His Love Manifested In You

You’ve heard the saying I’m sure “Love makes the world go ‘round”. For believers—children of God—love, God’s love is the center for our lives. God IS love which is based in John 3:16, NASB, “”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” This is the Gospel. God’s love makes our lives complete and meaningful. The immense and overwhelming love of God, the unselfish love of Jesus, is what touches our hearts. It is what transforms our lives. This is the love that should manifest through us (be seen in our lives).

In Ephesians 3 you find great truth about God’s love. Verses 16-19 are probably familiar to you, and we’ve touched on them but they deserve further attention. “¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being [inner man], ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” That’s the manifestation of God’s love in us. It is what others see in our lives. It displays—shows—demonstrates God’s love through our lives, our words, our deeds. The more we know, the more we can share with others.

Believers receive and grow in God’s love and then show love to others. His Love is to be duplicated from what God gave us through Jesus. Love by its very nature is to be shared because in sharing, it becomes bigger. When factoring the initial spiritual origin of love, it not only becomes bigger but more encompassing, actually multiplying in our lives. Are you in need of a multiplication of His love in your life?

Love is the embodiment of 1 John 4:9 NASB: “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.” It’s sad to see so many people not realizing how much God loves them. Perhaps many of them have only seen a representative of a mean, vindictive God who is out to get them. That picture or description is so far from the truth of God and His nature. It isn’t God’s love to condemn or make people feel guilty. Love rises above any negative aspects of life. Jesus never condemned but gave hope to people He encountered, and people were changed. Just ask Zacchaeus, a hated tax collector, after Jesus went to his house. Zacchaeus wasn’t the same after spending time with Jesus (Luke 19:1-10, NASB).

The love God wants us to manifest is the love that reaches out and touches people where they are. It is love in action encouraging them to follow Jesus, showing them that there IS hope for their lives. We can help them connect with His love. That’s what John explained in 1 John 4:11 (NIV)—¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” How will others, even other church-going folks, know and experience God’s love if we don’t allow His love to manifest (be present) in our lives?

The more we identity with God’s love and our position in Christ, we find the importance of staying there—abiding—in Him (John 15:4 NASB). “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” Knowing your identity in Christ is foundational to abiding in God’s love. You can’t remain if you’re unsure of God’s love for you. When you’ve found true love, you don’t want to go elsewhere.

As believers when we become more aware of His love for us, His love in us, and who we are in Him, the more we find ourselves remaining IN Him. It’s focusing on God’s love in Jesus for us and allowing the fruit of the Spirit to actually flow through us to others—the fruit of love, joy, and peace.

This is what the world is looking for, needing. It is what Romans 8:19 NASB talks about. “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” King James says creation is in earnest expectation waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God.” The world is waiting for us, men and women, to step up and manifest His love so others can receive it.

That’s you and me manifesting God’s love not only in our lives but through our lives. It may be as simple as being available to give a word of encouragement to someone, or to share God’s love with someone who is hurting.

God’s love in us compels—pushes, urges—you and I to share what we have experienced and know to be real in our lives. Are you ready to do that?

TRUTH: Love is to be given to others as God’s love through Jesus was given to us. God gave His love to mankind. We receive it, and can then share it. Love by its very nature is to be shared because in sharing, it becomes bigger and grows in our hearts. God desires us to manifest His love that touches people’s lives right where they are. His love will always encourage them to follow Jesus. You and I can show those we connect with that there IS hope in this world, in their lives. We can help them connect with God’s love. It’s being available to give a word of encouragement to someone, give a hug, or even share God’s love with a hurting soul. His love is to be practical, not theological.

APPLICATION: You will grow in God’s love when you focus on His love for you. As a child of God, His love has been shed abroad in your heart. You’ve already received it, yet it may need to be strengthened, fortified. The more you establish your thoughts in His love, in what Jesus did for you, the more you’ll be established and grounded in His unconditional love. From this point you’ll be able to share with others what His love and life has done in your life.

Let these verses continue to encourage you, feed you in the truth of God’s love in Jesus for you. These are words you can also share with others.

Ephesians 3:16-19 – “¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being [inner man], ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Make It Personal: Thank you Jesus that you live in me and I am continuing to have deep roots in You, establishing myself in your love. Thank you for continuing to show me the depth of your love for me, as you continue to fill me to overflowing.

1 John 4:9 NASB – “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.”

Make It Personal: Thank you God that your love has been manifested in my life through Jesus. Thank you for the life I now life in you, and that your love increases in me each day.

1 John 4:11 NASB – “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Make It Personal: Jesus, help me to increase in my love for the brethren (fellow believers) and in demonstrating love to those who as yet don’t know You.

Romans 8:19 NASB – “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.”

Make It Personal: Jesus thank you for the Holy Spirit who is revealing more of your love to me, and through me to those I know and meet.

ASK YOURSELF:

How do you see God’s love growing in your life?

In what ways are you making these verses personal to you?

What recent experiences have you had in sharing His love with someone?