Love and Live Like Jesus

Sep 16, 2022 | by Anthony Wade

There are so many instructions that the Bible has for the believer. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that part of the purpose for the Word of God in our life is so that we can have proper “instruction in righteousness.” If you are a believer, you have been made righteous in the eyes of your Heavenly Father and the Bible is our main key to unlocking the “how to” of walking out this righteousness.

We were all born into a world tainted with sin and selfishness is built into this world’s system. We learn how to look out for ourselves from day one. Hungry or need your diaper changed? Just cry and someone will be along shortly to help. This pattern gets more complex as we grow older, but the premise remains the same. Unhappy about something as an adult? Just make a post on social media to call out that person or company to appease your feelings. File a complaint or sue someone in court so that your voice can be heard. After all, things are still all about you, right?

Well, in the Kingdom, everything is different. Our life is not our own and we have been bought with a price. But, because it is so different from this world’s way of thinking, we need training on how God wants us to walk out this Kingdom life. This is where instruction in righteousness comes into play. We need to know how a righteous person lives, acts, reacts, thinks, talks, and more. So, the Bible gives direction on things like forgiveness, generosity, being a peacemaker, letting joy overflow, walking in faith, and so many other issues.

The most important thing we must learn, as believers, is how to walk in love. Maybe you have heard that phrase before and think that walking in love is all about how well you love others and how you treat them. I used to think that. When times got difficult, I failed many times to have genuine compassion because I was looking to myself as the root of this “love walk” in my life. I knew that it was important because, in John 13:35, Jesus said that the world would know that we are His disciples when we love one another. Fairly straightforward, right? So, I tried harder and harder until, one day, I saw something that would change me forever.

In John 15:9, Jesus said, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” Jesus certainly loved the Father, but notice that He didn’t emphasize that. Instead, He emphasized that His Father loved Him! He is basically telling His disciples that this was the love that they saw oozing out of Jesus. Then, in verse 12, Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” Do you see it? If we are to live like Jesus and love like Jesus, we must be mindful of the Father’s love for us. The more aware we are of that, the more we will be able to be a conduit for that same agape love. The disciples knew they had to love one another the same way Jesus did. And that way was to be mindful of the Father’s love for them.

The same is true for you and for me today. As you read through the Gospels and see all that Jesus did for people, know of a certainty that it all flowed from a revelation of the Father’s love. Jesus was loved by His Heavenly Father and today, you are loved by your Heavenly Father. As the Father loved Jesus, so did He love people. As the Father loves you, so do you love people. When you grasp this, you will walk, talk, and live like Jesus. Love never failed to show results in His life, and it will never fail to show results for you, either. That is the real meaning of the “love walk”, so walk in this love with boldness today!