We tend to be impressed with a good motivational speaker. We are inclined to appreciate motivational speakers who are passionate about their topic. As Christians, we should be passionate about Christ because like a good motivational speaker, our goal is to motivate others to follow Jesus. The passion we have for Christ stems from the fact that Jesus loves us, and we, therefore, love Jesus. 1 John 4:19 says it plainly, “We love Him because He first loved us.” It only follows, that if I love Jesus, then I love the Gospel.
In Ephesians 3:18-19 Paul tells the church at Ephesus that He’s praying that they “18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” If Christians truly know “the love of Christ which passes knowledge” what we know is Christ’s love for us in the Gospel. The Gospel is the love of God shown in Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3). If I love Jesus, then I love the Gospel.
If I love the Gospel, then I love evangelism and mission work. After the resurrection and shortly before Jesus ascended, He gave those who loved Him a mission. He told His Disciples to “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen (Matthew 28:19-20).” Throughout the book of Acts we see His disciples doing exactly what He commanded. They evangelized their friends and neighbors and traveled away from their home to other places (they went on “missions”) to share the Gospel. If I love Jesus, then I love evangelism and mission work.
If I love evangelism and mission work, then I love the church. In comparing a loving husband and wife to Christ and the church, Ephesians 5:25 tells us that “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” We know that the church is not a physical structure, but the people who have obeyed the Gospel and become a part of His body – the church. Jesus gave His life for the church. Because Jesus loves the church, then I love the church. 1 John 4:7-11 says it this way, “7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” If I love Jesus, then I love His people – I love the church.
Sometimes people struggle with loving the church because of the ideal they have of the church. The church is not a perfect place with perfect people meant to fulfill your every desire of perfection. The church is a place filled with imperfect people (sinners) saved from their sins by Jesus. The people who make up the church are on a journey together. Our goal is heaven and to do our best to help each other along the way to reach that goal. As we travel along life’s path we also do what we can to encourage others to begin their journey with Christ and travel with us. This is achievable because we love the church, evangelism, mission work, the Gospel, and the One who makes it all possible: Jesus.
