Loves like Jesus

Love is a critical characteristic of Christian maturity. Christ is the demonstration of God's love. To know God as Father is to love the one whom He sent. Jesus set the bar for love and says that his followers are not to love like the world or to be loved by the world. He warns us that we cannot love or serve two masters, for we will either love God or hate Him. The love of Christ should compel his followers to live for him. Disciples of Jesus Christ are those who "Love like Jesus".

The transition from non-Christian to Christian occurs by means of the gospel. One of the first characteristics to undergo transformation is our understanding and experience of love. Prior to grasping the gospel, we may have felt we knew what love was. But when we encounter Jesus Christ, he challenges our experience and understanding of love. When we grasp the gospel we find God transforming our heart and character, and thus our love for Him and our neighbors.

Love is such a foundational characteristic of Christian maturity that the apostle Paul warns us not to have an outward appearance of being a Christ follower who is devoid of love. As follows of Christ, we are to be intentional about how we love, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The closer we draw to God and the more we are formed into the likeness of Christ, the more we become a person who "Loves like Jesus".