Abstracts—Love God & People
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” - 1 John 3:16
Making a conscious effort to love others and love God, especially before ourselves, is one of the most practical ways to improve your walk in faith.
In fact, God created us in His image. Why is that detail important? Well, remember that God is really a Godhead Three in One (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and each is in relationship with the other. We get several glimpses of the Godhead working together (cf. Gen 1:26, 3:22, Jn 1:1-5), and can easily understand that our God is a relational being. His constant communal with Himself is part of who He is. Thus, as we are made in His image, we must also live in loving community with others.
“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’”- Matthew 22:37-40 (cf. Deut 6:4-5, Lev 19:18, Mk 12:29-31, Lk 10:27-28)
Seek Him (cf. Ps 63:1-5), love Him, love others. It’s the healthiest, Godliest way we can live.