May 23 2021

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

God created families to be a source of blessing, but from the very beginning, it has been a battlefield. The first married couple had relationship problems, including placing blame on each other. When they had children, those children despised each other to the point of death. The actions of Adam and Eve led to physical and spiritual death.

So, God gave us a new family in Christ when He created the Church, and the marker that identifies the real followers of Jesus: their practice of genuine love.

The Early Church needed a way to tell who God's true children were. In 1 John, the apostle John wrote to help them know what to look for. Some abandoned the faith because they claimed they knew more than the apostles. They said they were the real children of God.

John identified how they loved each other as the mark of a true believer. After all, it was God's love that made us His children.

It's tragic when love is lost between followers of Christ. It is the work of the enemy. We should seek reconciliation whenever possible if a conflict has occurred with other believers.

When we show forgiveness or admit guilt to one another, we demonstrate humility. Denying our personal desires to honor God is a form of worship. We should build each other up and encourage one another so that the world can see Jesus through us.

Dear Lord, I pray for unity in the Body of Christ. May we be united in love in the same way you are united with the Father. Give me a desire to love as you have loved me. Bind us with peace and fellowship. Help us to quickly admit fault or ask forgiveness when we struggle to get along. Let us please you with our actions. In Jesus' name, amen.

May 22 2021

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.:

Christianity isn't about having vast knowledge of genealogies and traditions in the Bible. Jesus never said that people would know we are Christians by our doctrine, preaching, or theology. Our Christian maturity isn't based on our intelligence, age, or how long we've been saved. It's not even measured by how much we pray or read the Bible. While these are important disciplines that help our faith grow and stay strong, the true test of our faith is how much we love or show charity to each other. It's essential to move toward the goal of loving others more. We need to be careful not to focus so much on the knowledge of God and the Bible that we forget to apply His truths to our lives. We must live out our faith in how we treat others.

Genuine and whole-hearted love comes from a pure faith in God. We become more loving by understanding how much God loves us. The apostle Paul knew how important it was to be rooted and established in God's love. The more we open our lives to receiving love and allowing others to love, the more our love for God will grow and overflow to those around us.

Dear Lord, help me do what is good and acceptable to you. May I learn to love others out of a pure heart. I want to have a better understanding of your love so that it affects how I treat other people. I desire to speak words that honor you. Thank you for helping me mature in my faith and become more like you. In Jesus' name, amen.
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