The Love Of Christ
	When we have a love FOR Christ, we will do as He bid: "Come, and follow me." And in so doing, we will have a love OF Christ, that compels us to not only live the witness of Salvation through Him, but profess and witness to, others of that love.
Just what is the "Love of Christ"? First, of all, it is far different than what we may have thought love was. And I use the past tense, for I believe you will never consider love the same way, once you have experienced the Love that Jesus instills in your heart when you accept Salvation for your soul through Him. So many use "love" as a reward: "If you will do this or that, I will love you forever". That's love of the world kind, not the Love of Christ. Others use "love" as a test: "Well, if you loved me, you would..." Again, that's love of the world kind, not the Love of Christ. Many times, those we thought "loved" us, turn on us. I know of a number of times when I confided in someone, thinking they and I loved each other. Yet on down life's road some time and distance away, something came up that wounded that friendship and suddenly, that which had been spoken in confidence was being told openly. That's not love.
	Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. Proverbs 10:12. He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. Proverbs 17:9. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8.
There are those who confuse "love" with lust, a yearning for carnal knowledge with another person. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. I John 2:15-17.
	Want to know that deep, abiding love of Christ that will never change or pass away? First, allow me to point out what we are without it:
Even if I have mastered many languages and speak with the eloquence of angels, if I don't have love, I might just as well sound the most discordant note I can on a trumpet. Even if I can render prophecies, understand all the mysteries of the universe, know everything a human can know, and have more faith than anyone else, if I don't have love, I am nobody, I am nothing. Even if I support the greatest "charities" there are and wish no ceremony at my death, if I do not have love for my fellow man, it will not gain me a thing.
	So what makes the LOVE of Christ so different from that which the world calls love?
Love does not surrender easily--it is not turned off and on as a light switch--it lasts through all the ups and downs of life. Love is kindness towards others. Love does not envy others. Love does not promote itself or the one offering it. Love does not puff up the one offering it with a feeling of self-importance. Love behaves exactly as it should at all times, in all situations. Love does not seek recognition--it does not have a "self-esteem" problem--it does not call attention to itself or its deeds. Love does not get angry or upset easily. Love does not think evil. Love gets no pleasure out of someone's mistakes or downfall. Love rejoices in truth. Love can bear up under and last throughout everything we might encounter in life. Love believes all things. Love hopes all things. Love endures (lasts) through all things. Love never fails, love never dies.
	And just how enduring is this love?
Prophecies, languages, and knowledge shall all fail, but not love. Faith, hope, and love all shall endure forever and ever and ever-- Yet still, the greatest of these three is love. (I Corinthians 13.)
	One might say, yes, this is perfect love but there is no "perfection" in this world. Oh yes there is. Not in us, not of ourselves. But we can experience the perfect things of Jesus Christ through Him. We CAN know PERFECT LOVE and we can love with that PERFECT LOVE.
Now I didn't say that we would always do it perfectly, but we can know, we can experience, we can use the perfect love of Jesus Christ to not only deal with our Christian friends, but to reach out to those who don't already know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
	You see, for those times when we make a mistake, those moments when perhaps we speak hastily, that's when we have a close encounter of the Grace kind: we call it AMAZING Grace. And the more often we encounter the Grace of God, the more AMAZING it becomes to us!
You want to know how totally encompassing that Perfect Love is? For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16,17
Jesus repeatedly used the word, "WHOSOEVER". Whosoever. Who? Anybody. Come on, spell that with me: A-N-Y-B-0-D-Y. And then linger for a moment with this: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that ALL should come to repentance. II Peter 3:9. It doesn't say that ALL will repent, but He wants all who will to do so!
	There are countless ways to minister to people--to present ourselves a witness of Jesus Christ and the Love He wants ALL to come to know. I can assure you, if we will address our lives to the above definition of love, not only will we be an awesome witness of the Love of Christ, but we will know changes that take place within our own beings.
Our outlook on life, our attitudes toward others--so many changes will take place, if we will but remind ourselves, frequently, of the attributes of Perfect Love, the Love of Christ. The love that Christ gives to us--the love we are to extend to others--ALL others.
(all emphasis on scriptures, such as bold, underline or uppercase, is mine) "The Love of Christ" Copyright © 2000 by Patricia Sikes. All Rights Reserved.
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