Today's Passage - Ephesians 5:1-3

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Ephesians 5:1-3   "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."   Love is what sets Christians apart in the world, and the love of Christ is the example for our love.  Jesus Christ sacrificed His life for us so that we may receive eternal life, so the love of Christ is a sacrificial love.  This sacrificial love contrasts with the love of lust, filth and greed, and such love is called a self-seeking love, which comes out from the desires of our nature and is self-centered.  We might hear someone saying "I love watermelons," but does he really "love" watermelons?  When he gets a watermelon, he will cut it open and eat it, so he actually loves his stomach more than watermelon.  When we say "I love this person," it means "I like to be with him because he makes me happy and feel important, and makes me feel precious."  We all like to be with people who have money, talent, status and who are pleasant to be with, because we do whatever is favorable to ourselves.  The love of Christians, however, shouldn't be like that.  We need to let sacrificial love replace self-seeking love, because Jesus Christ didn't decide not to come to this world because of He cared for Himself.   We need to demonstrate love of the Lord in the world with the same way that Christ loved us.  After Jesus resurrected from death, He asked Peter three times: "Do you truly love me more than these?"  Peter replied, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."  Then Jesus instructed him three times: "Take care of my sheep."  Jesus didn't tell him to "take care of your sheep."  If we follow our nature, we would only care about those who are popular, pleasant, healthy and inspiring, but Jesus said here "take care of my sheep."   Who is the sheep of Jesus?  Jesus said that He's here to seek and save the lost.  He entrusted us the mission of caring for those who are weak, hurt and in pain.  We are not to seek our own benefit, or to show others how loving we are and how success is our ministry, but we should simply learn to love for the sake of Christ.  We not only love the souls of the people, we also love them in entirety.  That is the testimony that God wants us to carry in this world!  We love because Christ loved us first; therefore, we ask the Lord to draw us closer to Him for us to always be in His love, so that we may live out His love in daily life.                                                                                   Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, please let your love pour into and fill the deepest corners of our hearts.  Let us truly understand that your love is a selfless love; we love because you first loved us.  Let us love the people around us with selfless love, so that they may experience your abundant love.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!