My God is a Way-Maker Pt 5: The Path of Love

“By this we know [and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious] love: that He [willingly] laid down His life for us [because He loved us]. And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers.” (1 John 3:16)

By definition, a path is a way laid down for walking and made by continual treading. It implies that there was something previously there that needed to be tread down, in order to make the way clear, and that to keep the way clear you must continue to walk along that way.

MIND BLOWN!!! As I sit here I cannot help but give God praise when I picture Jesus making the path of love for us, HALLELUJAH! My God is a Way-Maker!!!

He laid down His life, treading over sin and death, that we may be free to walk in a manner that resembles Him as we follow Him and His example. And to keep the path clear of sin we must continue to walk as He did, in perfect love.

I’ve heard it preached often that the fruits of the spirit all stem from love, with love being the “doorway” fruit because you cannot do anything of God without it stemming from love. For “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)

In 1 Corinthians 13, the scriptures further reveal the greatness of love:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails….And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Yes, love is the greatest gift and fruit of all!

Yet we have people in the church who claim the name of Jesus and have hatred in their hearts towards their own brothers and sisters in Christ. We are warned “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates (works against) his [Christian] brother he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should also [unselfishly] love his brother and seek the best for him.” (1 John 4:20-21)

This is a repetition of 1 John 3:16 where is says “And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers.”

Meaning despite the situations, the feelings, and the temptations, we are to love our Christian brothers and sisters as Jesus loves us. You may be asking yourself “What exactly does that look like?” I’m glad you asked that question! It looks something like this:

Jesus was ridiculed and mocked

• ·         “Then they spat in His face and struck Him with their fists; and some slapped Him, saying, “Prophesy to us, You Christ (Messiah, Anointed); who was it that struck You?”” (Matthew 26:67-68; Mark 14:65; Luke 22:63-65)
• ·         “So then Pilate took Jesus and had Him scourged (flogged, whipped). And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe around Him; and they kept coming up to Him, saying [mockingly], “Hail, King of the Jews [Good health! Peace! Long life to you, King of the Jews]!” And they slapped Him in the face.” (John 19:1-3)
• ·         “Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and they gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on Him [as a king’s robe]. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand [as a scepter]. Kneeling before Him, they ridiculed Him, saying, “Hail (rejoice), King of the Jews!” They spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him repeatedly on the head. After they finished ridiculing Him, they stripped Him of the scarlet robe and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.” (Matthew 27:27-31; Mark 15:16-20; Luke 23:11)
• ·         “At the same time two robbers were crucified with Jesus, one on the right and one on the left. Those who passed by were hurling abuse at Him and jeering at Him, wagging their heads [in scorn and ridicule], and they said [tauntingly], “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself [from death]! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, mocked Him, saying, “He saved others [from death]; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him and acknowledge Him. He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” The robbers who had been crucified with Him also began to insult Him in the same way.” (Matthew 27:38-44; Mark 15:31-32; Luke 23:34-36)

Jesus was despised and rejected

• ·         “He came to that which was His own [that which belonged to Him—His world, His creation, His possession], and those who were His own [people—the Jewish nation] did not receive and welcome Him.” (John 1:11)
• ·         ““If the world hates you [and it does], know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” (John 15:18)
• ·         “Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought this man before me as one who corrupts and incites the people to rebellion. After examining Him before you, I have found no guilt in this Man regarding the charges which you make against Him. No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and indeed, He has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore I will punish Him [to teach Him a lesson] and release Him.” [Now he was obligated to release to them one prisoner at the Feast.] But they [loudly] shouted out all together, saying, “Away with this Man, and release Barabbas to us!” (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection that happened in the city, and for murder.) Pilate addressed them again, wanting to release Jesus, but they kept shouting out, “Crucify, crucify Him!” (Luke 23:13-21; Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; John 18:39-40)

AND IN ALL OF THIS: HE LOVED

• ·         “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep…. Therefore My Father loves Me because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.” (John 10:11;17-18)
• ·         “When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing His clothes among themselves.” (Luke 23:33-34)

There is nothing that you have been through that Jesus cannot heal. Nothing that has been said to you and about you, that has been thought about you, and that has been done against you is greater than the love of Jesus. He endured it all that we may receive our healing from Him! It is His will that we love as He has loved us. For Jesus said “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

To the hurting brother and sister in Christ, I urge you now to let go of the hurt that is trying to become rooted in your heart as a root of bitterness by which we know from the scriptures has defiled many people (Hebrews 12:12-17). Instead be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ “that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Know this, NO ONE and NOTHING is worth loosing out on spending eternity with God. Whatever someone had done or is currently doing to you, I urge you to CHOOSE TO FORGIVE them, especially when you do not FEEL like it! For then you are representing the love of Christ! And the only way to do this is to abide in Christ.

Jesus said “Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)

I KNOW you are hurting! I have been hurt MANY times by people I love and trusted. I have been betrayed by brothers and sisters in Christ. I have been lied on and mocked by some of my brothers and sisters in Christ. So I KNOW what you are feeling, but I also KNOW that my God is greater than any feeling I have and greater than any weapon formed against me. The same goes for you! He has promised that no weapon formed against His Children shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17) and that vengeance is His and He shall repay those who do us wrong and do not repent of their evil. But He also commands us to NOT REPAY EVIL FOR EVIL. We are not to sit around "wishing, hoping, and praying" for God to "punish" those who do us wrong. That is not the spirit of love, but of vengeance. What is the spirit of love? Look here:

“Never repay anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is right and gracious and proper in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21)

By doing this, you are walking the path of love laid before us by Christ. A path only He could make for He alone is our Way-Maker! We could not possibly walk in the love of God without Jesus’ example and the Holy Spirit’s help. So I urge you today, let go of your hurt and release those who have hurt you. Turn to the LORD and He will help you to do that which is impossible for man to do alone. He will help you to forgive. He will help you to move on and to love those who hate you.

I urge you to pray:

“Father God, we come before you in awe and wonder at the revelation of Your great love for us. We give You all the praise and lift Your name high above all the heavens and the earth, because You are worthy of our praise. And we thank you for our salvation and Your complete and total forgiveness of our sins and wrongdoings. In like manner, we come before You CHOOSING this day to forgive ALL of those who have done wrong against us. You know all things and we trust that these wrongdoings have not missed your sight. But we earnestly pray that you forgive those who have done us wrong. We pray that they be brought to a place of conviction and confession before You, Almighty God, and that their souls be rescued from the hands of the enemy. Your word tells us that we do not fight against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of darkness that use weak and vulnerable people. I pray heal their brokenness and heal those who have been broken by them. All this I pray in the mighty and matchless name of JESUS CHRIST!

I love you all and may God bless you!

The song "Carried To The Table" kept coming to me as I wrote this. I pray it blesses you.