Easter - That Season That Reminds Us What Love Is

Happy Easter everyone! Thank God for this season when we commemorate the awesome love of a God whom words cannot describe and His Son - Jesus Christ. This is that season when we celebrate the reason for our salvation and the basis of our precious faith. We can not ever give God and/or Jesus enough in return for all they gave for the abundant life that salvation facilitates. The love that made God allow His only begotten son endure such pain and shame just for man is inexplicable. That Jesus would also accept to go through so much for love cannot be explained but that is why we are who we are today - children of God and citizens along with all God's holy people and members of His family.

1 John 3: 16 "We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters."

Obviously, being mere mortals, we have learnt to celebrate the love of God for us and enjoy the full benefits of that love. It is innate nature of man to enjoy love, we love to feel loved. Many would even argue that there is nothing more wonderful than to feel loved. Sadly, the selfish nature of man only allows for man to think on how much he wants to be loved and feel loved never thinking that everyone and above all, God, desires to be loved. Whilst man is selfish and very much so, that is not the nature of God. Selfishness is one of those things that became a part of man by reason of the fall of man. It is a part of what is referred to as "the Adamic nature." God's nature which we have and should express as believers is love so that in desiring to be loved we are able to love. It is intrinsic in us to give and upon which we receive because it is the rule of God that in giving one receives so that as we give love, we receive love in return. Interestingly, giving others of the rich deposit of love in us is never a chore but a pleasurable and easy act because in loving God in return for Him loving us, one is inclined to love all that He loves and God loves man even the unsaved man. God loves Him so much, He longs for His salvation. In this season, the question to us believers is how much do we love God in return for Him loving us? Do we love Him enough to love who He loves and in the way He loves. Do we love Him enough to yield to Him such that people can feel His love flowing through us?

1 John 3: 18 - 20 "Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything."

John 2: 23 - 25 "Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart."

This love is not fake but real and sincere. This is the love that God is; which the unsaved man is incapable of giving and has difficulties understanding but is intrinsic in the believer. It goes beyond just visible acts; it flows from deep within. Indeed, God knows that man is capable of pretending to love when they indeed hate the person so He says one can give one's body to be burned and yet not love. Man's capacity to pretend is immeasurable. Man is spirit, should and body so that the love that believers have flows from our spirit encompasses our soul and is expressed by our body. It does not emanate from the body or soul. Being wise is to relate with everyone in love whilst ensuring that one allows the Holy Spirit reveal to them the thoughts of the hearts of men just like He did to Jesus hence the bible says Jesus knew what was in the hearts of men. It is indeed expedient that one understands the nature of man, for this is wisdom, yet we must deal in love. To prefer to remain in ignorant bliss is stupidity and not even naivety as some would conveniently prefer to say it is and then argue that God is fighting for them which is indeed correct. However, you will move faster in life, if you act with wisdom like Jesus did because you fight less battles making it tougher for the devil to slow you down. You don't know how many years you have left on earth so why engage in battles that wisdom can help you sidestep? 

Jeremiah 17: 9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?"

James 3: 14-16 "But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind."

That man is desperately evil is not strange. It is a desperately evil believer that is a misnomer, although it appears normal in our present day. Selfishness, no matter how subtle, and worldly wisdom have the capacity to make a believer evil and denomic. Unfortunately, the devil has sold us many lies one of which is making these evil things appear so normal these days that even believers advocate for everyone to have a certain level of selfishness claiming that selflessness is stupidity and allows people take advantage of you which said fact I do not dispute. However, One does not need to be selfish to be wise, all one needs to survive is the true wisdom that is from above. That wisdom is not selfish. The Holy Spirit is our ever present guide but we must hear Him and act when we are required to. To modify His instruction will lead to several failures which will slow us down and if we do so often enough, it may lead to His departure because then you claim to be wiser than He is and don't need Him anymore. This is that season when as believers, we may need to take another look at our loving? God is love and He who abides in Him abides in love and God in Him. Is He in you? Remember you can only truly love people to the extent that you love God and if you love God, you will obey Him. Do you?