Bible Reading: Jeremiah 36-37: Philemon
“Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints” Philemon 1:5(KJV)
In today’s focal scriptural verse Paul, the Apostle brought to the fore the information they heard of Philemon about his love and faith toward our Lord Jesus and toward all saints. This brings us to the question as to what is love and faith toward all saints. Our Love and faith toward the saint flows from our love and faith toward God. Without the love of God dwelling in us we can hardly be said to practice true love towards our fellow man. Love and faith are dual spiritual tools that enhances our Christian journey. Genuine love for God is a platform upon which faith thrives, hence we can rightly say that love underscores the operation of faith. Love will outlive faith and it provides the necessary foundation by which we operate in faith. These two virtues operate together to give effectiveness and enhancement to Christian living. We cannot claim to love God when we hate our fellow man, neither can we claim true love for our fellow man if we are not dwelling in God’s love. ”He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” 1 John 4:8(KJV) “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, knoweth God” 1 John 4:7(KJV).
The faith exercise is predicated on our trust and believe in God and His word. So for faith to be operational it must sit on the platform of love. For our faith to be profitable and effective it must operate on the platform of love, for God is love. “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity(love), it profiteth me nothing.” Love transcends earthly existence into eternity, while faith is exercisable in the human realm.
Therefore, having love and faith toward Christ is believing in Christ and living by the word of God. Having a lifestyle of keeping God’s commandment. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” 1 John 5:3 (KJV). Relating this to love and faith toward all saints can be linked with John 13:34(KJV), “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Linking it further in John 14:15(KJV) Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandment.” Therefore loving and having faith toward Jesus Christ produces genuine love and faith toward all saint. This so because when we love God we keep His commandment, which entails loving one another, and faith is profitable on such premise. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” John 14:21(KJV).
However, it is worth knowing that we cannot act in faith toward God and all saint without the operation of love for God and all saints seeing that faith is built on love. So we can rightly say that our love and faith toward all saint is a product of our love and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer Point: Father grant me the grace to love you and my fellow being.
Pastor Joel Ezeugo