Thursday, January 5, 2017

Love Is The Deal!

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

In one of my recent posts I mentioned that the final verse of this twelfth chapter states the purpose of every believer, "Be not overcome by evil but overcome evil with good."

Someone might challenge that notion by saying that Matthew 28:19-20 is the purpose statement for believers. Matthew 28:18-20 says this, "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I would suggest that is a strategy for overcoming evil with good. And an effective one at that! Becoming a disciple of Jesus certainly makes you better and helps you be better and do better things.

Someone else might argue that the First Commandment would be the purpose statement of Christians. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39

Love is the deal! There is no doubt about that! But that is the source of doing good. Loving God is doing a good thing. There is no better thing. When you love God you will do what is best for Him and for you. And, when you love God you will do good for others as well. That sort of divine love WILL most definitely overcome evil.

So, living on purpose is a matter of loving on purpose. Loving God and loving others is evidence that God has overcome the evil in you, making you good and enabling you to overcome evil with the goodness of God.

Love is the power of your purpose and making disciples is the proof that His purpose is operating in you!