Where Is The Love?

Every time I read through the daily newspapers, 50% of the news for the day is characterized by one kind of disaster or the other. But of all the disasters that has been most prominent in the news lately is the rate at which human beings kill each other. There seem to be a major disregard for human life in recent times. The shedding of human blood aimlessly is really on the increase. One man gets angry with his brother and without any form of recourse he picks a gun and snuffs out the life of his fellow man. But what bothers me most in all these is how these present day cannibals find sleep and rest in their evil act. Where is the love of God in our present day generation?  

While discussing this subject with my husband, what he said to me was that "we are presently in the devil's world." We all know that we are in the end times now and though I would rather not preach salvation solely because we are in the end-times, but would rather preach salvation because death can come knocking at any point in time. If Jesus tarries much longer, death can't be kept waiting beyond the appointed time. 

With this said, there is the need to prepare, more need to prepare now than ever before. Quite a lot of people say that they have heard that Jesus is coming decades before now, and still He is yet to show up, but one fact that never fails to show up is death. Life-expectancy has dropped from being 70years and above to being in the rage of 40-60years and so the few living up to 80years and above are really in luck.

1 Corinthians 13:1-10, 13

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have a gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and suurender my body to the flames, but not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, 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. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophecy in part, when when the perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 

And now these three remains: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Like I said earlier, it is time to prepare for eternity. More than ever before, the times are very evil. If  we don't as much anticipate the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to prepare in anticipation for death, the inevitable visitor who comes calling unannounced and uninvited. 

The most important thing to consider and possess in abundance as we prepare for eternity is that thing called Love. Now this is not the love that exist between a man and his wife, but the Love which is a characteristic of God and one important factor that shows forth that we are sons of God. That is the love Paul described above which never fails.

Paul tells us that prophecies can cease, tongues may be stilled and knowledge will pass away, but one thing that sure stands the test of time in this world and beyond is Love; the agape love of God. The love that is patient and kind, the love that does not envy or keeps record of wrong, the love that is not easily angered, the love that delights in truth, that is the Love that stands the test of time. This kind of love does not breed heart failure, this kind of love is not characterized by anxiety, with this kind of love, you eliminate worry. This is God's kind of love. When you possess this kind of love, then truly you are a child of God.

Matthew 5:43-48

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

No imperfection is eligible to enter into heaven. The kind of perfection that tells the world the son of Whom you are as a child of God is the perfection characterized by the Love described in the two passages above. If you are yet to possess this kind of love, then you are yet to be true sons of God and you are yet to be qualified for heaven at death. By this I do not stand to judge anyone, this is just the word of God.

Jesus said we should be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. That is the perfection that reigns in the Kingdom of God. The perfection of the love that keeps no record of wrongs and thus breeds no enemies. The perfection of the love that does not envy and so there is no unhealthy competition or rivalry. The perfection of the love that is not proud, not self-seeking and not boastful and so there is no unhealthy and unholy life ambitions. It is not rude, it is a kind of love that breeds respect for others and for authorities. It is not a kind of love that is easily angered, and so it is characterized by self-control and it is temperate. This is the kind of love that God wants us to have. 

Without this kind of love, eternity is heaven is not so sure. And so we can understand why Jesus will says that a lot of people will do many miracles in His name yet they will not make heaven. This is because they lack the love that qualifies them for a placement in the kingdom of God. Their life has been smeared by some form of imperfection that can only be corrected by the love that is described in the passages above. 

We all need to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate our walk and relationship with God. We need to search our very form of existence and place our lives in the light of the revelation of the word of God found in the two passages above. If I have to tell you the truth, I also need to do the same. As I put down this message, I do not speak to my readers alone, but I speak to myself. That the Lord helps me to follow the leading of His Spirit in my life and that His Spirit will work out in me the perfection of what is revealed to me in these passages above. 

I am just trying to imagine if the whole world will live by the standard of the love described in 1 Corinthian 13. Surely there will not be chaos at all on the face of the earth. Still I try to imagine what heaven will be like if all those who enter and remain there are those who have attained the level of perfection characterized by the love in the passages above. No matter your level of hard work in Christ, if you are yet lacking in the love described above, then you are assumed to have done nothing. And so in order not to labour in vain, it is of utmost importance that we work at what we do for God in the light of the Love of God described above. Your measure of approval is by the standard of the love described above.

This level of love is not attained in the flesh. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot measure up to the level of love that God desires and approves of in the passages above. This kind of love is only attainable in Christ. It is the truthful and diligent following of the leadership of Jesus through His Spirit that He gives us that can help us attain this level of love. When you walk in Christ and follow His leading without looking to the right or to the left, then you truly walk in Love. Love in the very true sense of it as in the Love of God can only be found in Jesus.

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