LOVE LIKE GOD
The Bible tells us “God is love” (1 John 4:8). And it tells us when we love like Jesus Christ the Son of God we love like God: Jesus said: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30)–“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
“This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). We should aspire to like God, “because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19); and “he wants us “to become like his Son” (Romans 8:29).
GOD AND HIS SON’S SACRIFICIAL LOVE IS SEEN IN JESUS’ ATONING DEATH.
“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).
Jesus, said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). But Jesus died for us while we were still sinners and enemies of God (Romans 5:8).
We cannot died as a sinless atonement for anyone’ sins; nevertheless, Jesus said we can be his disciple when you “ give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).
JESUS DEMONSTRATED GOD’S LOVE FOR US IN MANY OTHER WAYS.
Besides Dying to atone for our sins; Jesus labored tirelessly to show God’s love for us in many other ways.
Jesus told people: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free: (Luke 4:18).
“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him” (Acts 10:38).
“The people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them” (Luke 4:40).
We may not have miraculous gifts of healing and raising people from the dead as Jesus and some of his disciple did. But we are able to proclaim the gospels of salvation through Jesus Christ; pray for all people; visit the sick and shut-in; and obey the Lords commandments, as the Word of God says.
WE NEED THE HELP OF GOD TO LOVE LIKE JESUS:
The apostle Paul said, “I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:18). But he thanked God for giving him help “through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25).
Although one may desire to love like Jesus; one may feel inadequate, and sense a need for God’s divine help. One may sense this need when considering some unflattering human tendencies: loving oneself more than loving God and others sacrificially; finding it difficult at times to even love family and friends; feeling that loving enemies is impossible.
And when one consider the following things that God ask them to do in loving like Christ, their sense of needing God’s help increases:
Loving like Christ is evidently impossible without the help of God. Loving self feels natural. Loving others is often a challenge. Sometimes it is even difficult to love some friends and family members. Loving enemies seems impossible. But Jesus said, “what is impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).
- The Lord God commands us to “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’” (Luke 10:27). And, gives us a new commandment, “that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34).
- Our Lord tells us as he told many of those around him: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:43-48).
- God’s model of perfection is his Son Jesus Christ; and God plans to conform whoever is born again of the Spirit, by believing in his Son, to the likeness of his Son (John 3:5-!6; Romans 8:29)
- We aspire to love like Christ because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We endeavor to love each other because he loved us first (1 John 4:1).The Word of God teaches us that anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister (1 John 4:21). Yet we may feel inadequate of ourselves to love like Christ.
GOD GIVES US THE HELP OF THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT TO LOVE LIKE JESUS.
“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13).
Recognizing our need of divine help, Jesus, lovingly and caringly informs us: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
The Lord also tells us, if you “take delight in the Lord, he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). And “If you love me, [earnestly endeavor to] keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17). We can “do all things through Christ who gives [us] strength” by the Holy Spirit (Philippians 4:13; Acts 1:8).
GOD DESIRES AND PLANS AND LASTING CHRIST-LIKE LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH US.
God wants to have a loving relationship with us like Jesus started with his disciples. At the time that Jesus ate his last Passover meal with his disciples, he said: “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:15).
