This just in from our global online tribe: I want to show GOD’S LOVE in my life but it never seems to happen. Why do I fail even though I’m trying hard?
This is a great question about an imperative (what must be done) God gives his followers: TO LOVE.
Trying to manufacture this on our own ignores the Lord’s exhortation to “…arouse God’s Love” in 1 Timothy 1:5.
a·rouse: to stir to action or strong response; to wake up.
This word AROUSE is powerful because it places responsibility on us to TAKE ACTION.
“The purpose of this commandment is to arouse the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith.” 1 Timothy 1:5
Now that we’ve established the goal—to arouse GOD’S LOVE–let’s break down the three parts of this verse he uses to instill in us a: 1) Pure Heart; 2) Clear Conscience; and 3) Genuine Faith.
Those three things, together, will produce the LOVE OF CHRIST in us; and allow it to be manifest in our lives (the question posed at the top of this message.)
PART 1: A PURE HEART
Paul is talking here about our PURE HEART, not the actions we put on display for the world. He is warning us that without this inward, heart-based focus we will drift toward legalism. Fixate on our “performance.” And concentrate of how everything appears to OTHERS. This takes us right back to the need to fully RELEASE CONTROL of our life to God.
PART 2: GOOD CONSCIENCE
God’s love must flow from a conscience covered by the blood of Christ and unburdened by guilt. How can God’s love come out of us is we are continually violating the dictates of our faith? Fake love that attempts to cover up sin is nothing more than hypocrisy.
PART 3: GENUINE FAITH
God’s love must be based on placing our confidence in him, not counting on our own ability to please God. Faith is not genuine without confidence in where it is aimed. Genuine faith that produces God’s love must be more than words that come from false confidence. The King James version calls this “meaningless babble.”
I ask God to equip me to arouse his love in me so it comes out in a way that glorifies HIM.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
When was the last time you AROUSED GOD’S LOVE to come out of you?
“The purpose of this commandment is to arouse the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” 1 Timothy 1:5-7
