Love for another is a strong affection arising out of kinship or personal ties.
Victory is success in defeating an opponent or enemy. It is achievement or mastery in a struggle.
My brothers and my sister, saints of the most high God, Elyon himself.
Saying, "I love you" seems to be such a popular cliché these days. In fact, it appears we allow it to roll off of our lips quite loosely. Not that it’s even coming from the heart, it just sounds good.
We say it to impress. We say it sometimes as filler during an awkward moment. We even say it to sound strong and perhaps spiritual. We say it because it’s customary.
The question is; do we really mean the love we declare to one another? Only you can answer that.
The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8A, "Charity suffered long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Charity does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never fails!"
Therefore I am of the opinion it is impossible to talk about love and disassociate it with God.
The Bible further tells us in 1 John 4:8; "He that does not love does not know God; because God is love."
You can turn this however you want to turn it. But, no matter how you slice it, no matter how you dice it, God and love end up at the same party.
I want you to know that love is not a surface issue. It’s not a faucet to turn on and off as needed. You must dig deep when you talk about love.
Man likes to put too many conditions on love. We will love:
• If we are loved back
• If it benefits us
• If it brings fame, fortune and recognition
Seldom will we love, simply put, because the Bible tells us to.
When we love, we defeat everything the enemy comes against us with.
God’s greatest commandment is to love.
1. Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul and mind
2. Love your neighbor as you love yourself
Jesus then tells us; by this (this what) this thing we call love. By this, will all men know that we are his disciples if we have love one for another.
I’m not talking about this play stuff. I’m talking about real love; genuine love; God’s agape love which he gives without conditions.
God’s love is indeed our victory! His love causes us to be victorious. We experience victory in his love first of all because he came. The Bible tells us; "For God so loved the world that he gave (sent) his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
Secondly, God’s love is our victory because he died. No man took his life but he laid it down freely to fulfill his purpose. No manmade sacrifice could correct the sin of man. This was a mission that God himself had to handle. So God sent his love to die on the cross.
Lastly and most importantly, God’s love is our victory because he got up.
The Bible tells us he rose with all power having been given unto him in heaven and the earth.
Jesus holds the keys to death, hell and the grave. Death where is your sting? Grave where is your victory?
Because he lives I can face tomorrow. As believers, be confident knowing that love brought us victory.
He came because of his love for you and me. He died because of his love for you and me. Now, we have the victory because of his resurrection.
Dyer is pastor of New Vision Restoration Center and a member of United Ministerial Alliance of Liberty County