“…this is the LOVE (agapē: the highest level of godly love known to humanity: a selfless love that is passionately committed to the well-being of others) OF GOD that WE KEEP (tēreō: to obey and guard from loss) HIS COMMANDMENTS. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whoever is born of God OVERCOMES THE WORLD. And THIS IS THE VICTORY that has overcome the world—OUR FAITH. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD?” (1 John 5:3-5) Our willingness to obey God’s commandments PROVES our love for God! According to the Word of God we must OBEY them and GUARD them from BEING LOST.
How can they get lost? The devil does not come except, “…TO STEAL, AND TO KILL, AND TO DESTROY.” (John 10:10) Jesus taught us the parable of the seed and the Sower, “The Sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and TAKES AWAY THE WORD which is sown in them.” (Mark 4:15) Jesus give us the good news, that SEED, “…SOWN UPON THE GOOD SOIL are the ones who hear the word and ACCEPT IT and BEAR FRUIT, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4:20) The fruit Jesus has in mind here is probably what Paul called the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, etc. Only the abiding WORD OF GOD TAKING ROOT in the heart of the believer can PRODUCE THESE SPIRITUAL TRAITS. We must LIVE the Word of God and we must SHARE the Word of God…
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham