February 15-Loving as Christ Loves

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“But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

—Romans 5:8

As believers, we’re not given the option to wait until people are loveable before we start loving them. First John 4:10–11 repeats this idea, “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. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

And this is how: we’re to love our enemies even when they hate us and are still walking in sin. We’re to pray for those who abuse us (Matthew 5:44) and to love as God loves, despite all the reasons people may give us not to.

This displays to the world that we are followers of Christ (Matthew 5:45–48; 1 John 4:20–21). And seeing this Christlike love is often a key to others understanding the love of our Savior and coming to their own salvation in him.

So when we’re faced with that person who is still in sin—that unsupportive spouse or parent, the negligent customer service worker, the rebellious child, the unreasonable boss, or the people in power who oppress others or work to thwart justice—may we remember that we can stand for truth in love as Jesus did.

He was not a pushover, nor did he endorse sin and wrong behavior, but he extended an invitation of relationship and peace while speaking truth and living love.

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