The Christian Walk
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2
Love is the greatest virtue, for it is the heart of God’s character. The Apostle John writes: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16b) He further explains the nature of love and expresses God’s command to love: “God is love. 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. 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.” (1 John 4:8b-11)
Paul echoes John’s thoughts and further explains both God’s desire for us and Jesus’ example given to us. God’s desire is that we imitate Him. This is impossible without the Spirit’s help. Love, unfortunately, is not the heart of our character by nature. As sinful human beings, we are selfish and often loveless. God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus to rescue us from our lovelessness. He gave up that which was most precious to Him for our good. He wants us to give up that which is most precious to us for the good of others. Jesus gave Himself up on the cross and died as “an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Even so, Paul encourages us to give ourselves up by walking in love.
Our God is not interested in an on-again, off-again type of love for others, but rather a consistent, day-to-day love patterned after our Savior’s love for us. Such love is our “sacrifice to God,” and such love is our “sweet-smelling aroma” arising in the presence of our heavenly Father!
Dear heavenly Father, send Your Spirit to create within us clean hearts and right spirits, so that we, enabled by His power, might walk in love each day. Amen.