Motivation of Christ’s Love to Love One Another
Christ said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” The second thought I would like to dwell upon is this—Christ’s love for us is the true and pure motivation for us to love another.
We can never truly love others if we love them because they are good and nice with us. We can never truly love others if we love them because they love us. We can never truly love others if we love them for our own security and satisfaction.
He who loves others because he receives love from them cannot love them for a long time, for when he stops receiving love from others he stops loving them.
The love of Christ is our only motivation to love selflessly, joyfully and patiently.
That is why the Scripture says, “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful” (Matt. 5:48). Those who taste the mercy of God are motivated to show mercy to others.
The mercy of our heavenly Father is the motivation for us to show mercy to others. That is why the Scripture says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph. 4:32). Those who know God’s abundant forgiveness for the great sins we have committed against Him are motivated to kindly forgive others.
The forgiveness of the Father is the motivation for us to forgive others.
That is why the Scripture says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Phi. 2:4-5). Those who understand how much Christ is concerned for us and gave up His glorious privileges for our eternal welfare—they are motivated to have concern for the welfare of others by denying self.
That is why the Scripture says, “Love each other as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:12). Those who experience Christ’s love for us are motivated to love one another.
Do we understand now how Paul could write these words, "For Christ's love compels us"? (2 Cor. 5:14) The great motivation we have to love and serve one another is Christ’s love for us.
If not for His love, we have no reason to love one another. After all, why should we love one another when we the sinful and selfish creatures often seek our own advantage and hurt each other to get our own way?
Mark these words—we find no reason to love each other, for there is no
good in us. The only reason we find to love one another is that Christ,
who is all good, loves evil people like us and conforms us to His
goodness.Therefore, in view of God's love for us, let us not be disappointed to love one another because God is not disappointed to love us. Let us not fear to take risk to love each other because God took risk in loving us.
Let us not give up on loving one another, because God doesn’t give up on loving us. Let us not be apprehensive to love each other because of weaknesses, for God loves us in spite of our imperfections.
How good, beneficial and inspiring it is to keep the love of Christ always before us in loving one another! Christ Jesus is our tremendous inspiration to obey His command—love one other.
So, when can we truly love each other? When we find our continuous satisfaction in Christ’s love, when we unceasingly see Christ’s love as our motivation, only then would we be able to truly love one another. [Click here to go to Part 1 of this article] |
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Thank you Brother Stephen, I'm encouraged by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be contend in his love & the same love now, also motivates me to Love others. I thank our Lord Jesus Christ for giving you the strength & the wisdom to write this article. Thank you...
ReplyDeleteKarthik Amirthalingam (Church @ Velachery)