THE REFUGE
DEVOTIONAL
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8 NASBS
Dear Christian, can you truly say that your heart has been arrested by the love of Christ? For this is not a natural love, but it is a love that is manifested from the deepest affections of the heart that flows from the very character of God. The Bible tells us that God is love and those who are in Christ will truly love one another. It is by this that we know love because He first loved us and gave Himself up for us so that He could rescue us from this present evil age. By this selfless love demonstrated to us by Christ we can test our own heart to see if we are found wanting. So, the question we must ask ourselves, “Do I truly love those who are in the body of Christ?” I am not talking about love that is driven from an erotic passion that becomes twisted, nor am I talking about emotional love that is based upon some cause, but I am talking about a love that is willing to lay his life down for the sake of another. This is the love that was displayed by Jesus Christ when He willingly went to the cross to save sinners such as you and I.
John tells us that this type of love should be evidenced in everyone who has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Of course, this type of sacrificial love isn’t always exemplified in our actions towards one another, but it is woven in the depth of our new nature that cannot be denied. Christian, if you cannot truly say that you have an intrinsic love for Christ and His people, then the Apostle John says you do not know the love of God. What a horrifying day that will be when you stand before the infinite One who was raised from the dead, who will tear off your robe of religion and say, “Depart from me you who practice lawlessness, for I never knew you. Away with you to the place which burns with fire.”
My brothers and sisters, those who make a profession of faith, let not your hearts deceive you. For the Scriptures tell us that the heart is deceitful, who could know it? Examine yourself. Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ with all of your heart, with all of your strength, and with all of your might? Do you love to hear the word of God read and to have it saturate your entire being? Do you love meeting in the local church with other believers so you may lift up your voice with one another and with one accord worshiping the God of heaven? Do you desire to sit under preaching of the word of God with attentive ears gleaning from the knowledge from someone who was called to preach? I am not saying that if you do not desire these things, you are not a Christian. But what I am saying is that all of these things that I have written in this short devotional are evidenced in the lives of those whom the Lord has given us as examples, whose names are written in the inspired text of the Bible. May the deceitfulness of sin never deceive us and make us think that we are something that we may not be at all. May the grace of God be with you.