Feeling Alive

The Heart of All Things: part 5

People are looking for life. Many people are existing as the go through the motions of each day, but they are longing for something more. That is why Jesus’ promise found in John 10:10 of abundant life is so appealing. The problem is that for most Christians life seems to be anything but abundant. Part of this is because we have forgotten that there is an enemy who is out to steal, kill, and destroy our lives, but it is also do to not understand what life is about. Life isn’t primarily about purpose or even significance. Life is primarily about love. No wonder Jesus said that the great commands that are to guide our lives are about love.

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and most important commandment. 39 The second is like it: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40; ISV)

Heart of abundant life, eternal life, is love. If we are not loving other people, then we are not really living. If you are wondering how to really live life, perhaps you need to consider how to love the people around you.

I believe experience shows us that love and life are tied together. Ask yourself this question: When have I felt the most alive?

One time I felt alive was the summer of 2004. It was early July and I and 25 other people traveled from western Illinois to northern Arizona to a Navajo Indian reservation. It was shocking to see the extreme poverty that existed there. Our group spent five days painting houses and doing some minor repair on houses for people who could not afford to have it done. I also had the added privilege of being able to teach the kids and the sponsors who went along on the trip. I remember thinking: this is what life is all about!

When we love, whether it is serving those in need, doing something nice for a friend, or spending time with our families, are the times when we will feel the most alive. Those are the experiences that will have us saying: this is what life is all about!

Have you ever had that feeling? I hope that you have, because I believe that it gives us insight into what real true abundant life is all about. It is about love. Not love that is just spoken or felt, but love that is acted upon and shown. With out love there is no life in us.

That is the great truth that I want you to take away this series of ponderings: Love is the lifeblood of eternal life. It is how we maintain the life given to us by Jesus, and it is how we share that life with other people.

God has loved us and the result has been life. He has instructed us to love other people. Why does God want us to love? One of the purposes of the command to love others is so that they too might have life. Are you ready to love?

• Point to Ponder: If we are not loving other people, then we are not really living.
• Passage to Remember: Matthew 22:37-40
• Question to Consider: When have you felt the most alive?

The Hope of Love

The Heart of All Things: Part 4

Love is what makes life worth living. When we reflect on our lives we realize that it is the time spent loving when we have felt most alive. Holidays with the family, helping the neighbor with some yard work, comforting a friend who is grieving, teaching a child a new skill, or serving someone who is in need. Life and love are connected. If we are going to live the life that God created us to live, then we need to love. Not just feel love or talk about love, but doing those things that come from love. When we love we know that we are alive, when we love we improve the life of someone else, and when we love we can know that God is on our side. That is what the third element of love is about.

3. The third element of love we need to know is the hope of love.

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God. 22 Whatever we request we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The person who keeps his commandments abides in God, and God abides in him. This is how we can be sure that he remains in us: he has given us his Spirit. (1 John 3:21-24; ISV)

Since we do not stand in condemnation of our hearts we can have confidence before God. Why can we have confidence before God? Because we have committed ourselves to doing His will. This is very important to remember as look at verse 22. With out this context we can take verse 22 and claim a promise from God that God never promised.

John promises that when we are committed to God’s will that we can be confident that when we ask something of God that He will do it. That is a wonderful promise. It is not the promise that God will be our personal genie who is willing to grant our every wish, but it is the promise that God will give us those things that will help us accomplish His will. In other words God will help us love people. He will not necessarily provide the warm fuzzy feeling of love, but He will provide us with the resources necessary to properly show compassion for people.

What is the command that God has given us to obey? The first part of the command is to believe in Jesus. Why is this important? If we don’t believe is Jesus then we can spend all our time trying to improve people’s physical lives, but do nothing for their spiritual lives. Remember Jesus’ mission is centered on freeing people from their sins. It does very little good to help people with their physical needs if we don’t address their spiritual needs.

The second part of the command is that we are to love people. In other words we are to continue with the mission of Jesus in destroying the devil’s work. We do this, ultimately, by telling people the Good News about God’s love and the forgiveness of sins found in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Though it also includes helping them with their everyday needs, because this provides evidence that the Good News that we bring is the truth.

The promise we find in this passage is that when we obey God’s commands then we know that we live in Jesus. Remember this is important because it is through Jesus that we are given life, and it is by staying connected to Jesus that our life is sustained. There is another piece of evidence that we are connected to Jesus in the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. The Holy Spirit moves us towards compassion; He helps us understand the truth of God’s Word; and shows us the opportunities God has given us to serve other people.

What is the hope of love? The hope of love is that we are connected to Jesus.

• Point to Ponder: When we obey God’s commands the we know that we live in Jesus
• Passage to Remember: 1 John 3:21-24
• Question to Consider: Are you confident that God is with as you do His will?

The Action of Love

The Heart of All Things: Part 3

Jesus came to give us life. The apostle John records this promise of Jesus; The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10; ISV). The promise of Jesus is that we find life, true life, in Him. This life is made real in our lives when we love. We live the life God created us to life when we follow the example of Jesus rather than the example of Cain. The example of Cain, imitating his hatred for his brother, leads to death. The example of Jesus, imitating His sacrificial love for the least important, leads to life. When we love God, by loving our neighbors, true life becomes a part of our lives.

2. The second element of love we have to understand is the action of love:

16 This is how we have come to know love: Christ gave his life for us. We, too, ought to give our lives for our brothers. 17 Whoever has earthly possessions and notices a brother in need and yet withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God remain in him? 18 Little children, we must stop loving in word and in tongue, but instead love in action and in truth. 19 And this is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be able to establish our hearts in his presence. 20 If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. (1 John 3:16-20; ISV)

John began this section by giving us a negative example of what love is. We are not to follow the example Cain, instead we are to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

What is the example of Jesus when it comes to love? It is the fact that He laid down His life for us. This is the greatest example of love: the laying down of life so others can live. That is what Jesus did.

It seems that John understands that not all of us will be asked to do the supreme action of love (the giving of our physical lives). So John provides us with an example to help us understand how self-sacrifice can be real in our every day lives: we give what we have to help those in need. It is giving to help provide life for others. Jesus certainly did this. There were times when He was tired but when the crowds sought Him out He stayed and taught and healed the sick. The early Christians did this by continuing to preach the Good News of God’s Love and Jesus’ death and resurrection in the face of persecution.

We do this when we give money above and beyond our tithe to help a person with expenses. We do this when we miss a business appointment to spend a few hours with a friend who needs to talk. We do this when we stop and pick up an acquaintance and bring them to worship on Sunday morning.

Love, according to John, is not just about what we say, but it is about what we do. We can say we love people, but if we don’t show love to people, then that shows the world that God’s truth is not part of our lives. There are a lot of people who say they love people, who give to humanitarian causes, but are terrible and hateful to their family. Love isn’t about giving money, but how we treat individuals.

This brings us to a difficult part of the text. What does it mean that our hearts condemn us? Sometimes Satan, trying to disguise himself as the Holy Spirit, will attempt to deceive us with our conscious. He will remind us of the times we were not loving to people or how we might have missed an opportunity to love someone. One of the truths John wants us to know is that our hearts, our conscious, isn’t always right. We need to remember God’s promise to forgive our past sins and our current commitment to love people. Those two things will show us that God accepts us, and He is the ultimate judge of our lives.

What is the action of love? The action of love is self-sacrifice, giving away things that are important to us so that we can improve the quality of life for someone else.

• Point to Ponder: Love is not just about what we say, but it is about what we do.
• Passage to Remember: 1 John 3:16-20
• Question to Consider: How is the love you feel in your heart made real in your life?

The Importance of Love

The Heart of All of Things: Part 2

Love is a major theme that runs through the book of 1 John. Love is the idea that is the foundation to the Apostle’s comments in 1 John 3:11-24. In this passage John tells us the importance love plays in our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. This is what he wrote:

11 This is the message that you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love one another. The person who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16 This is how we have come to know love: Christ gave his life for us. We, too, ought to give our lives for our brothers. 17 Whoever has earthly possessions and notices a brother in need and yet withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God remain in him? 18 Little children, we must stop loving in word and in tongue, but instead love in action and in truth. 19 And this is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be able to establish our hearts in his presence. 20 If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God. 22 Whatever we request we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The person who keeps his commandments abides in God, and God abides in him. This is how we can be sure that he remains in us: he has given us his Spirit. (ISV)

For us to live lives of love we need to keep in mind three elements of love.

1. The first element of love is the importance of love.

11 This is the message that you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love one another. The person who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. (1 John 3:11-15)

In verse 10 John writes: This is how God's children and the devil's children are distinguished. No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God (1 John 3:10; ISV). John goes on to say: This is the message that you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another (v. 11, ISV). From the very beginning we have heard this message. It is the foundation of the Old Testament and the central message of Jesus. To love God and to love people are the two great commandments of the follower of Jesus Christ.

John starts by providing us with a negative example of love. Do not be like Cain…John writes. Every family, from the very first family, has problems. While every family has problems, we are still shocked when those problems get so bad that they result in a brother murdering his brother. Yet that is the example of Cain who murdered his brother Able because of Able’s righteousness.

The Bible is not very clear on what made Cain’s actions evil. We assume that it has something to do with sacrifice that he offered and that he wasn’t willing to give God the best portion of his crop. What we do know is that what ever Cain did he was not ignorant of his wrong actions: he knew exactly what he was doing. And the blessings Able received from God only reminded Cain of his wickedness in disobeying God. Cain allowed jealousy and hatred to grow in his heart and the end result was that he took the life of his righteous brother Able.

Hatred and murder take life. They do not nurture life, but they take life from others. Have you ever experienced the hatred of family members? Maybe not personally, but you experienced it from a distance as an observer. Hatred always makes people miserable. The family members are forced to take sides and the joy and happiness that are supposed to define a family taken away. Where is the life?

Where is life? Life is found in loving people. John tells us: We know we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers (v. 14, NIV). This is the key verse of this entire section, if not the entire book. We know we have life because of love. We have compassion for our neighbors, spend time with our family, and we help our friends. Life is found in our love. You want to know if you have eternal life, then follow your love.

If we don’t have love then we don’t have life. Hate, which in its most extreme form leads to murder, is mere indifference in its weakest form. It is giving help to people who are need when you have the means to help them because you are in essence robbing life from them. It is taking time to pray for people we can’t help, but who are in desperate need. Indifference is the opposite of compassion, which is the main ingredient of love.

What is the importance of love? The importance of love is that it reveals whether or not we have true everlasting life flowing through our veins.

• Point to Ponder: Love reveals whether or not we have true everlasting life flowing through our veins.
• Passage to Remember: 1 John 3:11-15
• Question to Consider: What can how you love tell you about your life?

Our Lifeblood

The Heart of All Things: Part 1

Jesus has come to give us life, and we know that we have this life we are connected to Him. How are we connected to Jesus? It is through our obedience that we remain connected to Jesus. This is more than adhering to the do not’s of Scripture, but it is the aligning of our wills to the will of God. We are living God’s will when we help people who are need, when we love the outcasts and rejects, and teach the truth to people who are lost. In other words it is when we follow the example of Jesus and hold on to the promises that He has given to us. Jesus is the source of abundant eternal life.

What does this life look like? How do we know if we are living the true life from Jesus? Consider this question for a moment: When do you feel the most alive? If you are anything like me I would bet that you feel the most alive when you are doing things with or for other people. You feel alive when you are with friends talking about the “good old days”. Perhaps you feel alive when you help your grandchildren make exciting discoveries. Or maybe you have felt alive when you were able to help someone who really needed your help.

Love is essential for living true life. We see glimpses of this truth as we think about the experiences we have had in our lives, when we have shared our lives with others. Think about this question: How has love enriched my life?

According to the Gospels Jesus has come to give us life (John 10:10). This life isn’t something that is reserved for us when we get to heaven, but is something that is ours right now, today. How do we live this new life Jesus has promised to us?

The biggest obstacle that we have to face in living true eternal life today is that it doesn’t feel like it is any different than what life was before. In fact at times it seems to be more difficult. That is because our lives are being opposed. Before time there was a great rebellion in Heaven as Satan set himself in opposition to the will of God. He is in constant opposition to God’s will, that includes us living the life that Jesus has secured for us through His death and resurrection.

As long as we are living here on earth life is going to be a struggle, because our lives are being opposed. We cannot afford to give up on this struggle. Remember Jesus’ promised to return and make everything right as He completes His mission to destroy the work of the devil. Find hope in the promise and strength in the example of Christ Jesus our Lord. We are going to have to fight for life.

As we struggle to live life we need to remember something very important: Love is the lifeblood of eternal life. Be reminded of what Jesus told His disciples the night He was betrayed:

“I am giving you a new commandment to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35; ISV)

Jesus explains that if we are going to obey Him, if we are going to follow Him, then we need to love. Love must be the defining characteristic of our lives. Eternal life will continue to flow through our veins as long as we continue to love. We need to love God and love people. Without love our lives we shrivel up and die. It is love that will keep us alive for eternity.

• Point to Ponder: Love is the lifeblood of eternal life.
• Passage to Remember: John 13:34-35
• Question to Consider: How has love enriched your life?