Law of Love

Be Imitators- v.1

Not just an imitator, but an imitator of God!!

We can tend to imitate other things around us that aren’t Holy.

We will imitate what we are exposed to.

An imitation is a copy, based upon an authentic original.

When we were created, it was Imago Dei (Image of God)

Our image was a copy that was based on the authentic.

Genesis 1:27 ESV

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

God made us special, to bear His image to have some of His attributes

When we fell, we distorted that image greatly

He is calling us to once again, bear Him image

1 Corinthians 15:49 ESV

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

We are going to be a very imperfect imitation.

But think of this as children…they love their parents, and they watch their parents so they can imitate what we do…for good or for bad.

Caleb, “Weally people, weally”

He was picking up and imitating his mom.

Do we imitate God, do we look to Him for our identity, and try to mirror His image?

Walk in Love- v.2

Love is the only law that we truly must follow.

When we love, we are imitating God

Matthew 22:36–40 ESV

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

If we follow the law of love, the other commandments fall into place.

“Love God and do as you please.” Augustine

Sometimes we might try to justify immoral actions with the claim of love.

We need to make sure, that when we speak of love. It is God’s love that we are speaking about.

God’s Love- v.2

The love that Christ showed wasn’t empty words, but actions.

The love that Christ showed, wasn’t self serving only thinking of himself.

He had what was best for us in mind.

It wasn’t an easy thing to do.

We can think that if it’s meant to be, it should be easy. This isn’t true…If you don’t want to do it, and feel like you should…It’s probably something you should do.

Wrong Love- v.3

Sexual immorality, from Porneia where we get pornography.

When we say that the rule is love, people all the sudden try to justify their sins.

A man leaves his wife, a boyfriend and girlfriend move in together, two men begin a relationship with each other and they call it love, it must be okay because it’s love.

That isn’t love, that is lust.

People aren’t thinking about what is best, because what is best is following God’s law.

God doesn’t give us these laws because He doesn’t want us to have any fun, it’s because He knows what is best for us.

People who live adulterous lives… It destroys, it destroys their spouses, it destroys their children. Afterwards they themselves are destroyed and they are never happy.

People who move in together and have kids before their married. There is no security in those households. Not getting married is saying I want to make it easy to leave. It makes stressful and bad relationships....God forbids it because He wants what is best for us....A healthy stable relationship grounded in love.

Love seeks the best for the other person.

Coveting reminds me of the command in exodus.

Exodus 20:17- Don’t covet you neighbors wife.

Not just the acts that you do, but what you think about.

Giving into sinful desires can bring short term happiness, but never lasting joy.

If you know someone who has fallen into this sin, be there to help. If you have fallen, we are here to help.

Heir on the side of grace, because next time it could be you.

God showed us how to love, so He is saying IMITATE CHRIST!!

Let your speech reflect your father- v.4

Crude joking, Men at job sites, with the guys. we all know what he is talking about here.

It doesn’t say that we are not to joke, but crude joking.

James 3:10–12 ESV

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Luke 6:45 ESV

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

This ties back to the wrong type of love, all sin starts in the mind.

If we are joking about it, we are thinking about it.

You think about something, then you act on it.

What’s coming out of your mouth, shows what is in your heart, what has been on your mind.

Instead of crude joking, and your mind being on sexually immoral things....Instead let their be thanksgiving.

There are so many things in this world to be thankful about.

Don’t get fixated on the bad things.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 ESV

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Does this mean that every situation is going to be good? No but you can give thanks knowing that God is in control of all situations.

Fill your mind with thankfulness, so that praise comes out instead of immoral things.

Consequences for those who don’t follow- v.5-6

Those who do these things, will not inherit the kingdom of God.

People will try to justify their actions…try to claim that it is okay because of one reason or another.

Don’t listen to them!!

The wrath of God is coming. God is angry about sin!! He wants us to repent of it!! Not to continue in it!!

My kids, they loved to play in the dirt, in our old yard…we had a lot of it. The problem was, they would come outside to help me, then go get cleaned up for bed and want to come back out.

This is the way our life is. God has welcomed us into His house, cleaned us up…and now we want to go play in the mud again.

There is consequences for those who continue in sin.

Challenge:

Demonstrate self sacrificial love to those around you

If you don’t know Jesus the God of love, come to know Him today