It’s astonishing how much the God-given love that comes from Him into our lives can have such an impact on other believers.
Jesus told us that we should not be amazed, on the other hand, that the world hates us for believing in Him. It hates us because the world is still of their father the devil, and he is a liar and a murderer from the beginning.
They view believers through the lens of deception. They have no understanding of the things of God and of faith, so they cannot grasp why we believe.
Even though the world doesn’t love us, we can still demonstrate that we are of God through love.
Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3:13-15
When we love other believers with God’s love we know that we have passed from death into life. Think about this.
This is such an important revelation. When the world is so against us, we know that we keep one another through walking in love.
In fact, if we do not love one another we show that we have not yet come alive. We are still under the death gaze of sin.
Delivered
Our deliverance from death into life comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which brings us into the love of God. This love is the unconditional agape love that He has shown towards us even when we were still dead in our sins (Eph 2:4-5, Rom 5:8)).
Through the cross we pass beyond the threshold of death at the gateway into life. That cross represents cursing and death, but it is covered with the blood of Jesus and it is as if the death angel passes over us as we approach the cross and walk through into life through faith in the Saviour Jesus.
Under the Old Covenant Israel was released from captivity to slavery under Pharaoh through the blood of a sacrificed lamb daubed on the lintel and posts of their dwelling (Exo 12:7).
The angel of death that came to cursed Egypt passed over every home that had blood splashed on the doorposts and lintel (Exo 12:13).
In this way Israel was able to escape Egypt, a type of the world, through the blood of an innocent lamb. It foresaw the time when Jesus would shed His blood on the timbers of the cross, and we, through faith in the work of the cross, would be released from slavery to sin.
It was the love of God that enabled this. He saw from the beginning that we would need release from the nature of sin that corrupted the world. His love sent His Son to be the sacrificial lamb slain for the sin of the world.
The love of Jesus surrendered to this act and we were given the opportunity to be released from the pangs of death through His cross.
God’s love in us
That is the depth of love we can experience. That same love is afforded to us when we receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour. That same love is in us when we deal with the every day issues of life.
By loving every other believer openly and willingly we demonstrate to a fallen world the very love of God He has for us all. We are called to walk in love (1 Jo 4:7-8).
The love commandment is our guide in this. If we don’t love our fellow believers we are told we are guilty of murder. That is a serious crime in all cultures. Love is not an option. It is a command (1 Jo 4:20, 1 Jo 4:21).
But it is not a command that cannot be adhered to. The love of God is shed abroad in our heart (Rom 5:5). It is poured into us when we receive the Holy Spirit at the new birth. We are born again with the fulness of God’s love within (Eph 3:19).
We have to beware of the wiles of the devil who will try to cause schism and division in the Body of Christ. He will appeal to immaturity and try to persuade believers to judge other members of the Body.
But we need to rise above this and live in the love of God regardless of what is said or done by others. We love unconditionally.
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
1 John 3:18-19
God loved us first, so we should love Him for His love (1 Jo 4:19). He wills that we love one another as an act of love for Him (1 Jo 4:11). Sometimes this may be the living sacrifice that defines our willingness to follow His will (Rom 12:1).
Love changes everything.
