Twin Peaks

The scripture for today is Galatians 5:14

 

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

 

God instructed His people; “You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:18 The Ten Commandments provides us with the will and character of God with respect to our relationship with Him and with our fellow man. “Love for one’s fellow men is the theme of the last six commands of the Decalogue (see on Matt. 22:39, 40). These six govern the relation of man to man, as the first four govern the relation between God and man. Paul’s silence here concerning the first four commands does not imply that they have lost their value for the Christian. Far from it. The theme of the epistle thus far has been right relations between a Christian and his God. But lest the Galatians err in thinking that religion consists only in a right relationship to God, Paul now makes clear that it consists also in right relations with one’s fellow men.” The SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 980

 

“No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12 The evidence of God’s abiding love in our lives is our love for one another. If love for one another is not in our hearts, God does not live there. We cannot love God and not love one another. In order to have the love of God in our hearts, we must be filled with His Spirit. Without the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, it is not possible to have God’s love living within us and expressed through us.

 

When the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a life, God is there. Where God lives, love rules. Without the presence of God, true love cannot be manifested.  So, in order to fulfill the law of God, the presence of God is required. With His abiding presence, the character of God is now presented where there was once every evil work. The life has been transformed and love is now seated on the throne of the heart. We are now empowered to do what was impossible for us before. We love our God with all of our hearts and we love our neighbor as ourselves. We have been made reflectors of the character of God.

 

God bless you as you continue in His service.

Tim