THE SEED
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” 1 John 4:10
When you think about it, it makes sense that love is the first of the virtues listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as “the fruit of the Spirit.” The spiritual qualities that follow are further elaborations on the primary fruit of love. It’s no wonder that 1 Corinthians 13, which details the attributes of love, has much in common with the description of the fruit of the Spirit. When we read there that love is patient, kind, and rejoices with the truth (see 1 Corinthians 13:4, 6) we see how the virtues of patience, kindness, and joy are expressions of love in action. Love is a word used in many different contexts and is easily misunderstood. Our basic problem as sinful people has to do with love. You might say we all have a terrible love life: we love the wrong things for the wrong reasons and in the wrong ways. Even our love for good things can often go wrong. The only cure for our lovesick hearts is the pure love of God. That’s the love God has shown us in Jesus, his Son. God’s love for a fallen world is a love so powerful that it enables us to love God, others, and even ourselves rightly. It’s God’s love that is the foundation for our love, just as a branch’s capacity to bear fruit depends entirely on the vine. Only God’s love for people will make us loving people.
BIBLE READING: 1 JOHN 4:7-12
PRAYER: Thank you, Father, for sending Jesus into the world. May your great love continue to change our hearts so that we will love others as you have loved us. Amen.
ÌFẸ
IRUGBIN NAA
“Nínú èyí ní ìfẹ wà, ki í ṣe pé àwa fẹ Ọlọrun, ṣugbọn Òun fẹ wa, O sí rán ọmọ Rẹ láti jẹ ètùtù fún ẹ̀ṣẹ̀ wa.” 1 John 5:10
Nígbà tí o bá ronú jinlẹ̀, ó ba ọ̀gbọ́n mu pé ìfẹ́ jẹ́ ipá àwọn ìwà rere tó wà nínú Gálátíà 5:22-23 . bi “eso akọkọ ti Ẹmí.” Awọn amuyẹ ti ẹmi ti o tẹle ifẹ soke, ni a ṣe àlàyé wọn siwaju síi lori eso akọkọ ti nṣe ifẹ, Ko jẹ iyalẹnu pe (1 Korinti 13), eyiti o ṣe alaye awọn abuda ti ifẹ, ni irẹpọ púpọ pẹlu apejuwe awọn eso ti Ẹmi. Nígbà tí a kà níbẹ̀ pé ìfẹ́ máa ń mú sùúrù, onínúure, ó sì máa ń yọ̀ pẹ̀lú òtítọ́ (wo 1 Kọ́ríńtì 13:4, 6 ) A máa ń rí i bí ìwà rere ti sùúrù, inú rere, àti ayọ̀ ṣe jẹ́ ìfihàn ìfẹ́ nínú ìṣe. Ìfẹ́ jẹ́ ọ̀rọ̀ tí a ń lò ní ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ọ̀nà àrà ọ̀tọ̀, tí ó sì rọrùn láti tún jẹ́ a lai lóye nipa rẹ. Ipilẹ ìṣòro ti a ní gẹgẹ bi awọn eniyan ẹlẹsẹ, ni, lati ṣe pẹlu ifẹ. O le sọ pe gbogbo wa ni o ní igbesi aye ifẹ ti o buru jọjọ: a máà nifẹ awọn ohun ti ko tọ, fun awọn idi ti ko tọ, ati ni awọn ọna ti ko tọ. Paapaa ifẹ wa fún ohun ti o dara le pada já sí ohun tí o ṣe lòdì. Oogun kanṣoṣo fun ifẹ awọn ọkan ti o nṣe aisan ni ifẹ ti Ọlọrun ti kò ní abawọn. Eyi ni ìfẹ́ tí Ọlọ́run fi hàn wá nínú Jésù, ọmọ rẹ̀. Ìfẹ́ Ọlọ́run fún ayé tí ó ti ṣubú jẹ́ ìfẹ́ tó lágbára tó bẹ́ẹ̀, tí ó fi jẹ́ kí a ní ifẹ̀ Ọlọ́run, àwọn ẹlòmíràn, àti àwa fúnra wa pàápàá lọ́nà títọ́. Ìfẹ́ Ọlọ́run ni ìpìlẹ̀ fún ìfẹ́ wa, gẹ́gẹ́ bí agbára ẹ̀ka láti so èso ṣe sinmi lé igi àjàrà pátápátá. Ìfẹ Ọlọrun nikan fun eniyan, yoo jẹ ki a nifẹ eniyan.
BIBELI KIKA: 1 Jòhánù 4:7-12
ADURA: A dupẹ, Baba, fún riran Jesu si aye.Jekí ìfẹ́ ńlá Rẹ máa yí ọkàn wa padà kí a lè fẹ́ràn àwọn ẹlòmíràn gẹ́gẹ́ bí o ti fẹ́ràn wa. Amin