Post by Evangelist Denise Dove on Feb 12, 2011 13:39:48 GMT -5
Now, this is a crucial point: God has never told us to push or drive the sinner into making a decision for Christ. People are to be loved into the Kingdom, not forced.
The Bible says if Christ be lifted up, He will draw all men to Him. (John 12:32.) Jesus doesn't force - He draws.
In John 13:34-35 Jesus gives us a command to love: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
The sinner should see this love in the believer and say, "he has something I don't have, and I want it!"
Galatians 5:6 says that faith works by love. This applies particularly to our faith in the area of believing for our loved ones. We can believe God and confess Acts 16:31, Luke 10:2 and the other scriptures we have mentioned and even pray five hours a day; but if we aren't walking in love with those whom we are believing for (and everyone else, for that matter), our faith will be nullified.
You say, "but, brother John, you don't know how they mistreat me and verbally abuse me because I'm a Christian. How am I supposed to love them when they treat me like that?"
When you were born again, you received into your spirit the very nature of God, which is love. (Rom. 5:5.) You have the love of God, or the God kind of love in you! You don't have to pray for it or beg God for it - it's already in you.
This kind of love is an unconditional love. In other words, it loves regardless of how it is treated, whether well or poorly. The world knows nothing of this love. It is foreign to them.
One of the best examples of the God kind of love is shown in John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only begotten Son, that whose soever believe th in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God loved the world so much that He gave part of Himself - His one and only Son. He loved you when you were a sinner, when you wanted nothing to do with Him. He didn't wait for you to "straighten up and fly right." He didn't wait for you to love Him first.
This is the type of love we are talking about. It is agape - the kind of love we are commanded to love with, the God kind of love.
Praise God, we can love as the Word tells us to, because that love is in us. What we must do is release that love and get it out where others can see it and benefit from it.
Think love thoughts. Speak love words. Do love things. Even though your family may do you wrong, let that love dominate you at all times. It's not easy at Forest; but the more you practice it, the easier it gets. Remember: Love never fails. (1 Cor. 13:8.) Love always wins out.
To see your loved ones come to God, you must walk in love with them every step of the way.
The Bible says if Christ be lifted up, He will draw all men to Him. (John 12:32.) Jesus doesn't force - He draws.
In John 13:34-35 Jesus gives us a command to love: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
The sinner should see this love in the believer and say, "he has something I don't have, and I want it!"
Galatians 5:6 says that faith works by love. This applies particularly to our faith in the area of believing for our loved ones. We can believe God and confess Acts 16:31, Luke 10:2 and the other scriptures we have mentioned and even pray five hours a day; but if we aren't walking in love with those whom we are believing for (and everyone else, for that matter), our faith will be nullified.
You say, "but, brother John, you don't know how they mistreat me and verbally abuse me because I'm a Christian. How am I supposed to love them when they treat me like that?"
When you were born again, you received into your spirit the very nature of God, which is love. (Rom. 5:5.) You have the love of God, or the God kind of love in you! You don't have to pray for it or beg God for it - it's already in you.
This kind of love is an unconditional love. In other words, it loves regardless of how it is treated, whether well or poorly. The world knows nothing of this love. It is foreign to them.
One of the best examples of the God kind of love is shown in John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only begotten Son, that whose soever believe th in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God loved the world so much that He gave part of Himself - His one and only Son. He loved you when you were a sinner, when you wanted nothing to do with Him. He didn't wait for you to "straighten up and fly right." He didn't wait for you to love Him first.
This is the type of love we are talking about. It is agape - the kind of love we are commanded to love with, the God kind of love.
Praise God, we can love as the Word tells us to, because that love is in us. What we must do is release that love and get it out where others can see it and benefit from it.
Think love thoughts. Speak love words. Do love things. Even though your family may do you wrong, let that love dominate you at all times. It's not easy at Forest; but the more you practice it, the easier it gets. Remember: Love never fails. (1 Cor. 13:8.) Love always wins out.
To see your loved ones come to God, you must walk in love with them every step of the way.
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