Learning to Love
We can attain God's standard of love by letting Christ live His life in us and expressing love in deed and truth.
Theodore Epp emphasizes the high standard of God's love, which is attainable through the Holy Spirit after accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. He explains that this divine love seeks the highest good for others, even when unreciprocated, as demonstrated by Christ's sacrifice for sinners. Epp encourages believers to express this love in their daily lives, walking in love one step at a time, and highlights that true love is shown through actions rather than mere words. He cites scripture to affirm that the love of God is a hallmark of being His children and urges believers to love one another as Christ loves us.
Text
Ephesians 5: 1-5
Does the standard of God's love seem too high to attain? Having received Jesus Christ as Saviour, we have been born of the Holy Spirit and have become members of God's family. We have become partakers in, or sharers of, the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4), and the essence of the divine nature is love. It is the kind of love that loves even when there is no response, always seeking the highest good for the other person. That God loved us when there was no response is evident from Romans 5:8: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." But it can be said that because of our having received Jesus Christ as Saviour, "the love of God is [now] shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (v. 5). Since it is His love that is in our hearts, we are able to attain God's standard of love by letting Christ live His life in us as He desires. The expression of this love in us is one of the strongest proofs that we really are the children of God (1 John 4:7-16).
When Paul urged believers to "walk in love" (Eph. 5:2), he was emphasizing that our life is lived one step at a time. As we rely on the Lord for the step we are now taking, we need not worry about the steps that are ahead. Of course, Paul was referring to a person's way of life. First John 3:18 says, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." It is easy to talk, but it is costly to walk.
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34).
Sermon Outline
- God's Standard of Love
- Attaining God's Standard of Love
- Walking in Love
- Life is Lived One Step at a Time
- Walking in Deed and Truth
- The Cost of Walking in Love
Key Quotes
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” — Theodore Epp
“the love of God is [now] shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” — Theodore Epp
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- Let Christ live His life in you to attain God's standard of love.
- Express love in deed and truth to demonstrate your faith.
- Rely on the Lord for each step in your life, trusting Him for the present moment.