Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things (Matthew 12:34-35). If the Spirit of God dwells in your heart and produces love, love will come out of the heart. If evil dwells in your heart, evil will come out of your heart. Jesus said of the heart of the people, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). The words they spoke were of worship and honor, but their hearts were not. James wrote to us, “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (James 3:10).

Love is not an action, but actions can come out of love. Love is not a feeling, but feelings are changed by love. Love is not an emotion, but is something that effects our emotions. Love isn’t what we say, but our words should be guided by love. Love is a choice we make every time we make a choice. We choose to love or we choose not to love. Love is a gift given and given and given. We never empty because we are given love (if no one else gives us love, God has already). A gift is given by choice and can not be compelled (forced or out of obligation or duty).

Love one another, and that love should move us to do the work of the Father – it should not stop us from doing the work of the Father. It matters not if others accept or reject the love or the work of the Father – the work of the Father is our work out of love. Jesus did not stop because mankind rejected Him! The rejection by mankind was not a sign that Jesus was unloving. Love is our driving force – it is our power in Jesus Christ. We have authority to love as we have been loved by Jesus! And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23). Love gave us grace. Grace gives us forgiveness. Forgiveness frees us to love by choice.

© 2010, Tim D. Coulter Sr.