Mensa Otabil - Walk in Love
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Hi friends, today we are talking about walking in love, Ephesians chapter 5, verse 2: «Walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.» We’ve learned a bit about our Christian walk: walking before the Lord, walking into our inheritance, walking in the name of the Lord, walking in the Spirit, working in wisdom, working properly. Now, the glue that holds it all together— that piece that makes it all complete— is walking in love. That’s our calling in the New Testament.
Walking in love is tough because human beings naturally are self-preserving; we want everything good to happen to us. We don’t really care whether the same thing happens to other people. But in Christianity, we are not only to desire good for ourselves; we must desire the same good that happens to us to happen to other people. It is what Christ demonstrated to us. Jesus Christ did many profound things; He taught profoundly, taught us great things, and performed very powerful miracles and signs. But by far the most significant thing about Jesus Christ was His love. It was love that brought Him to the earth, and it was love that took Him to the cross. It is love that allowed Him to die for us while we were yet sinners. It is love that allowed Him to give us our redemption.
Without love, everything Jesus Christ did amounts to nothing. His miracles will not save a soul; His teachings will not save a soul. It is His life that He poured out that gave us salvation. We can do everything that we have to do as Christians, but if we don’t know how to walk in love, nothing works together. So walking in love is the glue that holds every one of our spiritual activities together, and it’s tough. How do we walk in love?
We walk in love by giving our hearts to the Lord, serving Him with all our heart, our souls, and all our might. That’s where worship starts; we begin by giving our heart to the Lord. We walk in love by giving our worship to God, by falling at His feet and dedicating our lives to Him, and by speaking of His goodness and mercy in our lives to appreciate all that He has done for us. We walk in love by giving of our substance to God, the work of our hands that He blesses us with. When God blesses you with wisdom and you create wealth, you give back to the Lord; that is walking in love.
We walk in love by loving people as Christ loved them. We must imitate the love of God in our relationships, whether it’s at home, at work, at church, or in the community. We love people as Christ loved them, and we walk in love by forgiving people—the tough one—letting offenses go and letting hurts go. Jesus Christ forgave us while we were yet sinners; in other words, He didn’t wait for perfection before He loved us; He loved us in spite of ourselves.
So if you want to put it all together, everything we have learned this week about walking before the Lord and walking into our inheritance, and all the work we have to do, the greatest of these is walking in love. May the Lord help each one of us not just to do great things but also to hold it together as Christ did by walking in love.
So let’s pray together. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, I recognize that You have poured Your love into my heart. I receive it, and I give it back to others. Thank You for making me an extension of Your love. In Jesus' name, Amen.»
Well, my friends, it’s been a great week. I trust that God will hold you together and give you the victory that He has promised you. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.