Being a Christian is not about keeping rules and regulations, performing rituals, or even going to church. It’s not about following miracles, receiving impartations, being religious, prayerful or it’s not about how best you can speak in a spiritual language. It’s about a friendship – a fellowship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said that knowing him is the doorway to a special relationship with God.
There’s one fundamental unit on which all scriptures are laid; that is LOVE. If you are a follower of Christ, it is obligatory to love your neighbor, mother, pastor and everybody. In 1John.4.7 ‘Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him].’ (AMP). The Bible highlighted it that if you claim to love God but demise your fellow brother, then you don’t know God. I am using God and Christ interchangeably because they are the same and one body.
Eph.5.2 ‘And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. ‘(AMP). Many a Christian i hear today today singing an anthem like’Everyone for himself, God for us all’. With these, Christians have be so individualistic, many adore just their pastors and despise their parents, husbands, neighbors etc but the truth is Christ is never discriminatory, He loves all equally despite our race, tribe, accents sex and colour differences. A true Christian is one who walks and dines in love.
However, if it is obligatory for a Christian to love, What characterizes this love. 1Corinthians13 spells out the composition of love Christ bestowed on us. In the text, it is clear that even if you can speak in tongues, prophesy, give to the poor for human glory and you don’t love, they are all vanity. If you have love, you won’t shower your pastor money, while your mum is seriously sick, you wouldn’t be impatient, you would endure,you would not be jealous or envious among others.
Let’s have a look at some scenarios of love demonstrated by God to us humanity. In the genesis, God created us on His likeness, placed us in a garden where everything is accessible and gave us dominion but out of disobedience, we lost everything. God again took compassion and sew a clothe out of animal skin for Adam and Eve. In the abundance of unconditional love, He gave out His only begotten son to save us from our infermities and iniquities and so if you indeed believe in Christ, love should be your first priority.
A Christian who claims to love God but hates his fellow human being; according to the Bible is a liar.(1 John4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.). Love should be the first priority of every Christian and it Biblical we let love lead in all our endeavors.
