By Gloria Copeland
“Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
1 Peter 2:17
The reason we, as God’s Children, are living on this earth is so that we can advance the Kingdom of God. Certainly, God wants to Bless us, and Give us wonderful lives, but if that is all He wanted to do, He would Take us to Heaven the minute we made Jesus the LORD of our lives. After all, the least that heaven has to offer beats the best we have on earth.
But God left us here so we can influence others for Him. He Told us to share the Gospel with lost people so that they can get born again. One of the most powerful ways we can do that is by simply loving them.
The Love of God is one of the most evangelistic forces of all. The whole world is looking for love all the time, everywhere they go. You may not realize that if you’ve been a Christian for a while. You may almost take love for granted. I know I sometimes do. My whole family is saved, all my friends are saved, everyone I work with is saved…and since they all have the love of God flowing through them, I’m surrounded by love almost all the time.
Worldly people do not have that experience. They are surrounded by a selfish, dog-eat-dog society. They are not exposed to the Love of God very much, and they are starved for it.
If you will just let God’s Love within you Flow out to them, you will be amazed how God’s Love will Minister to them. If you will just honour them and respect them, treat them like they are the most precious, valuable beings in the world, God’s Love will Touch them and open their hearts. Then, when you have the opportunity to share the Gospel with them, they will be eager to hear it. They will be prepared and ready to receive.
In times past, the Church missed it in this area in a big way. We focused so much on the sinfulness of sinners that we began to disregard and look down on them. We developed an inner attitude of disdain toward those who were in rebellion against God and were not born again.
But, the Bible does not teach us to do that. The Bible Says we should honour all men. It Says we should be like our Father who Loved not just the Righteous but the whole world so much, He Sent Jesus to die for their sins. Even in our fallen and dishonourable state, God still Saw in us the wonderful beings He Created us to be. He Recalled what we were before the Fall, Looked through the Eyes of Love, and Saw what, through His Redemption, we could once again be.
When we start seeing the lost in that same light, we will Love them just as He Does…and that love will draw them to Him. Win souls with Faith and love. Learn how winning souls love’s way and fighting the good fight of Faith are the keys to not only winning souls, but also your advancing the Kingdom of God!
When you spend time with Jesus (by reading/studying the WORD) it will be without doubt: His Power and His Glory will be Reflected in you to the world. When His Power and His Glory are Reflected in you, then people will see Christ in you. They will begin to want you have; they will become born again. You are the 67th. Book of the Bible. Sometimes people don’t read the Bible, but they read you. You are the greatest epistle that people can read. People that don’t believe in Jesus are looking at you. You are God’s personal representative on the earth.
Operate in the Agape kind of Love, which is the gateway to advancing the Kingdom of God. Open the door to love, operate in the Kingdom of Love, and fuel your Faith for ultimate victory!
