9 Minutes
Mark 12:50 and Luke 10:27
God is love. And that is the only criteria that establishes the strength of spirituality in a person.
Theological knowledge is not the measure of spiritual maturity or strength. Knowledge without love is a sure sign of the lack of both. Ask yourself this question; why would anyone show such a disdain for what Jesus was doing as to desire his death? You see, with all that preaching, with all that teaching, with all that scripture study, the Pharisees were just noisy voices. Where was their love? In doing all they could to harm the character of the one who desired their salvation.
It is true that as believers we are called to love everyone, but our love should especially be toward our fellow brothers and sisters. Jesus actually said that the world would know that we are his disciples by the love that we show toward one another. We are to love even our enemies, but our love for the family of God is vitally important. This is why God designated the sixth church Philadelphia. Philadelphia, from “philos” which means love or affection and “adelphos” meaning brother. The term originally meant affection for someone from the same womb, blood relatives. But it is used several times in the New Testament to describe the love that fellow believers have for one another, especially since now they are a part of the same new family. As believers we have been born again into the family of God, so that we call each other brother and sister in the Lord. It is vitally important to realize that love for the family of God actually becomes a test of our real conversion. Any who speaks ill of another is still in darkness. The kind of love that the bible talks about is not a natural love. The world naturally loves its own, and has an affection for pleasures and pursuits. But having an “agape” love for others is not natural. It is not natural to love the way Jesus intends his followers to love. This love actually comes from God. When a person is “born again,” the Holy Spirit comes and abides, or lives, inside of us. It is the Holy Spirit who then teaches us to love. You must be “God taught”.
I Thessalonians 4:9
How is the love? that you show?...that you preach? Love that extends no farther than self has no bearing for others. The type of love that is to abide in God’s people must be a concerned love. Concern of brothers and sisters in the Lord is always about faith in Christ. The most important aspect of love that a fellow believer can have is a desire to “establish and exhort” a brother or sister in their faith. Trials will inevitably come, and family looks out for one another. We are always ready to help each other persevere in our faith and
love for Christ and one another. Is this not what we teach? We encourage the babes in Christ. But we must first love deeper in our minds. Judgmental minds are the workplace of evil. Humble consideration is a better place to build knowledge. The only love we have to love with is the very love of God, which we cannot measure. This brings a spiritual perspective to our reasoning through circumstances and events that bind us as God proposed in the gathering. Ours, if we are Christ’s, should never lack of love in words or acts of unkindness, thoughtlessness, or irritation. Love is not a commodity to be withheld or bartered out. Familiarity – how we see things...spirituality – how things really are. We continually try to exorcise God’s mind. This is what God was teaching us, knowing that there are somethings we need not know.
Genesis 2:17
Knowing good and evil will cause dispute in the mutual love between God and man and man and man. In learning the true nature and origin of love, we can let go of our belief in our knowledge of evil, just by refusing to partake of it. Any particular situation you may be struggling with at any given moment is nothing outside of your own consciousness, over which you have ultimate control by the spiritual strength of the indwelling spirit. Wake up, it was just a dream. Evil is real. It can produce both emotional and spiritual turbulence. No one is required to love an evil intent expressed or done, but to see its untruth. Then it is easy to love that person. This means putting aside a human sense of love and its interdependencies; it means not being so easily sidetracked by some rude word or deed. When we truly understand that the only love we have to love with is the very love of God, which cannot be measured or meted out in part, only then can we love freely, even in the face of personal affront or indignity. This is the same love that Jesus expressed. It is a love that heals. Please never struggle with resentment toward another. Suffer and sacrifice as did Jesus. You are strengthened beyond measure.
Encourage one another, teach one another, eat the fruit of the Spirit which evidences love. Love compels. Push past cultural or personal imposed boundaries. Lay down your life for your sister, your brother. Slow down, hear their cry. The enemy likes to stick a finger in any opening to widen it to put his foot in, to begin to walk up and down in it. In small groups, we have to avoid unhealthy togetherness. This is where there isn't separateness between two people's thoughts, feelings, fears and values. We must fight for healthy togetherness. This includes respecting others as separate individuals, being honest and clear. This requires a strength of spirituality to let go of self and follow Jesus withersoever he goes.
The Holy Spirt is very interested in the value of our words. He inspired the bible and it is the standard for word values. Why would we devalue the word? The words that we exchange are to be for profit. Love does not separate, it does not disintegrate, it does not devastate. Love builds. Too many people are using the word "love" as in inferior measure...a lesser content. The life of Jesus was a love-offering. What are our lives...a like-offering? What kind of measure are we using for “love”?
Deuteronomy 7:6-9
It is a wonderful thing that God does not have love for us. For then it might falter as does our love...instead, God is love. He is it. More powerful than life. An unbreakable bond. A One of a kind. And Jesus is the revelation of that covenant love of which we are to be in agreement. We are united in him in mercy, brought to God by his grace. Why would God’s people allow anything to fragment and scattered their unity? Some or all, are falling into fallenness...an invisible spiritual dimension that can only be overcome with the strength of spirituality that is mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
II Corinthians 10:3-6
We have to put aside those “finger openings”. I Peter 2:1-3, 21, 25
Let not our trust in reasoning falter. Too concerned with what lies behind us and what lies before us, weakens our reasoning to what lies within us. Self- righteousness produces pride, not love. Pride is the root of contention, division, and separation. The next time you say “I love you”, think about it. The source of the strength of spirituality is loving the word of God to guide us to know the biblical principles, and yet a whole other thing is to live them out. Straying from principles we know to be true...we suffer as a result. The principle of love is scripturally lived out in terms of behavior and attitude. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love fulfills the covenant.
Hebrews 10:16
The life that Jesus lived, the price that Jesus paid should encourage you and me too to keep striving to love better. This behavior keeps our spirit connected to his Spirit, fills us with overwhelming care and concern, perfects and purifies our hearts. We are in hard testing times...we can do better. Our strength of spirituality is not measured quantitatively but rather qualitatively. Consider reasoning of that statement this way... the letter of the law is quantitative, while the value of the law is qualitative. Qualitative consist of
developing character traits. Quantitative is finite. Reason further...you ever hear a doctor ask on a scale of 1 to 10 what is your pain? That’s quantitative. Might my faith, my suffering have something to do with how the impact of pain is felt? Ask Jesus what scale was his pain on. Consider the blessing of the sabbath. It's not quantitative...God does not count how many sabbaths you keep. He weighs in the sanctuary, according to His way, your faith in the sabbath, your obedience to it. Look at how your enthusiasm for the sabbath grows higher and higher beyond measure. The man on the cross without keeping the sabbath rested in the faith of who Jesus is and was assured of the kingdom of Heaven. In the times of trial let nothing level out your strength of spirituality regarding the sabbath...no plateau.
The strength of spirituality in a person causes them to learn from the trial, initiating new growth. If you are not willing to overcome by the presence of the Holy Spirit, you will be overcome with discouragement and regress downward. What are the strengths of spirituality to be displayed: faith, zealousness, sincerity and humility, steadfastness, obedience, kindness, forgiveness, self-discipline, wisdom, reason, virtue...let’s conclude this list...display the fullness of the character of Jesus Christ. The character strength of spirituality involves our capacity to dig deep and find the greater meaning in God’s word, to align ourselves with a purpose that extends beyond ourselves, to find relationship and unity with something greater such as God. We can, through the Holy Spirit strengthen ourselves by renewing our mind, to know and understand God's will and purpose for our lives. When we focus on Jesus, and what he has done and is doing for us, we can move from strength to strength, no matter our circumstances. When we suffer and melt in sorrow let’s rely on God’s way in the sanctuary... love’s way is not the way of weakness and defeat, but of strength and victory...love triumphs over hatred and fear...love develops and matures...love suffers long and is kind...love endures all things...love rejoices in the truth. In the Person of God love is the most powerful force in the universe. The strength of spirituality in a person is cored by the overpowering presence of hearing the words of Jesus.
Acts 9:4-6, 15, 16, 20-22
This strength is power and ability to understand and explain the word of God. God wasn’t refreshing Saul/Paul’s body to survive another day; God was filling him with power to do the impossible in Christ. That is the strength God wants to give us. It is graced by Jesus. It is deep in our souls.
Romans 4:20, 21
II Timothy 2:1
This strength is to be spent in love toward others. May God be glorified.
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