We live in a world that is searching for the true meaning of love at every turn. People are saying “Where is the love?” and we really don’t know at times. In 1 John 4:10. the author John writes “10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” There it is!! There is the love!! One simple statement says it all, but with much more profound meaning than we can understand in a lifetime. You may ask, “In WHAT is love?” Let me take you back one verse and the Bible will clear up that question. 1 John 4:9 “9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” Manifest means to show something and that is exactly what happened when Christ died on the cross for mankind. Jesus showed love on full display. That love is seen in those who call Jesus their Savior and Lord and that love is a pivotal part of the whole “win people to Jesus” thing!!! When we get Jesus we get the capacity to love as no one else and the effect of that love changes our perspective about life, living, and loving. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a “love project” where you crank up the love meter in your heart and start loving more and more each day per a strong effort. No…no!!! It is not about us…..It is all about Jesus and Him alone. Our pride makes us miss the meaning of so many things and it is a constant barrier to us being all Christ equips us to be. Pride will say to us, “You should love more if you are a Christian” and then it sets us on a very self centered “love quest” that is all about us doing something to prove we have love. That is the pride of life that is driving that Love Train and there are many travelers riding on it.
Our source of love is one person, Jesus Christ. In 1 John 4:8 John clarifies by saying “8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love ” Do. you see how we are mentioned in this verse. We are called The One. This means that this message is a very personal, to the point, message to the individual….the one. Here is the truth: The one who doesn’t love, doesn’t know God!! Scarey huh? That means if you don’t have love in who you are at your essence, YOU ARE NOT SAVED!” Why? Love has an effect on the internal, and then the external. It is not about the detailed ways that you are kind or not kind. Helpful or not helpful. Generous or not generous. It is all of those wrapped up in a love package that is a very natural reflection of who we are at the core. I myself will sometimes marvel at the wrong things I do and then get dejected when I realize the wretch I am and it causes me to not show love like I should. When in reality I need to realize just how much I am loved by Christ and live out of that ‘love fest” reality and I won’t get dejected at my failures, but live in the glorious grace of the one true love. The love of God.
If you want to get on the love train, you need to get your ticket. When you step up to the ticket window to get your ticket you will find that your ticket has already been paid for and that you can step on that train and experience the love ride of a lifetime. It’s called The Love Train. There is a famous O’Jays song called Love train and here is the familiar chorus. People all over the world (everybody) Join hands (join)Start a love train, love train People all over the world (all the world, now) Join hands (love ride)v Start a love train (love ride), love train. The world will continue to search for how to get on that love train and they will come up with many different ways they can make it happen, but there is only one way and that is Jesus.
The world cannot find satisfaction in Buddha, Ghandi, Muhammad, or any other secondary source. Only Jesus and Him alone. Jesus satisfied the love argument and John wrote the truth of it in 1 John. Read it and see if you find yourself in those great words about love. If so, praise God and keep on receiving that love from God. If not, then receive Jesus and get your ticket on The Love Train and hop on. It’s gonna be quite a ride and you will LOVE IT. (did you see what I did there…..oh well)
The Pilgrimage continues….on The Love Train
David Warren
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