Dear friends, welcome to „Daily Word for Spiritual Edification”!It is said in the Bibles that in the last days there will be some perilous times. The events that are happening in the world these days are signs of the last days. But God has not left us alone to fight all these things in our own strength. God has left us weapons that will help us to win the victory in these last days. God desires for us to use these weapons and overcome. He wants us to go through all these things, to overcome all the pressures and win.We have already established that our God-given weapons are faith, hope and love. Until now we talked about the role of faith and we began talking about what role love plays as a weapon in this last day battle. Yesterday we discussed that Jesus demonstrated us how to walk in love. We saw that Jesus wasn’t revengeful. When He was cursed, He did not curse back. When people mistreated Him, He did not threaten them. Jesus trusted God Who is the righteous and just Judge.We discussed that faith plays a crucial role in our victory. But faith works by love.
«For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love» (Galatians, 5:6).
If we do not walk in love, then our faith will be hindered; it will be paralyzed. Faith without love is not biblical faith. Pauls talks about in 1st Corinthians (13:1-3):«Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to fee the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing».
If you have faith, but do not have love, then, according to Paul, you are “sounding brass and a clanging cymbal” and you are “nothing”. Faith without love does not work. That is why it is so important to learn to walk in love. Otherwise our hearts won’t be able to go through the last day attacks. Faith will not work without love!What are you going to do when people will hate, persecute and hurt you? Will you get offended and look for the ways to pay them back and do evil? That is the reaction of flesh; that is the reaction of a natural man. The Bible says that such a reaction robs us of life and peace. «For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace» (Romans, 8:5-6).
This Scripture talks about how being lead by the flesh brings us death and defeat. So we cannot and mustn’t react and act according to the flesh. If we won’t be walking in love, then we won’t have peace and will live under tremendous pressure; we will lack peace and power. When we lose joy, we automatically lose power as well. The Bibles says that joy of the Lord is our strength and power.Tomorrow we will discuss it in more detail.God bless you!Pastor Rufus Ajiboye
I am doing a teaching on you can’t have faith without love. Would like to know more information about this teaching.