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February 14, 2018

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Love Must Be Sincere

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:9

Christianity's foundation is a person, Jesus Christ. It is a life--His life lived through us. If the whole of our spiritual being is possessed by Jesus Christ, the life and love of Christ will be manifested in all that we do. Norman Grubb, that great man of faith, said, "It's not enough to be filled with the Holy Spirit; we need to be filled in an overflowing measure. It is the overflow of His Spirit that ministers and is a blessing, inspiration, and encouragement to others." What prevails above all else? God's love flowing freely and fully through us! Love should characterize the believer who has become the "temple of the Holy Spirit." Love must take off every disguise of deceit, discharge every sham of shallowness, and cleanse every impediment that will hinder the flow of His love through us.

I was working on my sprinkler system, which had an ineffective sprinkler. The grass was brown from lack of water. I removed the sprinkler head and found a very small pebble lodged in the groove where the water sprays out. It was an impediment, ever so small, but it stopped the free flow of water. I thought, how true it is in my spiritual life when sin, ever so small, comes between my heart and the Holy Spirit. The flow of God's love through me ceases, and my spiritual life becomes ineffective and lifeless. Love must flow within our hearts unhindered, free from every impediment, with our lives made bare before God, overflowing with His life from within.

Can you think of someone who took a special interest in you and had a definite influence on your life? I recall the life of D. J. Fant. His life simply overflowed with the joy of the Lord and the presence of Christ. He had a real compassion for the lost and spent hours each day in prayer for ministries, pastors, friends, and missionaries around the world. Every day, beginning at 5 a.m., he was on his knees for the next three hours in prayer, interceding for others.

During his working days he was an engineer on the railroad. In front of his engine was a replica of an open Bible with the words "Jesus Saves." He preached in churches wherever his train would take him. He had tremendous influence on my life as one who was completely "sold out to God." God's love radiated through his life. Only eternity will tell of the multitudes he influenced with his simple, uneducated life that was steeped in the Word of God and filled to overflowing with His Spirit. His funeral was a time of "celebration" for one who had given so much to so many and glorified his blessed Lord. The influence of his life, lived under the control and Lordship of Christ, had an eternal impact on the lives of countless others.

What was the magnetic force that produced such startling results? It was a life without impediments, a life that was sincere and desirous of all God had for him. It was a transparent life in which the Holy Spirit filled his cup and the love of God compelled him to minister, encourage, challenge, and inspire others to give their lives to the Lord without reservation. Oh that we would put the "principles of our faith" into the "practice of our faith," letting HIS LIFE BE LIVED THROUGH US, WITHOUT ANY IMPEDIMENTS!

© 2007 by Ed Powell. Used by permission.


This page was reprinted by permission from: http://litmin.org/dare.php?date=2018-02-14


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