December 11

I John 4:20 points out, “If a man says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar, for if he can’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” God is not giving any extra credit on life’s test for good intentions. If we love Him—truly—the proof of that will be our love for others.

Romans 12:9-11 goes on to say, “Let love be sincere; hate what is evil and hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection, giving honor to one another and fervently serve the Lord.” The Lord will not accept a counterfeit love when we profess our love for Him or for our fellow sojourners through life.

He expects that the love we extend to both Him and to those around us will be that which flows from His own heart. We are merely conduits of His love to those who are perishing for a lack of it. As we love with His abiding love that wells up within our hearts, that love will have no strings attached. It will be pure.

If we truly love Jesus, we will strive to maintain the integrity of the love He gives to us. As He honors us by making us co-heirs to His eternal Kingdom, so we will honor those to whom we witness His salvation by loving them into the fold. In so doing, we will be adding to the community of faith as we fervently serve Him.