesus’ side. Christ held nothing back when he willingly offered Himself for us. This ultimate act of love instils trust in believers that becomes the foundation of our faith.
Growing in faith leads to greater levels of affinity to Christ and to other believers who share the same values and attributes. As we love others, we are loved in return. As we bless others, we are blessed in return. “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25).
God’s love for us is too boundless to contain. When we experience His grace first hand we are compelled to share it with others. Once we begin to bless others we become driven to multiply and replicate those blessings as we desire to please the Lord. In doing so, we bear fruit for God.
Paul states in Colossians 1:10, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul goes on to say, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:18, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” And in John 15:5, He declares, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” Branches cannot bear fruit without the vine. The vine provides the nourishment required, not only to produce fruit, but the vine sustains the very life of the branches. Apart from Jesus, not only are we spiritually impotent – we are spiritually dead!
Sharing the love of Christ offers numerous spiritual rewards, including deepening one’s relationship with Jesus, experiencing joy, and contributing to the salvation of others. It also leads to a sense of purpose, forgiveness, and a saving faith, resulting in eternal life with God. Additionally, the empathy that is inherently embedded in serving others ultimately produces greater compassion in those who serve, marking a profound testimony of love in its purest sense.
THE LOVE OF CHRIST IS SELF PERPETUATING
The love of Christ is self perpetuating, meaning it is derived from Christ within us. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14). The outpouring of this spiritual water is manifested in love that flows from the hearts of true believers and refreshes those in need.
Paul implores believers in Philippians 2:1-4, “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
In 1 John 4:7-21, the disciple expounds upon the significance of love. He begins by saying, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (verses 7-8). In verse 18 we read, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
The perfect love of Christ dispels fear and provides confidence that when Jesus proclaimed “It is finished!”, salvation was made complete. Paul declares in Romans 8:1-2, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
And in Galatians 5:13-14, he writes, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” This love is the ultimate expression of freedom and is the guiding principle in Christian life.
The virtues of love include patience, kindness, honesty, humility, compassion, forgiveness and loyalty. Paul discloses in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
When we embrace these virtues and allow the love of Christ to fill us and sustain us, we can’t help but overflow with His love and exude these attributes. We can then channel His love to those around us and serve others through tangible acts of goodness that bring glory to God. When we serve “the least of these,” we are serving God Himself (Matthew 26:40).
As we walk in faith, may our journey reflect the love that Christ extended to us and the example He provided. May our footprints leave a lasting and sweet impression with those we encounter and may the love of Christ flow from us like springs of living water welling up to eternal life. We are meant to be an ever-flowing testimony of spiritual vitality and renewal, glorifying God and providing spiritual sustenance and blessings to others through selfless love.
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