MONTH FEBRUARY 2024 – TRIUMPHING BY LOVE: THE LOVE THAT GIVES AND SERVES!
“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. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” John 3:16-18.
Our God is LOVE. He’s LOVE in definition, which indicates, you cant talk of LOVE outside the person who is LOVE personified and had lavishly showed His love to us by the Holy Spirit that He had given to us by virtue of our redemption in Christ Jesus. Amen. [1 John 4:8,16; Romans 5:5, 8; John 14:16-17; John 3:16].
When I heard decades ago, the Gospel of Christ that brought about my salvation in God, in Christ Jesus, in redemption, the first thing that crosses my mind then and now, by the Gospel I heard was this – that God LOVES me. That sticks and have never gone off me for any reason or matters irrespective of the ups and downs in the onward and upward trajectory of the Christian walk of faith in Christ Jesus.
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; BUT FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE . . . 13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, BUT BY LOVE SERVE ONE ANOTHER” Galatians 5:6, 13.
And more so, to know that God in His terms to ensure and authenticate the love, He GAVE up Christ Jesus for my salvation in redemption, that I might be able to be JUSTIFIED and QUALIFIED, to receive the needed FREEDOM – LIBERTY, from the grips and bandages of SIN and it’s effects which are: POVERTY, SICKNESS and SPIRITUAL DEATH; the freedom – liberty, from which I was denied because of the subjugates rule of the devil and cohorts, that makes me then, to be without God in this world. [Ephesians 2:1-22].
Reflecting now and then that the simple Gospel I heard to get saved by God in Christ Jesus, thus indicates that God LOVES me and GAVE up Jesus Christ for my salvation in redemption; and this knowing and understanding, have left a lasting effects on my life for over 50yrs plus by God’s enabling grace. Then and now and always, I know that genuinely pure love of God means a GIVING love, and not a love that goes demanding for the love in order to do life and live godly in Christ Jesus stead. And it thus means that one can’t live the genuinely pure love life in grace and godliness, beyond the knowledge and understanding you know and have received of God in Christ Jesus on His personified nature of LOVE as He is LOVE.
“And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles EXERCISE LORDSHIP OVER THEM, and those who EXERCISE AUTHORITY OVER THEM are called ‘BENEFACTORS.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is GREATEST among you, let him be as the YOUNGER, and he who GOVERNS as he who SERVES. 27 For who is GREATER, he who sits at the TABLE, or he who SERVES? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am AMONG YOU as the One who SERVES” Luke 22:25-27/NKJV [Matthew 20:25-28; Mark 10:35-45].
And when I began to embarks on the journey to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God through Christ Jesus (2 Peter 3:18), and for me to personally personified the knowing of Him as my Saviour and Lord – Jesus Christ, and to make Him known by same mutual knowledge and understanding, I then discovered that His entire coming to take the humanity nature [Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 1:14], to work out my salvation in my redemption and yours and for all mankind, was simply through this – to SERVE – through the passionate acts of LOVE which He lives and demonstrated for us all to follow after Him. [John 13:1-17, 34-35; Luke 22:25-27 (Matthew 20:25-28; Mark 10:35-45); John 15:9-16]. And to do this act of our redemption, the scripture says, He LOVED us. Meaning, He didn’t serve outside love to REDEEMED us, He LOVED us as written:
“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the FAITHFUL witness, and THE FIRST BEGOTTEN of the dead, and THE PRINCE OF THE KINGS of the earth. Unto him that LOVED us, and WASHED us from our sins in his own blood, 6 and hath MADE us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” Revelation 1:4-6.
And for our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ to ensure and authenticate that the GOSPEL being PREACHED remains same as He live in it and through it, He charged that the Believer’s in Him, should continue first and foremostly, to walk in His love with same Gospel love that loves through GIVING and SERVING others in His name – for by such many will turn toward the Father God in His name. [Ephesians 5:1-2; John 13:34-35; John 15:8-16; John 8:30-32].
Apostle Paul, with the gracious insights and foresights into the revelation of the Gospel of God in Christ Jesus, do charged the Ephesians Church in the Holy writ of [Acts 20:35], of the need to know that – it’s more of BLESSEDNESS to GIVE (be a GIVER) than to RECEIVE (be a RECEIVER); and Apostle Paul’s also wrote to the Galatians Church in the Holy writ in the context of – [Galatians 5:1, 6, 13], of the necessity to see that they don’t take their freedom – liberty in God in Christ Jesus for granted, but to ensure it and be assured that their faith in God in Christ Jesus is lubricated through LOVE and not by legalities of the religious dogmas and tradition and denominational indoctrination as per circumcision or no circumcision – and more importantly, to SERVE one another BY LOVE as in the Gospel that they have received of him in Christ Jesus stead.
In redemption, we’ve obtained a glorious triumph on the cross by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. For our Redemption is a done did as expressed in the Holy writs of [2 Corinthians 2:14 and Colossians 2:8-15]; this thus indicates an act of TRIUMPHING BY LOVE as expressed in GIVING His life for our justification, and in SERVING to ensure and assure that we can live TRIUMPHANTLY as we do live in humanity and live godly for the cause of advancing God’s kingdom and in keeping the enemy and cohorts at bay.
I therefore challenge you and I today to be genuine follower of God in Christ Jesus, and WALK IN LOVE as He did for our example, through the act of GIVING and SERVING, and not of demanding and receiving or as an entitlement, if we must meaningfully fulfil purpose as enjoined in the Holy writ. [Ephesians 5:1-2; Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:11-12].
I do pray that you might be awaken in this writ for a gracious and graceful you in Christ Jesus stead. Hence I sincerely welcome you to Month February, the month of TRIUMPHING BY LOVE that GIVES and SERVES without prejudice, sentiments and dissimulation. [Romans 12:9-21; Proverbs 25:21-22; Matthew 5:38-48; Proverbs 16:7/Hebrews 11:6].
SELAH – PAUSE AND THINK!
SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN CONTEXT:
“When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION], having TRIUMPHED over them through the cross” Colossians 2:15.
“But THANKS be to God, who always LEADS us in TRIUMPH in Christ, and through us SPREADS and makes evident everywhere the SWEET FRAGRANCE of the KNOWLEDGE of Him” 2 Corinthians 2:14/Amplified.
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being ROOTED and GROUNDED IN LOVE, 18 may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the BREADTH, and LENGTH, and DEPTH, and HEIGHT; 19 and TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST, WHICH PASSETH KNOWLEDGE, that ye might be FILLED with all the FULNESS of God” Ephesians 3:17-19.
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; BUT FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE . . . 13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, BUT BY LOVE SERVE ONE ANOTHER” Galatians 5:6, 13.
“Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong. 14 LET EVERYTHING YOU DO BE DONE IN LOVE [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us]” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14/Amp.
“Be ye therefore FOLLOWERS of God, as dear children; 2 and WALK IN LOVE, as Christ also hath LOVED us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” Ephesians 5:1-2.
“I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE” Acts 20:35.
“And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles EXERCISE LORDSHIP OVER THEM; and they that EXERCISE AUTHORITY upon them are called BENEFACTORS. 26 But ye shall NOT BE SO: but he that is GREATEST among you, let him be as the YOUNGER; and he that is CHIEF, as he that doth SERVE. 27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that SERVETH? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that SERVETH” Luke 22:25-27 [Matthew 20:25-28; Mark 10:35-45].
REV. CHUKIE MORSI