Most Christians think walking in love means trying harder to be nice... but that's not what the Bible teaches.
You are not trying to become a loving person. You ARE a loving person-because you are born of God.
In this powerful teaching, you'll discover:
The difference between the old nature and the new nature
• Why selfishness is the root of all sin
• What it really means to walk in love
• How to stop struggling and start living from your identity
• Why love is the most powerful force in the universe
This message will shift your mindset from effort to identity.
Most Christians think walking in love means trying really hard to be nice to people. But that's not what the Bible teaches.
Walking in love is not about trying to love. It's about walking in the new nature you already have. You're not trying to become a loving person.
In fact, you are a loving person because you're born of God and God is love.
So the problem is most believers are still living from the old nature, the nature of selfishness.
And until you understand the difference between these two natures, you'll spend your whole Christian life fighting a battle you've already won.
"Selfishness is as deadly as poison. It is poison to the spirit. It is poison to the body of Christ.
Selfishness is the nature of the old man and the man who died with Christ. But love is the nature of the new creation. On the man you are in Christ. And when you finally understand this, you'll stop trying to love and you'll start living from love.
Today, we're going to examine the greatest challenge every believer faces. The battle between love and selfishness, the battle between the old nature and the new nature.
And I'm going to show you that walking in love is not about effort. It's about identity.
It's not about what you do. It's about who you are. Let me start with the hardest truth you'll hear today.
Selfishness is the cause of everything wrong in this world. Every war, every strike, every battle between labor and capital, every divorce, every church split, every broken friendship, it all comes from selfishness.
That thing born in the garden has grown so mighty that it governs the nations of the earth. And love is the only thing that can destroy it. Think about that.
Selfishness was born in the Garden of Eden when Adam chose himself over God.
And that selfish nature has been passed down through every human being ever born. It's the root of sin. It's the root of death. It's the root of every evil thing in this world. And here's what's shocking. Most Christians don't even fear it. They fear selfishness in other people, but not in themselves.
They can see it operating in their spouse, in their boss, in their pastor, but they're blind to it in their own hearts. But when you were born again, something radical happened. You didn't just get forgiven of selfishness. You got a brand new nature.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new." That old selfish nature died. And a new love nature was created inside you. You're not trying to become loving.
You already are loving because you're born of Love Himself.
But here's the problem. Most Christians don't know this. So they keep living from the old nature even though the old nature is dead. They keep operating in selfishness even though they have a love nature living inside them. And that's why their Christian life is such a struggle. They're trying to live like Jesus Christ while still operating from the nature of Adam.
1 John 4:16 says, "God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him." Did you catch that? God is love, not God has love. God is love.
And when you were born again, you were born of God. That means you were born of love. You didn't just receive love. You became love because you're a partaker of the divine nature. The same nature that is love.
Now let me show you what this means practically. When love becomes the rule of your life, selfishness stops reigning. And when selfishness stops reigning, everything changes, your marriage changes, your business changes, your friendships change, your ministry changes because you're no longer operating from what can I get. You're operating from what can I give.
"When love is at white heat, selfishness stops raining."
At white heat, that means when love is fully activated in your life. When you're walking in the fullness of your new nature, selfishness has no power. It can't control you anymore because you're not living from the flesh. You're living from the spirit. See, you're not living from the old man. You're living from the new creation. Let me give you an example from apostle Paul's life.
2 Corinthians 5:14 says, "For the love of Christ constrainth us." The word constrainth means has gained control or has taken us over. Apostle Paul's friends thought he was crazy. They said he was beside himself.
But the love of Christ had so set him on fire that he was slowly burning up. His very being was saturated with the passion that drove Jesus to the cross.
And that's what happens when you walk in love. You stop living for yourself and you start living for others.
1 Corinthians 10:24 says, "Let no man seek his own but each his neighbour's good."
When love governs your life, you don't ask, "What's in it for me anymore? You ask, how can I help you?"
Now, here is where this gets challenging because walking in love means you have to let go of your right to be offended. You have to let go of your right to defend yourself. You have to let go of your right to get revenge because love does not operate that way. Love does not seek its own. Love does not get provoked.
Love does not take account of evil. And this is where most Christians fail because they want to walk in love and but they don't want to give up their rights. They want to love people but only if those people treat them right.
They want to forgive but only if the other person apologizes first. They want to be kind but only to people who are kind to them. And that's not love.
That's selfishness disguised as love.
Jesus Christ gave us a new commandment in John 13:verses 34 to 35.
He said, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
Notice he didn't say, "Love one another as long as they love you back." He said, "Love one another as I have loved you."
And how did Jesus love us? He loved us while we were still sinners.
He loved us when we were his enemies. He loved us unconditionally.And that's the standard. Not love people who deserve it, but love people the way Jesus loved you. And the only way you can do that is by walking in your new nature.
Because your old nature cannot love like that.
Your old nature can only love people who benefit you. But your new nature, the love nature you received when you were born again, can love unconditionally because it's not your love. It's God's love living in you.
Romans 13:10 says, "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law."
When you walk in love, you don't need the Ten Commandments anymore because love fulfills all of them.
You won't murder because love doesn't kill.
You won't steal because love doesn't take.
You won't commit adultery because love doesn't betray.
You won't lie because love speaks truth.
When love governs your life, sin has no place.
The believer who live in this realm under that new law will never commit sin.
Let me say that again. When you're walking in love, you cannot sin because sin is rooted in selfishness.
And when love is reigning, selfishness is dethroned. You're not fighting sin anymore. You're just walking in your nature. And your nature is love.
And I think about what this means for your daily life. When someone cuts you off in traffic, love doesn't get angry when someone gossips about you. Love doesn't retaliate when someone takes credit for your work. Love doesn't demand recognition when someone hurts you. Love doesn't hold a grudge.
Because love isn't controlled by what other people do. Love is controlled by who you are. And this is the freedom most Christians never experience.
They're constantly reacting to how other people treat them. If someone is nice, but they're nice back. If someone is mean, they get defensive. If someone honors them, they feel good. If someone disrespects them, they feel offended.
Their emotional state is determined by other people's behavior. But when you walk in love, you're free from that. Because your behavior isn't determined by how they act. It's determined by who you are. And you are love.
So you love regardless.
You're kind regardless. You forgive regardless. You bless regardless. Not because they deserve it, but because you are love.
Now let me show you the practical benefits of walking in love.
First, it gives you boldness. First, John 4: verses 17 to 18 says, "Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear."
When love becomes the rule of your life. When you grow up into it until your whole life is dominated by it, you have fearless confidence in God's presence.
Why? Because you're walking in the same nature He walks in. He is love and you are love. There's perfect harmony. No guilt, no condemnation, no fear, just boldness.
But when you step out of love, you step into fear. Because when you're walking in selfishness, you're walking in the flesh. And the flesh is afraid. Afraid of being exposed, afraid of being judged. Afraid of consequences. But love has no fear.
Because love has nothing to hide. Love walks in the light. Love operates in truth. And perfect love casts out all fear. Think about what that means.
When you know, absolutely know that you're walking in love, you have nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to regret, nothing to fear of being exposed because you're operating in the light. You're living in truth and there's no condemnation for those who walk in love.
Second, walking in love gives you peace. Because when you're living in love, you're not worried about what people think of you.
You're not stressed about protecting your reputation. You're not anxious about getting your way.
You're free. Free from the tyranny of selfishness. Free from the burden of always having to win. Free from the exhausting need to be right all the time. And most Christians live under constant pressure.
Pressure to perform. Pressure to measure up. Pressure to defend themselves. Pressure to prove they're right. But when you walk in love, all that pressure disappears because love doesn't need to win arguments.
Love doesn't need to prove anything. Love doesn't need recognition. Love is free.
Third, walking in love makes you powerful because love never fails. First Corinthians 13:8 says, "Love never faileth." The red flag is never seen over love's dwelling. Love never goes into bankruptcy. Love never loses. And when you walk in love, you become unstoppable. Not because of your strength, but because you're operating in the most powerful force in the universe. The force that created everything. The force that holds everything together. The force that cannot be defeated.
But now, let me give you the practical steps to walking in love. Because this is not just theory. This is how you live.
Step one, you have to believe in love. Say, "I have come to believe that love is the best method of ruling a home, a business, a government."
Most people do not believe in love. They believe in force. They believe in control. They believe in manipulation.
But you have to make a decision. Do you believe love is best?
Not just good, not just nice, but best.
The best way to live, the best way to lead, the best way to do business, the best way to raise children. If you do not believe love is best, you'll never walk in it. Because when pressure comes, you'll default to force. And here is what happens when you truly believe love is best. You start making decisions differently.
When there's a conflict in your home, you don't ask, "How can I win this argument?" You ask, "How can I love in this situation?"
When there's a problem at work, you don't ask, "How can I protect myself?" You ask, "How can I serve?"
When someone wrongs you, you don't ask, "How can I get even?" You ask, "How can I forgive?"
This is what it means to believe in love.
It's not just a nice idea. It's your operating system. It's the lens through which you see everything. And when love becomes your lens, everything looks different.
Problems become opportunities to give.
Conflicts become opportunities to demonstrate grace.
Offenses become opportunities to show mercy.
Only a few folks believe in love. They believe in force. They believe in intrigue. They believe in five- sense knowledge arguments.
If in your heart you believe that the love way is best, then act it. Not only is it best, but it is your way. It is the way you are going to walk, regardless of how anyone else walks.
That's the key.
You walk in love regardless. Regardless of how your spouse treats you, regardless of how your boss treats you, regardless of how your children respond, regardless of whether it's appreciated or not, you walk in love because it's who you are.
Not because of what you'll get out of it, but because you're a love-person born of a love God, created to walk in love. A new creation of God.
Step two, you have to act on love, regrdless of how anyone else acts. This is critical.
You don't wait for other people to love you first.
You don't wait for perfect conditions.
You don't wait until you feel like it.
You just walk in love because it's who you are. I say, I Am Love,now and forever.
And when you do, you discover you're living in the love realm. Your home is in love.
And whenever you step out of love, you step into darkness and unhappiness. So you learn to stay in the love way.
You found that living in love is actually living in the highest, sweetest fellowship with the Father. It is actually living with HIM.
He has come into your body to make it His Home. Think about that. When you walk in love, you're not just obeying a commandment.
You're fellowshipping with God because God is Love. And when you're walking in love, you're walking with HIM. You're in perfect harmony with His divine nature.
You're operating in sync with His heart.
And that fellowship is the sweetest thing you'll ever experience.
Step three, you have to let love govern your thoughts. Because walking in love is not just about what you do, it is about what you think.
Ephesians 4:15 says, "Speaking truth in love may grow up in all things into HIM who is the head, even Christ."
If you're thinking bitter thoughts, harsh thoughts, critical thoughts, you're not walking in love because love thinks no evil. Love refuses to rehearse offenses. Love covers closely with silence everything that is unseemly.
Here's what that means practically. When you hear gossip, you refuse to repeat it. When someone wrongs you, you refuse to hold it against them. When you see someone's failure and you refuse to expose it because love covers, love protects.
Love believes the best. And when you walk in love, you become a safe person.
People can trust you because they know you'll never use their weaknesses against them.
Love beareth all things. The margin reads coverth all things. It covering closely. It cover over with silence.
What are they talking about? Oh, it is scandal. It is something that has happened that is unseemly. Something that if it were known would injure perhaps a lot of people, might cause a division in the assembly, might break up a family.
What do we do? We cover it closely with silence. We never mention it and the thing dies there and no one is injured. That's walking in love. You don't spread what you know. You do not expose what you've seen. You do not repeat what you've heard. You cover it. Not operation with five-senses knowledge..
You protect people. You guard their reputation even when they do not deserve it. Because that is what love does.
Step four, you have to walk in love continuously. Not just when it's convenient. Not just when people are watching, but as a lifestyle.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 becomes your daily standard. You suffer long and are kind. You don't envy.
You're not puffed up. You don't behave unseemly. You don't seek your own.
You're not easily provoked. You think no evil. You don't rejoice in iniquity. You rejoice in truth. You bear all things.
You believe all things. You hope all things. You endure all things. And when you live like this, people know you're different because this kind of love is 19:41 supernatural. It's not human. It's divine. I am. It's the very nature of God flowing through you.
Now, let me show you what happens when love takes over.
First, it destroys suspicion. Jesus never had suspicion. Even though he was surrounded by godless men, even though one of his disciples was a traitor, Jesus never operated in suspicion. Why? Because He was love. And love destroys suspicion. Love trusts.
Love believes. Love gives people the benefit of the doubt. And you know what's amazing?
When you stop operating in suspicion and when you start trusting people, when you give them the benefit of the doubt, something changes in them because people rise to the level of expectation you have for them. When you expect the worst, you get the worst. But when you expect the best, you often get the best.
Second, it destroys envy. When love governs your life, or do you celebrate other people's success? You're genuinely happy when someone else gets promoted, when someone else gets blessed, when someone else gets recognized because you're not competing. You're loving. And love doesn't seek the ascendancy over anyone.
Third, it destroys fear because there is no fear in love. When you know you're walking in love, when you know you're saying nothing, doing nothing, thinking nothing outside of love, you have nothing to fear. No matter what happens, you're clean. Your conscience is clear. You're walking in the light.
Fourth, it destroys bitterness. Because love does not take account of evil. Love does not keep a record of wrongs. Love does not rehearse offenses.
And when you walk in love, you find that bitterness has no place to attach itself because you're not holding grudges. You're not replaying conversations. You're not keeping score. You're just loving.
Fifth, it destroys criticism. When you walk in love, you see people differently. We see people's burdens in order that we may
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