BibleTalk - Proclaiming God's Word - Powered by God's Love

Our ministry is to reach out to the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ and to help believers be equipped with a solid knowledge of the Word of God, the Bible, and be encouraged to apply it in every aspect of their daily lives. There are simple truths for these complex times to help people live in a way that brings real spiritual victory to them and more importantly, through the Lord Jesus Christ, glory to God our Father.

1 John 3:11
For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
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John is affirming here that without doubt “love” was the first message we truly heard! Until we had heard and responded to God's love calling us into new life we were ‘dead walking in our transgressions'. {Eph.2:1-2} And as the apostle Paul continues on to say in his letter to the believers in Ephesus, it was a message of His amazing grace. We were not given that new life because we deserved it, had earned it, or in any way had a right to it—His love and our life truly are the free gift of God.

That life and that incredible undeserved love do come with a responsibility however. That redeeming, life-giving love that has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit {Rom.5:5} should be overflowing and touching others. And since He is a God of good order that abundant love should radiate outwards; first and foremost loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength just as Jesus said {Mar.12:30-31} quoting from Deuteronomy.

And then, to love our households. Men are instructed to love their wives just as Jesus loves the church. {Eph.5:25} Then to love his children bringing them up in the way they should go. {Pro.22:6} And that means diligently teaching them God's Word, {Deut.6:7} not sending them off to the world each day to learn the ways of the world, and be instructed in idolatry! {Jer.10:2}

From there we can move on to the entire household, the family of God, our brothers and our sisters. And yes, we have the ability to love them with the love of the Lord, (hold on) even if they don't eat the same foods as we do, or want to meet on the same day as we do, or talk exactly the same as we do, or have a different skin color etc., etc. {Rom.14:1-9} If you get that, then we can move on to (now you better really hold on) loving the unsaved!

I cannot say it better than or improve on what Jesus said about love in that most wonderful teaching, the Sermon on the Mount, so listen to what He says:

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

GOD IS LOVE!