Underwear
Before wearing the armor of god, take off your flesh and put on the character of Jesus with love as your undergarment.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Romans 13:14 (NIV)
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Colossians 3:12-17 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
We, the Sheep
As Jesus calls us to reflect His love, we must ask: are we living as His sheep, obedient to His voice and showing love to others as He has shown to us? Serving others, especially those in need, is a way to follow Jesus and honor Him. Our actions toward the least of these are ultimately acts of service to Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:40).
John 10:7-17 (paraphrased)
I am the gate for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life.
Rock of Faith
God is love. Love begins with the faith and the rock. Jesus says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35, Matthew 6:3, Luke 6:38). But what we have to do is both give and receive. When the anointing is poured out upon us, we shall pour the anointing out on others. When we receive the love of the Father, we shall pour that love out for others, and pour out love unto all nations. His light shines bright for all in the house (Matthew 5:15) (1 John 1:5).
Jesus simply commands “seek god first, and to love one another as I have loved you,” (John 13:34) he is referring to loving our God with all of our heart, strength, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37-39).
How do we do this? Love one another as I have loved you? Paul says, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” (Gal 5:14).
We have to remember that Jesus is love as the love of the Father because the Father so loved the world, that he gave his only Son (John 3:16). Until we can seek in heaven, that intimacy with God and love God, above all else (Matthew 6:33), we will have trouble loving one another as Christ loved us. As God loves us, and as Jesus has loved us, these are our models for how we must love one another, and even before that we must love ourselves.
So love God first, love yourself, then we have the ability to pour out love onto others. Without the love of the Father and without loving our self as Christ has loved us, we are unable to truly pour out for our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially the least of these.
Prayer poem:
Pour out love as the one we adore.
Loving in one accord.
Sing a new song to the Lord.
This is the day the Lord has made.
1 John 4:19 (NIV)
We love because he first loved us.
Mark 12:30 (NKJV)
‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
John 13:34 (NKJV)
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John 16:27 (NKJV)
for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.
Steven Furtick:
The overriding character trait of Jesus is LOVE, and the entire Gospel story is woven with love. Sometimes it’s not easy, and oftentimes it requires sacrifice, but it’s when we love that we are the most like Jesus.
Benny Hinn:
The moment we have this revelation of His love we are overwhelmed by the dimension of such love that everything we are and have becomes His. Do you remember what Paul said? He said, “For the love of Christ constraineth us.” (2 Cor. 5:14 KJV). In other words, “I am so moved, touched, and overwhelmed by it.”
Charles Spurgeon:
Love to God produces a desire to be with him; a desire to be like him, a longing to be with him eternally in heaven, and this breaks us away from worldliness; this keeps us from idolatry, and thus has a most blessedly sanctifying effect upon us, producing that elevated character which is now so rare, but which wherever it exists is powerful for the good of the church and for the glory of God.