A Christian is under an obligation to love God, and also to love others. Why should he love God? Because God first loved him, even when he was still a sinner! Yes, God’s love came unconditionally, without expecting anything in return. However, this is the most important reason why we should love God always. Loving God is also closely linked to loving others.

The Bible says,
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"If anyone says, "I love God", yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
(1 John 4:21)

Loving others can be in two different ways. First is to love our neighbor not just the one who is living next door, but anyone who is in need. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:3037) explains how this love operates. The second is to love our enemy. According to Jesus, (Matthew 5:4348) loving an enemy is what is required of a good and believing Christian, to be called the son of the Father in heaven. He also confirmed that the reward for such persons would be much greater.

Now we know what happened to Jim Elliot and his team that went with the greatest mission of reaching the Auca Indians and how they got killed. However, the wives of two of the team members reached out to them again in love. Now, Auca Indians worship the true living God because somebody repaid their hate with love. As Martin Luther King Jr said,
QUOTE
“By its very nature, hate destroys and tears down; by its very nature, love creates and builds up. Love transforms with redemptive power."

 

 

 


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