LOVE GOD - LOVE PEOPLE
We must never forget the essence of the Gospel and the focus that is on God’s heart. He tells us to love God and love people. When an expert of biblical Law came to test Jesus, he asked what we must do to inherit eternal life. The answer was clear. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and, love your neighbor as yourself” Lk. 10:27. Jesus said, “Do this and you will live” Lk. 10:28. Then Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, and the theologian came up short. The expert of the Law knew the Scriptures back to front but did not walk the talk. Just because we study the Bible and believe it, does not mean we are living the life. For millennia, many Jews and Christians have devoted their entire lives to the study of God’s Word, but still failed to love God and love people.
The EXPERT VS. THE SAMARITAN
Jesus shone light on the self-righteous Bible scholar as He told the story of a man who was beaten by thieves and left to die. He mentioned that two Bible scholars ignored the wounded man who was lying in the ditch. These scripture-lovers did not love people, and nor did this expert of biblical Law who had come to test Jesus.
Because we are Christians who study Scripture to get it right, does not mean we are living accordingly. Eternal life is about loving God and loving people. If we really love God we will love people. The Samaritan did not meet the spiritual standards of the expert theologians, but he loved God and people. He went out of his way to help the wounded man, and Jesus celebrated his devotion while discounting that of the Bible students.
Most churches divide their workers into several teams so they can minister to men and women in different age categories. Whether we are teaching Sunday School kids, young adults, or the men’s group, one theme should ring true: love God and love people. These are the two main themes of the Bible and all of Scripture harmonizes together, pointing to these two essentials. Our children should learn what it means to love God and love others. Our young adults may study money management, how to have a good marriage, or raise children, but it all comes down to loving God and loving people. This is the two-fold call of the ministry. Whether people are members of our family, neighbors, church members, or complete strangers, we have been commissioned to love them. This is the mission of the Church; love God and love people.
The first three verses of 1 Corinthians 13 point to four different church groups or congregations that are all excellent, but only if they love people. We read, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing” 1 Cor. 13: 1-3.
The first church group is the correct doctrine crowd; they have eloquent speech and great doctrinal knowledge. The second church group includes the prophecy churches; they have the gift of prophecy and they fathom all mysteries. The third church group contains supernatural miracle workers; they have a faith that can move mountains. The fourth church group embrace humanitarian efforts; they give everything they have to the poor and sacrifice with abandonment.
These dynamics highlight the great qualities of our best churches; I want our own church to demonstrate these strengths. Yet, we can do all of these things and still miss the most important thing: to love God and love people. The exercising of spiritual gifts, knowing Scripture, or participating in a program to help the poor, does not mean that we love people; it may just be a program.
The love chapter continues by giving us a practical definition of what love really is. We read, “Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” 1 Cor. 13:4-8.
I am sure that all of us have failed this definition of love at one time or another. Those were the times that our life was just a clanging cymbal. I remember when I was just a teenager and I had some of the guys in my school class over to my house for a Bible study. They had just been saved and we were having such a great time of fellowship together. We were alone in the house except for my older sister who was upstairs. After a few hours we decided to get some pizza for lunch. Just as we were finishing our meal my sister came downstairs. When she saw that we had eaten and not included her, she began to cry and she ran upstairs. It was not about the food but the fact that we did not consider her. It was as if she was invisible and we didn’t care. It grieved me to know that I had hurt her that day because of my thoughtlessness. That was more than fifty years ago, but I will never forget my lack of love that day. It was not intentional but it still existed. I learned a big lesson and I never want to forget it. Lord, help me to love people! Help me to see the people around me and help me to love them.
Love is kind, and kindness is a measure of godliness. The Holy Spirit will teach us to love if we humble ourselves and refuse to be proud. It is not a program or a church activity, it is an expression of a good and caring heart. Jesus said that people would know that we are His disciples by the love we have one for another. Let us be doers of the Word and not hearers only. Lord, teach us how to love.
We pray our monthly teaching
devotional empowers & inspires you
to live a supernatural Christian life.
DR. PETER WYNS
Founder & President
Christian for Messiah Ministries
Pastor at Antioch International Church
Instructions in Righteousness is produced by “Christians for Messiah Ministries” (CFM). Dr. Peter Wyns is the President of CFM and the Head Pastor of Antioch International Church. He has served as a pastor for 54 years and ministered in more than 45 nations.
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