LOVE DEMONSTRATE
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“But God demonstrates His own love
toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8
The word demonstrates means to
show or to prove something clearly and convincingly. When
Jesus said, “Greater love has no
one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13), He
defined love in terms of sacrificial actions rather than words or emotions. He said that the way we treat other
people demonstrates to the world that we are followers of Christ. Because He
first loved us, we can demonstrate love to the undeserving.
Love is a distinguishing mark of
Christians and something the Lord commanded us to do, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have
loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for
one another” (John 13:34-35).
Jesus said we should love others as God loves us—selflessly, sacrificially, with
understanding and forgiveness. The
Greek word for love, as translated here is, “Agape, and means sacrificial
love—a commitment that motivates us to deny ourselves on behalf of another. This is the type of love the Lord had in mind
when He commanded His followers to love one another.
When Jesus gave the
commandment to his disciples to love one another it was a new commandment and it
raised the standard for how we treat
others—thinking of their needs before our own.
Jesus told us to love our enemies, “But I say to you love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good
to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). That
doesn’t mean we have to like how they act or think. However, we are called to love even those who
oppose us. Jesus hated the hypocrisy of
the temple money changers (Matthew 21:12-13) but still had compassion on them,
just as He did on all of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-38).
The distinguishing characteristic of a believer is love (John 13:34-35). First Corinthians 13:1 says that if we do not
have love, we are like a noisy gong--loud, unpleasant, and meaningless.
As Christians, we are to walk in sacrificial love. More than our words, our deeds should convey/demonstrate God’s love, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear
children. And walk in love, as Christ
also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God
for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:2).
We demonstrate love as Jesus did my serving others. “Just
as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life
a ransom for many “ (Matthew 20:28). Our love should not be centered on what
someone can do for us, but how we can bless her or him.
We demonstrate God’s love by having compassion
on others’ failings and short comings and caring for them anyway. Forgiving and extending mercy even to those
who have responded to us in a negative way.
Christ forgave us, extended mercy to us and died for us when we were
still sinners. By forgiving others and
extending mercy to them, we are laying down our own life and imitating God’s
love.
God unselfishly gave Himself to
us without restrictions, limitations and exceptions which bring about blessings
in our lives. When we give ourselves
unselfishly without restrictions, limitations and exceptions to others, we are demonstrating the love of God and as a consequence
it will bring about blessings in our lives.
Prayer—Father I
thank You that You demonstrated Your love towards me when I did not deserve
it. Lord I ask You to help me be mindful
that Your love in me demonstrates to others unselfishly, in Jesus Name. Amen
