What Have You Done With His Love?
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another . . . By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples . . . .
—John 13:34–35
. . . the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost . . . .
—Romans 5:5
We have been given the commandment to love. When God commanded us to love one another, He also gave us the love to do it! If you’re born again, the love of God has been poured out in your heart. You don’t need to pray for love. You just need to develop what you already have. If you’ll feed the love in your heart on the Word and exercise it, love will grow. How do you “exercise love”? By acting as though you do love!
1 JOHN 3:14–15
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. . . .
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
If you’re saved, the love of God is in your heart. We know we’re saved because we love the brethren. Now let’s clarify something. It’s the inward man who has been born again and made a new creature in Christ. Even though God’s love is in your heart, you’re still living in your body. And it wants to continue doing the things it always did.
That’s one reason Paul said to “present your bodies a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1). It’s your body, and
you have to do something with it.
Many times we let our flesh dominate us. The Bible doesn’t say God’s love has been shed abroad in our
flesh. It’s been shed abroad in our hearts, and we have to allow love to come out in our words and actions.
Several years ago, I was conducting meetings at a particular church. On the first night, I met a young
couple who were ordained ministers. After one of the services, they invited my wife and me to dinner.
While we were eating, the wife told me that something I said bothered her.
During my message, I said, “He that hateth his brother is a murderer. And that means mother-inlaws
too. No murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”
This lady looked at me and said, “I hate my mother-in-law.”
I knew she didn’t truly hate her mother-in-law but was letting her flesh dominate her. But I said, “If
that’s the case, you’re a murderer.”
She told me about her upbringing and why what I had said couldn’t be true. I replied, “Sister, I don’t care what church you were raised in or how many churches you and your husband built. If you hate your mother-in-law, Scripture says you’re a murderer.”
I told her to look me in the eye and say, “I hate my mother-in-law.”
After she said it, I asked, “What happened down on the inside when you said that?”
“There’s something down there scratching me,” she said.
“That is the love of God trying to get your attention. You don’t really hate your mother-in-law. She did something to offend you, and you’ve been letting your flesh dominate you,” I said.
I told her to begin acting as though she loved her mother-in-law. You see, love—like faith—is revealed through corresponding words and actions.
As a Christian, you can’t say you don’t have love, because the Bible says God’s love has been shed abroad in our hearts.
Galatians 5:22 tells us that love is the fruit of the born-again human spirit.
Fruit grows and develops. The love within us develops the same way through regular feeding and exercise. Love grows in our hearts by feeding on Scripture and putting it into practice. Exercising love
develops love just like physical exercise strengthens muscles.
This lady immediately began putting the love of God into action. During the meetings, I learned that
her 3-year-old girl had been having epileptic seizures since she was two. And the doctors didn’t give the couple any hope of recovery for their daughter.
I was preaching on faith and healing, and the couple was endeavoring to exercise their faith and believe God for their daughter’s healing. One night, the mother called to tell me her daughter was having a seizure and asked me to come pray for her.
I was on my way when the Lord said, “Don’t pray for the child. Don’t anoint her with oil. Don’t lay hands on her. Tell the mother that under the Old Covenant, I told Israel to keep My statutes and commandments, do what is right in My sight, and I would take sickness away from the midst of them” (Exod. 23:25–26).
The Lord went on, “In the New Testament, I said, ‘A new commandment I give you—that you love one another.’ So keep My commandment of love. Do that which is right in My sight, which is to walk in
love. And I’ll take sickness away from the midst of you.”
The Lord told me to tell the mother to say to Satan, “I’m walking in love. Take your hands off my child.”
When I told her this, she didn’t hesitate. She pointed her finger at her child and said, “Satan, I’m walking in love!'
Take your hands off my child.” As fast as you can snap your fingers, the seizure stopped. Her daughter never had another seizure.
Folks hear that story and rejoice! But they fail to realize that walking in love will cause their own faith to work wonders. The only way you can sin is by getting out of love. When you are out of love, you’re in a dangerous position. Satan can attack you because you’re on his territory. If you get out of love, get back in as fast as you can!
There’s a penalty for not walking in God’s love. It doesn’t matter how much faith you have. When you don’t walk in love, your prayers are hindered (Gal. 5:6;1 Peter 3:7).
“But I can’t do it.”
Yes, you can. You just don’t want to. If you can’t, then God’s a liar. He said you could love others because His love has been shed abroad in your heart.
The love of God is there. But you have to act it out. Your fl esh doesn’t want to, but that’s why we have to keep the body under and bring it into subjection (1 Cor. 9:27).
In the parable Jesus told about talents, the man given one talent wrapped it up in a napkin and hid it. I’m fearful that’s what we’ve done with love. We’ve hidden it. It’s time to uncover God’s love in our hearts, put our flesh under, and obey God’s commandment to love.
God has given you His love so that you can love others as He’s loved you. What are you doing with His love?
[Editor’s Note: Brother Hagin taught this message at Campmeeting 2003, two months before he went home to be with the Lord.]
Love in Action
James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. . . .”
According to this verse, the person who hears the Word and does not do it has deceived himself.
Do not deceive yourself by reading Scripture and ignoring what you have just read. Purpose in your heart to be a doer of the Word today, tomorrow, and the next day.
1. Read the Bible every day.
2. Find Scriptures on love, and write them down.
3. Read or meditate on those verses constantly.
4. Act on what you have read by doing what the Word says to do.
Before you know it, walking in love will become your lifestyle. When you act on the Word and walk in love, you’ll find that Satan will flee. He’ll take his hand off you, your loved ones, and your affairs.
And the blessings of God will flow richly in your life.