IOI CHRISTIAN MEAL, HOW TO SHOW LOVE AND RESPECT TO OTHERS

IOI CHRISTIAN MEAL

TOPIC: HOW TO SHOW LOVE AND RESPECT TO OTHERS

TEXT: John 13:35 KJV
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Continued from yesterday. . .

III. Embody the distinguishing nature of love

When we demonstrate Christian love, it distinguishes believers from the rest of the world. Jesus goes on to say, "By this [love] all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

Notice Jesus did not say that people will know that you are my disciples if you promote my agenda, or wear Christian T-shirts or a WWJD bracelet, or have a fish decal on your car, but rather if you love one another.
A watching world will be persuaded not when our values are promoted but when they are incarnated, when we become purveyors of love.

It is as though Jesus has given the entire world the right to judge whether or not one is His follower simply on the basis of their love for fellow human beings. The vivacious virtue of love distinguishes the Christian.

From the very beginning, God's plan was to develop a people that reflected his character. And what is his character? Love. "God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; for we are as He is in this world" (1 John 4:16-17).
Believers are God's advertisement to a watching society as to how individuals could best live in that society. In fact, Christian love will always be the best apologetic that the church has.

When Ira Gillett, missionary to East Africa, returned home to report on his activities overseas, he related an interesting phenomenon.
Repeatedly, Gillett had noticed how groups of Africans would walk past government hospitals and travel many extra miles to receive medical treatment at the missionary compound. He finally asked a particular group why they walked the extra distance when the same treatments were available at the government clinics.
The reply: "The medicines may be the same but the hands are different.

That's the virtue of love incarnated. That kind of love makes a difference. Christ has no hands, but our hands; no feet, but our feet.

We are his ambassadors, representing him to the world. And when we love as he as loved us, it will make the difference. People will notice. Christian love is indispensable.

PRAYER
MAY GOD TEACH US HOW TO LOVE OUR SELF AND NOT TO DESTROY OUR SELF WITH HATRED AND STRIVES ANYMORE IN JESUS NAME