Bible Reading: Isaiah 62, 63 & 64: 1Timothy 1
“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” 1 Timothy 1: 5 (KJV)
Love, otherwise known as charity, is the consummation of the commandment. The operation of true love in the heart of a man confers on him a practitioner of the commandments of God. Christ Himself summed up the commandment as, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” Mark 12: 30-31 (KJV). The whole commandments revolve around our love for God and our neighbor.
We cannot say we love God but hate our neighbor. Neither can we love our neighbor and hating God. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” 1 John 4:20 (KJV). James called our love for our neighbor as the ‘royal law according to the scripture’ (James 2:8). It is instructive for us to know that loving God with a total and pure heart elicit a genuine love for our neighbor. This is what Apostle Peter was communicating in 1 Peter 1:22 (KJV), “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” If we love our brother we abide in light and are immune to occasions of stumbling (1 John 2:10).
Charity that is of a pure heart, with a good conscience and of sincere faith entails keeping the commandments of God which admonishes us to love one another. “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also” 1 John 4:21 (KJV). God dwells in love and His love is perfected in us if we love one another. There may be occasions of offence when our brother sin against us with such an act that pierce through the marrow. On such occasion hear what Apostle Peter said in 1 Peter 4:8 (KJV), “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitudes of sins.” Instead of gossip, backbiting and backstabbing one another, as believers the bible admonishes thus, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” Hebrews 10:24 (KJV). We can provoke one another unto love and good works by what we say, our actions and deeds.
When we talk in love, act in love and do from a genuine heart of love, we will win the souls of men to flow in a positive direction and multiply such act among men. We can do away with jealousy, greed and inordinate ambition among brethren by living and acting in love. It is no wonder the bible says, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV). LOVE IS THE GREATEST. NO POWER CAN OVERCOME LOVE. LOVE ILLUMINATES. LOVE EMANCIPATES AND TRUE LOVE IS LIBERTY.
My dear reader, Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God’s love for humanity. God is love. God’s gift of love to man is Jesus Christ. Reciprocate God’s love by accepting Christ into your life and experience true liberty from satanic bondage.
Prayer: Be free in Jesus name.
Brother Joel Ezeugo