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Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7
D.L. MOODY
The first impulse of a young convert is to love. Do you remember the day you were converted? Was not your heart full of sweet peace and love?
I remember the morning I came out of my room after I had first trusted Christ. I thought the old sun shone a good deal brighter than it ever had before. I thought that the sun was just smiling upon me. I walked out upon Boston Common and heard the birds in the trees and I thought that they were all singing a song for me. Do you know I fell in love with the birds? I never cared for them before, but now it seemed to me that I was in love with all creation. I had not a bitter-feeling against any man, and I was ready to take all men to my heart. If a man has not the love of God shed abroad in his heart, he has never been regenerated.
ERWIN LUTZER
I remember praying with a woman who fell into the sin of alcoholism. The first words out of her mouth were, “Father, you know that I love you!” To me, that was proof she was regenerated even though she was struggling with sin. The regenerated heart not only loves God but the “household of God” as well (Ephesians 2:19). The Holy Spirit connects us, but we also must connect with one another. “All the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:12–13). The church’s strength lies in our unity, loyalty, and love. We love Him because He first loved us.
PRAYER
Father, grow my love for others—especially the household of faith.REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How does a believer's love for God in the midst of sin prove the reality of their regeneration?Why is the unity of the church a primary target for the enemy, and how do we protect it?