OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR NOVEMBER 4, 2022 (DO YOU LOVE GOD?)
TOPIC : “DO YOU LOVE GOD?”
MEMORISE: 1 John 4:8
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
READ: 1 John 4:7-21 (KJV)
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
MESSAGE
Whether you love God or not is not known by your claims but rather, your attitude to His word. John 15:14 says:
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Do you obey the commands of the Lord? If you do, then you love God. However, if you don’t, then you don’t love Him. In John 14:15, He said:
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
In John 15:12, Jesus told us one of those commandments you must keep if you say you love God.
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. – John 15:12
Now, that is a hard commandment to keep because some people are just so hard to love. This is why, at our Ministers’ Conference in Nigeria, I always tell the attendees to say to the fellow sitting next to them, “I love you compulsorily”. On one occasion, one person was sitting next to someone who just offended him, so he said, “I love you compulsorily, you stupid fellow”. The people around you may be hard to love, but you must love them. You have no choice if you really want to love God.
When He says love one another as I have loved you, you see how difficult that is when you read (1 John 3:16):
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
You, therefore, see that your excuses for not preaching the gospel to others who are heading for hell are flimsy. If you love them just as Jesus loves you, you would be willing to lose anything so that they will not go to hell. It is because some missionaries laid down their lives to preach the gospel that you are on your way to heaven today. Why is it so hard for you to do the same for someone else?
KEY POINT:
If you truly love God, you will be ready to sacrifice anything to ensure you preach the gospel to the unsaved and bring them to Christ.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Luke 19-20
HYMNAL:
Hymn 30 – Wonderful story of love
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