Called to Love

 1 Peter 4:7-10

When I was a young man in my twenties I remember a time I called my mother.  I just had to call mom because, man, I was excited.  I believed at that time I had just met the woman of my dreams!  

When I told mom she said, “Why don’t you send her some flowers and invite her over to your apartment for a home cooked meal?

Well, the day after the big date, mom called me to see how everything went and if she was about to have a daughter-in-law.

“Mom”, I said, “The evening was a complete disaster!  It was utterly horrible!”

“Why, didn’t she come over?”  mom asked.

“Well yeah, she came over, but she refused to cook!”

Of course, that’s a fictitious story but isn’t that much how love is treated in today’s world?  It’s treated as a selfish and conditional love.  One where many are asking, “What am I getting out of this deal?”  The divorce rates both in the world and in the church are equal at 50% and much of it is because we have believed in the selfish kind of love.  That we must get something out of it.  

True love doesn’t expect anything and is unconditional. 

I chose today’s verses because this was an admonition by Peter towards Christians towards the end times.  So relevant for today.  This is what the Scriptures say:

7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

I really want us to look at verses 8 and 9.  It’s no doubt with the times that we are living in that we can feel the close return of Jesus Christ.  As the end times close in Peter commands us to be serious in prayer but above all things to have FERVENT love for one another.  Not just a talked about love.  Not just the casual, “Hey, how are you” love.  Peter called us to have a fervent love.  A love where we put each other up above ourselves and our interests.  When we look at the world today and the church, this is very lacking.  Instead, the attitude of today’s society is “to look out for number one.”  We have garnered a selfish attitude that thinks it is the responsible thing to think about ourselves over our neighbor.  That is the world’s type of thinking.  The Christians heart loves others and puts others above everything but Christ.  We have faith in Christ that He will meet our needs, so then we become concerned with the needs of others.  We become the instrument of Christ’s love to others when we love others.  This may sound strange and irresponsible to the world.  What many of us forget, is that we the church are called to be a peculiar people.  Our ways are supposed to seem strange to the rest of the world.  Not putting ourselves first is very strange to the world’s mindset.  

Now let’s look at verse 9.  We are to be hospitable to each other without grumbling.  Wow!  I know I’ve been guilty of this one.  I know there have been times that I’ve mentioned to my friends about times I may have spent time with someone else, but I tell them how I couldn’t wait to get away.  That is not the kind of love and hospitality we are commanded to do as Christians.  I have had to repent strongly for such an attitude as that.  We should serve each other, be polite to each other, and love each other more and more as the day of Christ’s return approaches.  

Above all my friends, let me bring up this reminder, we are not just called to love, we are commanded to love. 

John 15:12, Jesus says, 

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Wow!  How did Jesus love us?  In so many ways!  He gave His life for us, He healed us, He taught us, He met us in storms and calmed them, He reassures us, He serves us, He corrects us in love, He gathers us under his arms, He feeds us, He provides for us, and so so much more. What an amazing love!

Husbands, remember, that this commandment comes two fold for husbands.

Ephesians 5:25 says, 

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

We should also remember that Jesus loved everyone.  Jesus was not racist nor partial in whom He showed His love too.  In a world like today, we should remember that.  In Acts 10:34-35 it says,

34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.

Every nation my friends.  Every nationality.  God loves us all and does not set one race or nation above another.

This is echoed in Jesus’ life by how he approached the Samaritan woman in John 4:4-26.

Let us remember 1 John 4:7-11

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Look at verse 8.  Wow!  We need to take this verse seriously.  If we do not have love in our heart, then we do not know God.  

Hate has no place in the believers heart.  Let’s commit ourselves to stop hating each other.  Let’s start committing to show fervent love to each other. An unselfish love.  A love that is not prideful and boastful.  A love that never dies.  Let us love as Jesus loved.

Father,

I thank you for my friends today.  I thank you for the ones who spent this time reading this devotion.  I ask you now to bless these words as you have already blessed us with the love letter of your Word.  Lord, help us to love others as you love us.  Father, help us to be fervent warriors of love in this time of hate.  Give us the strength and wisdom to recognize times when we can be hospitable and loving to our neighbor.  Above all dear God, I ask that you help us to share the message that you loved us so much that you sent your only Son, and that whoever it is, no matter what race, no matter what background, no matter what they have done, if they believe in Him, they will not perish, but have eternal life with you!

Thank you for your grace. 

Maranatha!

In Jesus name,

Amen