Walking in Love
1. If we are rooted and grounded in God's love, we should be able to "walk in love" because we will be filled with all the fullness of God - who is love.
...that Christ may dwell (live) in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19
2. God's Word commands us to "walk in love." What does that mean? And how are we supposed to do it?
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us. Ephesians 5:2
3. "Walking in love" means laying down your life for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us, And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. I John 3:16
4. Jesus gave a new commandment. He said, "Love one another as I have loved you." This leaves no loopholes. There is no question what Jesus meant. We know that God wants us to love everyone (even our enemies), the way Jesus loved us, and gave His life for us.
5. The apostle John spelled it out...
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (payment) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. I John 4:10-11
6. This is basic Christianity. Once again, John states it clearly...
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God for God is love. I John 4:7-8
7. It is impossible to state any principal more clearly or succinctly than that. God is love. This is just as basic as anyone can get. What part of this do we not understand? Everyone who loves is born of God. And, He who does not love does not know God. There is no way to say this more pointedly.
8. The early Church took great care and made tremendous efforts to teach this commandment to every new believer. This law was called the perfect law of liberty, and the law of love, and the early Christians were largely successful at keeping it. It was also known that living in love was the fulfilling of the whole law. History tells us that the early Christians were known for their love, as Jesus had said they would be.
9. Why can we not keep Jesus' commandment to love one another? I had to ask God about this.
10. The Holy Spirit reminded me of Jude verse 21. "Keep yourselves in the love of God." And then I understood. We have become disconnected from our power source. The entire verse reads like this:
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God. Jude 20-21
11. To me, "Praying in the Holy Spirit" means communing with God. It is Spirit led prayer - seeking the heart of God. What are His desires? Not my will, but His I seek For me, this kind of prayer usually takes the form of speaking in tongues. but you can pray in the Spirit in English. Just ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray. The result is connection with God, and I receive His love and grace - and power to love others. People who pray are people God uses.
12. Praying, reading the Bible, fellowshipping with other Christians, and worshipping God with our lives, by our actions, and by our praises are all things that help to keep us in the love of God. How could these things not do that? The love of God is very real. God is love. When I get close to God, I feel loved and accepted. Then I have the power to love others as Jesus loved me. In fact, this is actually the power to let God love people - through me.
13. So "walking in love" is walking hand in hand with Jesus. It is walking in communion with God. It is knowing His love by staying in relationship with Him - and then letting Him use you to give His love to others. And it is laying down our lives for the brethren.
P.S. It turns out that walking in love is the greatest weapon of our warfare. And...
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
II Corinthians 10:4