Title: Grow with Love
let love grow
2005-08-07
“But speaking the truth in love, grow up into him in all things, who is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).
I. Text Commentary
The more you ‘grow up into Christ by doing the true things in love’, the more you become a fully grown Christian, the more the church stands as the body of the church. When love and knowledge work well together, we can better help young Saints grow. When a church becomes a big person and a strong person, it can handle great things that a young church cannot do. For a believer to achieve spiritual growth, it is to grow in love, and the enemy that prevents this is self-love.
II. The enemy of spiritual growth: self-love
If a believer does not grow, he cannot become a Christian who builds up the true body of Christ in this world. The 'self' of 'self-love' is not the 'self' of the new nature, but the 'self' belonging to the old nature, that is, the self who does not want to depend on God, the self who tries to be the standard for self-judgment, and the self that destroys the created order of existence. refers to self After experiencing self-brokenness, a new born-again nature is planted, but the broken old nature remains in us and our strength increases according to our spiritual state. Therefore, there is a need for a life of self-denial, which denies the demands and tendencies of the old nature in mind, heart and whole life.
A. Two aspects of self-denial
The positive side of self-denial is love of neighbor. The object of our love can only be either the self belonging to the old nature or God. When God's love is filled in the place where self-love is broken, we can love our neighbor. Dedicated service for our neighbor even though we are not God's people is only an expression of self-love, doing what our old self prefers without breaking our own.
B. Self-emptying and love
When we are deeply broken in front of the gospel, we are humbled and broken from our high self-esteem, and the image of God, the image of love, is renewed in it. Then, you will have a view of seeing your neighbors through God's eyes. It is to be seen as a soul in the image of God. You can find the dying image of God in those who hate you and persecute you, and embrace them again with love. Obedience to God in all areas benefits people. In this way, the love of God and the love of neighbor are not separated.
Ⅲ. to grow with love
A. The Image of God: Love
The love and devotion of animals is nothing but an animal nature that cannot be compared with the image of God. When there is self-emptying and self-brokenness, he brings himself down from the high throne and crucified him, and puts Jesus, who was crucified, on the throne within me, and the new character, the love of Jesus, is resurrected in me. The love given within us can either grow or be destroyed. Full of the love of Jesus, that is, the supreme love, when the old love, that is, the corrupt love, is dying, spiritual growth is achieved. The fruit of spiritual grace is the character of love. Only those who receive a lot of grace are people of love.
B. Love and Obedience
When we love God deeply, we become obedient. The person who repents to God and is broken is the person who lives more obediently to God's commandments.
C. Grace and Love
Grace is a gift that is unilaterally poured out from God without merit. The more we experience God's love, the more we humble ourselves and confess that all grace is God's grace. The more we receive God's love, the more we realize our misery and the more we depend on God. This is faith.
D. Love and Learning
The church is a place to learn and teach this love. Love is acquired through seeing and learning, and thus, love, the image of God, grows. However, since the love given within us grows and declines, learning is necessary for love to grow, and the church is the school of love. The church has to take on the role of removing the dirt from the world, and for that, the members of the church must set an example of love. Jesus' life of suffering was to be an example of love to his disciples and to teach them to love.
IV. Application: Who will know love
The members of the church have a responsibility to set an example of loving service. Those who sincerely serve God have the eloquent power to influence people, which can be a spiritual challenge for young believers. I myself, not others, are under such responsibility. If you set a wrong example for your children at home, it leaves a scar that will not be easily forgotten. Face it that if my faith retreats, it will hinder the growth of the faith of the young saints. Take a look at whether you are playing a role in destroying the body of Jesus, the church. The church should be a place where believers who live in this world but are not bound by this world gather to show the love of Jesus. Who will show and teach this love? It is the duty of our church and the members of our church to strive to grow into a beautiful church that Jesus truly delights in, by becoming an example of love by sacrificing more and giving more of us who have experienced the love of Jesus.
2005-08-07