Basic Beliefs - April 2025
As we study the basic principles of our faith one of the most all-encompassing beliefs we hold true is the power of the love of God. We see through scripture that God is love. We see everything He does is because of His love. We are created in love, saved by love, changed by love and commanded to walk in love. In fact, the evidence that we are growing in our relationship with our Father is how we walk in love.
First of all we must know that God is love. (1John 4:8) It is His make-up. It is His character. It is who He is. Everything that He has ever done or will do is because of love. He will never stop loving us. Paul tells us in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The love of God is accurately described in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians. This is often called the love chapter of the Bible. It shows how that love, the love of God, is patient and kind. It’s not touchy or easily provoked. It believes the best and bears all things. It is very important for us as Christians to read this chapter quite often. It will remind us of what is important. An easy to understand definition we give for love is this: Love joyfully chooses to take an action that promotes the welfare of another. I can understand that and it helps me to put love to work in my life.
The greatest expression of God’s love for man in found in Jesus. God so loved the world that He gave us Jesus. (John 3:16) Jesus’ life and then his death show us how much He loves us. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13) John also writes in the fourth chapter of his first epistle, “In this the love of God was manifested (shown) toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”
This love of God is placed in our hearts as we believe on Jesus. And because He first loved us we can now love Him. But not only do we love God, we are commanded to love one another. “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 14:12) Then John reminds us again, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” (I John 4:7) Jesus also told us that all men would know that we are His disciples if we love one another.
One of the greatest revelations about love is when we begin to understand the power of love. Let me explain. In the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians Paul is teaching us how God’s power manifests and works. He shows us that God’s power brings great change to us in His Gifts of the Spirit. He also shows us that as we take our place and use our gifts as a part of the body of Christ much power is made available. Then he uses the Ministry gift to explain how that God’s power is revealed. But after all that, in the last verse of the chapter he says this, “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way.” A more excellent way to what? To show forth God’s power. What is that more excellent way? LOVE.
That next verse begins the Love Chapter we spoke of earlier. He is saying that a Christian walking in the God kind of love makes more power available than any Gift of the Spirit or Ministry Gift. We have the power to change the lives of others as we walk in love. Also, our life will be radically changed too.
I will leave you with one last scripture from that Love Chapter. Verse eight says, “Love never fails.” Every time we choose love, our life, and the life of those around us will be better. Love Never Fails.