ESOCS Devotional 16 June 2024 – Love God
MEMORY VERSE: “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.” 1 John 2:15
TEXT: 1 JOHN 2:13-29
I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
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The hallmark of the Christian life is the love we express. Something of note about us Christians is that we are creatures of love. Everything about us is of love. The sacrifice that brought salvation to us is of love. The Bible said, “God commanded His love towards us that while we were yet sinners Christ Jesus died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Therefore, being the creatures of love, it is only natural that we should love and live a life of love.
However, the expression of this love has terms and conditions associated with it. We are to be the true children of our Father God. He had already chosen for us whom to love and not to love. He said we are to love Him with everything in us and all that we have. He said we should love our enemies and our brethren in the Lord. What shows we love God is in our willingness to follow His instructions. Lord Jesus Christ said in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
Love is expressed through affections and desired pleasures. These two things determine how we respond to who and what we relate with. If you love spending time with God in His word, in worship and prayer, it means you have affection for God and derive pleasure from Him; and you enjoy giving Him pleasure too. It also shows He is the centre of your thoughts and therefore control how you relate with others; and this is part of the fear of (respect for) God.
Unfortunately, so many people who claim to be the children of God have more affections towards the ways of the world. They derive considerable pleasures walking in them. Why is it called the world? It is because there is no fear or regard for the ways of God across the world. Everybody does whatever pleases him; not what pleases God. So, corruptions, wickedness and immoral lifestyles are the order of the day in our societies. When we love these systems of corruptions and enjoy living our lives by the way the world does things, it means we do not love God.
Beloved, to love God is to have the thought and ways of God at the centre of our hearts always. We must respect God in all that we do. However, that can only be possible if we accept the offer of salvation that He gives in Christ Jesus. Also, we should engage daily in the word of God. Make the word of God the principles of your life because you love God.
- Which opinions do you respect and run your life with, the Word of God or the world’s? Decide today to make the word of God your watch word.
- Father, thank you for the privilege to love and serve you, in Jesus name. Amen.
Further Reading: Genesis 2:15-25; Isaiah 40:12-end; 1 Peter 1:3-12
ESOCS Devotional 16 June 2024
