Love Lived with Purpose

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12 ESV)

Jesus Christ and his New Testament apostles told us in advance that if we follow Jesus Christ with our lives – if we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in walks of obedience to his commands – we will be hated, persecuted, reviled, spoken evil against, falsely accused of wrongdoing, betrayed (even by family members and loved ones), delivered up to tribulation, excluded, and martyred for our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord God.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

And we now live in a day and time when to follow the true gospel, and to teach the true gospel, and to refute the lies which are against the gospel is regarded as hate, being judgmental, legalistic, and negative. As well, we are accused of teaching “works salvation,” and the others are being brainwashed into ignoring and rejecting what we are sharing for those reasons. And so this is a hard life, and a lonely life, too. But it is the best life!

But telling people the truth, and not the lies, is the ultimate of love. For it is not love to lie to people, just to make them feel good. It is also not love to refuse to tell people the truth that you know they need to hear out of fear that they might reject you. And Jesus and the NT apostles set the example for us in what that looked like. For they told people the truth even if it meant imprisonment, beatings, persecutions, false accusations, and even death.

And that is what we are to be doing, too. And the truth is that if anyone would come after Christ, he must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow the Lord in obedience to his commands. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands, then we have the hope of eternal life with God, provided we stay the course.

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Love Lived with Purpose

Video Talk

November 16, 2024

https://youtu.be/KK185tK7YNE 

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In Harmony  

An Original Work / September 2, 2012

Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17

Love each other truly. 

Cling to what is good.

Hate all that is evil. 

Never lack in zeal.

Serve the Lord with fervor. 

Joyful in hope be;

Patient in affliction; 

Praying faithfully.

Honor one another. 

Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people

Who are found in need.

Do not be conceited.

Sympathetic be.

Love, and show compassion

In humility.

Keep your tongue from evil.

Peaceful you must be.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;

Listens to their prayers.

But He’s against evil – 

Is His to avenge.

Do not fear what they fear.

Suffer patiently.

In your hearts, make Christ Lord.

Serve Him faithfully.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

https://vimeo.com/112832903