SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Why We Love
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1John
4:19
Message of the Verse: “19 Yes, we love because he first loved
us. (Phillips) “19 We
love each other as a result of his loving us first. (NLT)
Agapao is
the Greek word that John uses here and is translated “love.” The word is similar to the Greek word Agape,
which is also translated love many times in the NT. The KJV translates Agape as charity in 1Cor.
13, which is known as the love chapter.
One of the definitions of Agapao given in the Greek dictionary that is
used by the Online Bible program said that Agapao was a word that John used in
1John to show Christian love between believers.
It also said that this was the word which describes the love that God
the Father has for Jesus Christ, His Son, so the word has a very strong meaning
for how believers should love one another, which is what John is saying in
verse 19. The NLT puts it in a way that is
clear to what John is trying to get across when it says, “We love each other as
a result of his loving us first.” Mankind is not capable of this
kind of love in the state in which they are born because when a person is born
he is born spiritually dead and therefore is not capable of having the kind of
love that God loves. Once the
miracle of the new birth happens to someone then he can begin to learn about
this kind of love from God, form His Word, and from other believers and as a
result of this can begin to love other believers this way. This is a process, and does not happen
overnight, and it is something that the believer has to work at by the guidance
of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, along with the help of mature believers
to guide him in this process.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: In order for me to love the brethren as I
should, I need to continue to grow in the love that God loves me with so that I
can love others in that same kind of way.
Love is not something that I can do on my own, but it is something that
I can learn about and do.
The Word of God was again convicting to my heart as I read
it this morning.
My Steps of Faith For Today:
To continue to learn and grow in the love of God.
No comments:
Post a Comment