In studying the love of God, you must remember this: Walking in love is not just "being nice." Jesus was love manifested in the flesh, but there were times when He didn't appear to be "nice."

One time He called the people snakes. He said, "Ye generations of vipers!" (Matt. 23:33). Another time He called a Syrophenician woman a dog (Mark 7:27).

It didn't sound very sweet, but His words were effective. They got her attention and penetrated her unbelief. When He got through to her, she quit begging, looked Him straight in the face and said, "Even the dogs get the crumbs."

She let Him realize she wasn't leaving there without the deliverance of her daughter. Jesus then said, "For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter."

Love is a way of life—a life of being love-conscious instead of self-conscious. If you are not being love-conscious, you will always take the selfish route.

Being love-conscious does not come automatically; it requires training. The Word says we are to practice love. "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:12).

As we love one another, God's love is perfected in us. Now you can see why walking in love is the highest spiritual realm of existence—you are walking in God and God is walking in you.

Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and you will see the results of what walking in love can bring. A man stood in the bow of a boat and spoke to a storm at sea.

He said, "Peace, be still." The wind calmed and the waves were stilled. That man walked with God. He was in God and God was in Him. His name is Jesus!

Jesus is the supreme example of love to the world. We can follow His example because we have the Holy Spirit within us. We are not perfect, but love is.

It is up to us to set our faith and make the decision to obey the one commandment of love.

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
(1 John 3:22-23)

Notice how this is worded. If you ask most Christians the one commandment Jesus gave, they will answer, "We are to love one another."

That is true, but it is only half of the commandment. The first half is just as important as the second half. "This is his commandment, that we should (1) believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and (2) love one another, as he gave us commandment."

This is the only commandment under the New Covenant. This one fulfills all of the others. If you love me, you won't steal from me. If you love me, you won't hurt me.

You will love God with all your heart and your soul. When you walk in God's love, you will fulfill the law.

Whenever you exercise faith in the Name of Jesus, there is an opportunity to use the love of God. Faith and love run hand in hand.

If you are going to lay hands on the sick, you must do it in love because faith works by love. Ministry is the act of loving someone with God's love, not with human love.

If you attempt to love with human love, the results will not be the same. Human love has very little spiritual value. It breeds selfishness and possession. The love of God will allow you to be free; it will never oppress you.

Possessiveness and the love of God never run together. The Name of Jesus will not function in a possessive, dominating atmosphere.

Jesus said, "...If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:19-20).

The Name of Jesus works when believers are operating in agreement and harmony together. When we begin to harmonize and walk in agreement as a Body—not just as one or two, here and there in agreement—nothing shall be impossible to us!


Excerpt permission granted by
Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka:  Kenneth Copeland Ministries