Living on the Promises: Nothing But His Love

God’s love (agape) for us is perfect — it’s the source of our very being, the foundation for our faith, and the fuel we need to live well! When we learn to receive God’s love and share it, we help usher in His Kingdom and power to impact others’ eternities.

Agape love is considered the highest, purest form of love. It encompasses charity, affection, and goodwill. It’s most often used to describe God’s love for us and the type of love we are to display to others.

Jesus reminds us that showing agape love is what should set Christians apart from the rest of the world:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35 ESV).

The purposes undergirding our life must rest on nothing but His love. In this fallen world, we are all prone to turn to counterfeit building supplies instead of the real thing. We seek the approval of others, aim for recognition, and chase earthly pleasures as we strive to build a good life. But Scripture — and experience — testify clearly: Nothing but the love of Jesus withstands life’s pressures or produces eternal fruit.

The classic passage of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” reveals that love acts sacrificially and purposefully to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Those who receive His sacrificial love must do the same for other people — this is the essence of God’s masterful plan to connect us to one another and to the Savior of our souls.

Truly building your life on the truth that GOD LOVES YOU changes everything and sets you free to love others. Any of our love that is not rooted in the love of God will be tainted with selfish motivations. We can love with agape love only “because He first loved us” (I John 4:19).

To simply say that God is loving but not living in and displaying that love is powerless. When you accept God’s love and make it a part of who you are, you experience true transformation. He works His love and joy within you … to empower you to impact your world.

Meditate on one verse each week this month, and watch God’s love radiate through you to others around you.

Week One:

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8 ESV).

Week Two:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV).

Week Three:

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:17-19 ESV).

Week Four:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:7-8)

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