Love Is At The Heart Of The Bible
Have you ever gone to a place or event thinking you had a reservation only to find out your name was not on the list? Jesus tells his disciples that many will be expecting a place in heaven because they called Jesus Lord and did many things in His name.
This week we are continuing our learning series on the Radical Sayings of Jesus from Matthew 7. I encourage you to read Matthew 7 and prayerfully receive the life-changing truths about love taught here by Jesus Christ.
Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV): “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
Our radical teacher of the TRUTH is letting us know it’s not primarily what we do or say but who we know and LOVE that ultimately matters.
LOVE is at the heart of the Bible. At Foothills Community Church, we unabashedly teach a Biblical Theology of Love beginning with Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and the famous Shema, which reads: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
God loves us! (John 3:16, Revelation 1:5).
Through Christ, God gifts us with new hearts that make us “love-givers!” (1 John 4:19).
The Holy Spirit pours God’s love into us! (Romans 5:5; Galatians 5:22).
All love begins with God. God loves us by calling us to love Him—with an all-encompassing love, to love Him with our heart and soul—our desires, our will, and all our motivations. This love includes our attitude and actions, our words, how we treat others, our perception, everything connected to our being; our powers, wealth, resources, everything!
We live by Christ’s Law of Love when relating to our car, our spouse, our social media, our clothing, our children, our house, our job. Love for God is wholehearted, holistic, relational—everywhere we go, everything we do cries out: “The LORD is one in my life!”
God’s love expressed from our lips, hearts, wallets and smartphones requires a radical heart transformation. This has always been true (Deuteronomy 10:16).
To love God and to love our neighbors, like the Law commands requires new hearts. In the Old Testament, this is the promise of the coming New Covenant (Ezekiel 11:19-20, 36:26).
Our wholehearted response to the Gospel shows itself in every decision and every encounter where the fuel of God’s overflowing love empowers our life to be totally about LOVING GOD!
Feel God’s Love this Sabbath at our 11 a.m. service where we will learn from the teachings of Jesus. This powerful message will open your heart and prepare you to be a better person and a stronger Christian.
I’ll see you and your family Saturday morning!
Duff
