Ephesians 4:32 – “Be kind to one another” (loving kindness.)
7) Finally, the last one he says to add into your life, is love. That's a very broad word; it means literally, sacrificial service. Love, in this sense, is the God-type of love. It's a service and kindness, that has got no agenda, no strings attached.
We just had one of these yesterday... We had someone come and drop something off to us at the door, and left a note wanting us to ring - this is a trade. They've just left a little gift, and it had expired I think [laughs], but they wanted to get a response. It's gifts with agendas. That's not love! Real love means: a desire to do what's best for others. It calls us to act in the opposite spirit to the world.
John's an example of a man who developed great love…
1 John 4:8 – “Whoever does not love, does not know God, for God is love”.
The more you get to know God, and find and experience that He's loving, and kind, and generous, then you put on those qualities, and begin to practice those.
Luke 6:35 – “Love your enemies, do good, lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great - an abundant reward, you'll be sons of the Most High God”
That's just what He's like. Paul tells us to “be imitators of God and walk in love”.
You see there seven qualities. There of course are other qualities, but those seven encompass what growing to maturity looks like:
• Doing the right thing; acting courageously, when there's pressure to do otherwise.
• Growing in knowledge, understanding and wisdom.
• Controlling impulsive behaviour - mastering yourself, your eating, your drinking, what you do and where you invest your time and finances and stuff.
• Developing patience - staying the course; no matter what happens, just stick with it, and stay on course; stay on target and walk with it.
• You develop godliness - a deep fear and respect for the Lord; you respect authorities, and you're careful to live a good life.
• Practicing kindness, wherever you go - particularly to the church firstly, and sometimes the church people are the hard ones to love, because they take it for granted, and they act in ways which are just are disgraceful to say the least – dishonouring, unkind and meanspirited. Many Christians are very mean-spirited; they want something, but they don't give something; they don't invest.
• Finally, love. That word ‘commit’. We're called for a life of sacrificial service.
There are two other areas then, that I wanted to look at…
What are the agents that God uses to help us in this? God will never ask you to do something, without empowering you to do them. God will always provide what we need. The Holy Spirit is the one who helps you grow these qualities. It's not like trying to do it all in your own strength, trying hard to be a better person. No, it's more about building a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:3 – “His divine power has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him”.
This is the power of God - the Holy Ghost will help you in the journey. We need to pray in the Spirit, build the connection with the Holy Spirit - ask Him to help us and when issues come up. Surrender, or exchange the thing you're struggling with, for the godly quality which He will give to you.
The second thing that will help us grow is revelation knowledge. Verse 3 – “His divine power has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him”. That word ‘knowledge’ is the word ‘epignosis’, meaning: the knowledge that comes upon you from God. It's revelation that God brings - through your relationship, and your study. That ‘revelation’ knowledge is given to people who hunger for God, and it brings change in our life, so very, very important.
Thirdly, the word of God. We must study the word of God, or we never understand God's ways, nor even understand how, what to do.
2 Peter 1:4 – “…by which we've been given exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these, you may be partakers of the divine nature”.