LET NO DEBT REMAIN OUTSTANDING
Romans 13:8-10
There is one debt that we can never finish repaying - love to God. We owe it to God to love one another.
Love does no harm, e.g. if you are unmarried and in a relationship, if you love the other person you will keep the relationship pure.
1. BE PERFECT, THEREFORE, AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT
Matthew 5:43-48
It is easy to dislike/hate those who dislike/hate you. But Jesus calls us, instead, to love our enemies and to pray for those who oppose us. We are to be perfect, not in the sense of faultlessness, but in love. The first century disciples were known for this - though opposed, hated and beaten, they did out strike back in retaliation. They wanted to be known as sons and daughters of the Almighty God.
Q. Are you patient in love?
Q. Are you perfecting your love?
This becomes challenging when, as will invariably happen sooner or later, you are opposed because of your convictions and decisions as a disciple.
In marriage, if you react to your spouse by shouting and/or by getting physical, how are you different from anyone else?
Matthew 5:9
Peacemakers will be called sons of God. In our families/homes, we are called to get involved in unhealthy situations and bring about peace. As a disciple you are a city on an hill - not in a valley or under a hill, but on top of the hill - which is seen from everywhere.
1 John 4:13-18
Our salvation depends on the level of our love. We will be like Christ and look like him. Obviously we can't all look like him physically. We are like him when we love - when we perfect our love.
Matthew 7:21,22
When you live in love, you will not continue in sin but will aim for righteousness. Focusing on religious acts will not get us to righteousness. It is focusing on love that will get us there.
Revelation 2:1-5
At the beginning we enjoyed doing the things a disciple does, e.g. reading the Bible and getting new insights from it. This was because we were spurred on by our love for God.
If you are studying the Bible, the first thing you need is to love god.
2. WE LOVE BECAUSE HE LOVED US FIRST
1 John 4:19
It is safe to be loved first. It is painful, for example, to love someone, send them cards and flowers, etc, but then they do not respond in kind. It is safe to first know that someone else loves you and then respond to that. By loving us first, God has made it safe for us to now love him.
God has loved us so much that he has forgiven very sin we ever committed. That is true love. We now owe it to each other and to God to forgive others and to resolve any problems we have with others.