In Ephesians 5:1-2 Paul highlights the love of God the Father and the love of the Son to the Christians. It is the Holy Spirit who indwells us that enables us to live fully in Christ. Paul wrote in Rom. 5:5, “God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” The Spirit empowers us to love like the Father and the Son.
Love Like the Father (Eph. 5:1)
We are told to imitate God “as dearly loved Children.” Paul wrote in Eph. 1:5, “He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ, for Himself, according to His favor and will.”
Since we are now in the family of God, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christi, we need to start acting like children of the King. We need to have the kind of love the Father has for us for our fellow Christians. Jesus said, “be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
God’s people should be know for our love. A song we sang when I was in the chorus at Southeastern Christian College in 1974 was “They’ll know we are Christians bu our love.” Some of the ways that we can show God’s love to others are:
- Caring for orphans and widows (James 1:27)
- Practicing hospitality (Rom. 12:13)
- Caring for the poor (Eph. 4:28)
We need to be helping fulfill the needs of our own fellowship.
Larry Miles is Co-Editor of Word and Work and attends Cherry St. Church of Christ in New Albany, IN.