Keys to the Love Walk

Colin Melbourne

© 06-08 Born-Again-Christian.info

Part 1

Seven keys to a victorious walk in God's Love.

Peace is your Love guide

How do you tell which course of action is the way of love?

This can be tricky, because situations are not always clear-cut.

The answer is to:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart... Col. 3:15

Test your options against your spirit. One will give you divine peace. Deep down, you will know by the witness of God's Spirit in your spirit.

That is the way to walk in love. Even if it seems illogical, unreasonable, and costly, you will have solid peace ruling, and Heaven endorsing you.

Be resolute

Don't waver in love. Abraham was called a friend of God because he refused to waver in unbelief. Ro. 4:20 Love and faith are sides of the same coin. To waver in faith is to waver in love.

Simply resolve to stay on course when the going gets tough, keep loving, don't doubt or wobble: God will justify your faith, and love.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Gal. 5:6

By continuing to walk in love you are demonstrating your faith in El Shaddai, the God who is more than enough. Refuse to think evil thoughts, envisage your enemies transformed by God's Love, through you. Call those things that are not, as though they were. Ro. 4:17

Start with your enemies

Loving those who love you is easy isn't it? But Jesus commands us to love even our enemies with His Love.

Until you do this you have not even begun to walk in love.

Remember, love does no harm (Ro. 13:10). You'd surely enjoy harming your enemy wouldn't you? But love doesn't.

When you are insulted, abused, thumped, slandered, gossiped about, stolen from, ripped-off, or injured in any way, determine to follow the way of love. It isn't easy, but God is in you, and by His power you can do it.

One tip I found helpful is to bite your lip, and say to yourself, they are doing this because it is their nature, and God is relying on me to demonstrate His love to show them what He is like. I'll overlook it for His sake, because I'm His ambassador. 2 Co. 5:20

Don't take it personally

Couple this with the thought, they are like this to all Christians, not just me. It's the demons controlling them reacting to Christ in me, and they are eternally defeated.

It is Jesus they are abusing, and He's commanded me to forgive and love them, so I will.

Okay, that's the milk, now here's the meat

The way of love is more than turning the other cheek, and overlooking insults, but actively blessing and doing good to your worst enemies. This really sorts out the Christians from the make-believers. You can't fake this one, it can be very painful. But take the pain and you'll reign in Christ.

You've been hurt, forgive the person's sin before they come and ask forgiveness, and call on God to show you how to bless and do good to them as He commands:

I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. Lk. 6:27-28

It's easy to pray for them, but actually doing good and blessing them is divine.

How do you bless them?

Ask yourself, 'What would they perceive as me doing good to them?'

'How would they like me to bless them?'

Then painful as it seems, just do it, with a sincere smile.

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. 1 Jn. 3:18-20

Your reward will be threefold:

You'll get an almighty blessing yourself inside, it's God saying,

'Well done child, now leave them to me!'

Secondly, you've poured burning coals on their head. God will bring Holy Ghost conviction, showing them their sin, and your righteousness. Ro. 12:20-21

You won't have to say a word, just let God tell them.

Wait patiently, and even if they stubbornly refuse to repent, you'll still have the blessing of God on you for your obedience. That's a precious reward isn't it?

But God promises a third result of loving obedience: Answered prayer:

Dear friends, if our do not hearts condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 1 Jn. 3:21-23

If you want your prayers answered, you simply must walk in love.

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