Love Revealed In Christ

Love Revealed In Christ

By Apostle Felix

1  Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 
2  And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 
3  And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 
4  They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 
5  Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 

John 8: 1 – 5

Jesus was born and grew under the old covenant era. He did not live under the new covenant. He is the one who introduced the new covenant by His death and resurrection. All His peers were law-keeping people. He lived, played, and mingled with people who only knew the law. They understood very well that the law demanded the stoning of anyone who violated the law. When Joseph, His foster father, discovered that Mary was pregnant, he wanted to put her away privately to avoid public shame.  If the public had discovered that she was pregnant before marriage, the law would have demanded her to be stoned. Mary was carrying love, and the only thing that could have stopped the birth of the love of  God was the law.

18  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 

Matthew 1: 18 – 19

Christians who want to live according to the law’s standards usually find it very hard to express God’s love. They are usually mean, judgmental, and aloof. Religion tends to make people bitter.  The Pharisees were bitter, mean, and judgmental people. They looked at other people as spiritually inferior compared to them. When the Pharisees brought the woman caught in the very act of adultery to Jesus, they intended to justify their acts of hypocrisy by Jesus condemning the woman. But Jesus, instead, revealed His true nature of love and forgave the woman. He did not come to condemn the world but save it.

17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3: 17

Just imagine, it was me in that situation with a woman before me caught in the very act of adultery. I think I was going to pass a very stiff judgment: stone her to death. Christians behave like that today. We are more holy than Jesus. Brothers and sisters, when the love of God is in us and revealed, we will be ready to reach out to people in love, and not with condemnation. The reason why we find ourselves so judgmental is that the love of God in us has been veiled by the law.

1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
3  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Galatians 6: 1 – 3

The law of Christ is love.

8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Romans 13: 8

14  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Galatians 5: 14

Jesus came to reveal the love of God to us in His death and resurrection. He died under the law, so that the love of God could be unveiled. He fulfilled all the requirements of the law and was condemned for something man had done so that we could be recipients of His love. Child of God, do not doubt that God loves you. He does. He revealed His love for you while you were still a sinner. He loves you unconditionally.