Sunday, March 6, 2005

FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST

There is only one kind of a follower of God: to love as Christ. Jesus loved until it helped — unto death — and Christianity is representing Christ to others with the same love.

1) Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2) And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma… Ephesians 5:1,2

How do I smell to others? Do I smell like a sweet smelling aroma through Christ? There is only 1 aroma that will be effective: A life filled with love as followers of God.

Love others in spite of themselves!

What is the measure of a follower of God? Walking in love daily, giving your life for others. Others see God through my treatment of them…and that is the quality of my love.

I make decisions to be real and honest in all of my realtinoships: God, others, & myself. Dishonesty in relationships is NEVER walking in love. It is possible to love others, but really have yourself in mind (selfish gain).

To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, 2 John 1 (Love in truth.)

We require relationships to be an extension of God’s love in us.

There is only one way that the Holy Spirit teaches: In Love! God only teaches lovingly.

The knowledge of God is in your heart, and being true to what God has shown you in your heart is how you love in truth. Love = truth.

NB. The Holy Spirit comes into your life when you are born of the Spirit. You don’t have to invite Him in. When you’re born again, He comes in. He is the downpayment of that to come.

We (churches) are the advanced community, or colonies if you will, of heaven on earth. The church is like a foretaste of heaven to come. That’s what a real church is like. Do you want to know what heaven is like: Come to church! You cannot take an old attitude (good or bad) through a new door. You must realize that the new experience is normal. Paul made the jail he was in normal.

Change, and make where you are normal.

Not everything costs the same. After you have paid a little, the value of a thing changes. Forget the lesson, and get the point of it. When you don’t get the point, but labor the experience, it has many awful negative attributes. Just get the point.

28) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28,29 (…according to His purposes.)

Know your destiny for life to have context and purpose. Are you unfulfilled because you’re walking in the externals and not what God has put in you? Be true to the love in the truth that God has put in you!

You can’t reduce love to emotions, experiences and feeling. Love has experience, emotion and feeling, but you can not risk reducing it to that. Love is a faith-motivated action based on what God has taught us.

19) “We love Him because He first loved us.” –1 Jn 4:19 NOTICE: Love produces love…so don’t give up on anyone.

Love can be proven. It is provable because you know when you’re not . Treatment proves love. Love meets another’s needs.

14) For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 2 Corinthians 5:14 (Love constrains; it keeps you in check.) 10) Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10 (Love fulfills the law; it doesn’t hurt.)

NB. The worst form of child abuse is not to allow love to go beyond feelings and not training/disciplining your child.

When people start hurting one another in the church, love left.

8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (Love commends you.)

13) “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13 (Love has degrees)

Greater love has no one that to lay down his life. Daily strive for a higher level of love…and your love can improve. You cannot love beyond the level of love in you. The love of saved people changes and grows.

Take whatever radical action in love necessary to change — eye plucked out, etc.

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Luke 16:13

From the above Scripture we see that love unifies, but also divides. It shows up what you really have and distinguishes love and hate. Love sets you apart to a certain course. When love motivates to something, it moves away from as well.

Love isn’t a feeling, even though it sometimes produces a feeling — good or bad. Christ chastens! God doesn’t respond to me sentinmentally. God’s love keeps me going until the need is met.

Notes taken by Lorraine Drummond.

Copyright © 2005 by Frederick A Drummond
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