Love Like Jesus
There are time we read parts of verses and never fully quite understand fully what is being said when it was spoken. For instance, we can read part of a verse like Ephesians 5:2 and simply think that loving like Jesus might mean just being nice. Jesus wasn't a "nice guy." His acts of healing and his service were not because he was nice. It was because he was loving. In love is being nice and acts of kindness, but without love, then can kindness and being nice even exist? Ephesians 5:2 states "And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Remember the part that says "gave himself up." That means sacrifice for others. How do you know when to do that? Would you be willing to sacrifice getting your daily Starbucks and save that money to buy homeless people lunch each day for a week? Would you be willing to do something as small as carry water in your vehicle and pass it out to those that are in need? What will you sacrifice for others that honors God? Without love there is no sacrifice, kindness or being nice.
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Grace Doesn't Expire
I have had far too many conversations with people who only have so much grace for people. They really don't understand or see how much grace they have been given for things they say and do, or even more the grace that God has for them and their missteps. We give grace to people until we don't feel like it anymore. Our graces runs out, but does God's? First, we know that if it was not for God's grace there would not have ever been a Jesus for us. It was not because of the work we did or the bad behavior we didn't do. We didn't earn God's grace (Ephesians 2:8). Also, remember 1 John 14:9 that we love because God loves us first. He gave us Jesus. Think about it. We have received Jesus and still mess up. God still loves us. So, if God still loves us when we mess up (which He does) then why can't we have grace for others?
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What is the Real Battle?
In Ephesians 6:12, Paul points out that we are not just battling flesh and blood. When it comes to self control, that isn't about just making better decisions. When it comes to dissension in the church, that is not just about "I have to be nicer because God wants me to be." Paul says that there is battle, spiritually, cosmically, against the authorities over present darkness. Paul says that there are "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." That means we are not just trying to be better people, but we are battling Satan. We are battling the one who bring evil into the church and creates problems. Paul then tells us to "armor up" by putting on the full armor of God. When we have this, it is no longer me vs Satan, but is me in God and God in me vs. Satan. There is a big difference between going to war and going to war with the proper equipment. Paul knew that too.
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