Street Level Love

As Christians, we are called to love in a manner that folks (spouse, kids, extended family, enemies, neighbors, fellow workers, quirky people, unpopular people, etc.) see, feel and experience in a real, practical, street level way.  His love is not a doctrine, it is a lifestyle of allowing his Holy Spirit to live out the love of Jesus in and through us.  2 Corinthians 2 gives us a potent metaphor, “¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”

What does Christ love look like at street level?  (self-examine yourself with 1 being poor at it and 5 being really good)

1. We accept one another as Christ accepted us. Romans 15:7, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”  Always note who Christ hung out with while He lived on earth…prostitutes, criminals, the sick, the destitute, non-religious, foreigners, etc.  Why did they flock to Jesus?  They were accepted and loved by Him like no one has ever before.  (    )
2. We love unconditionally. Our attitude is not of condemnation or judgement.  We don’t put “if’s” or “because of’s” in our love.  1 Corinthians 13 ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  (    )
3. We forgive totally. This can only achieved by Christ in us.  Here is what His word says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will cleanse and forgive us from all our sins” (1 John 1:9).  (    )
4. We values others above ourselves. Philippians 2 declares, “³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (    )
5. Our love is tangible and unvarnished. 1 John 3:15-17 nails this, ¹⁷ But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.  (    )
6. We love sacrificially. 1 John 3 ¹⁶ By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. (    )
7. We love when it is inconvenient. Learn to love when it is not on your calendar.  You cannot schedule love.  I am reminded of the love revealed in Luke 10:29-37 of the Samaritan man on the Jericho Road when he stopped his day to minister to a Jew who had been badly beaten, robbed and stripped of all his clothes.  He was most likely on a business trip…definitely inconvenient.  (    )

The first century church literally changed the world by their street level love.  Acts 17:6 rocks, “⁶ These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.”  Isn’t this an amazing proclamation?!  This statement came from Thessalonica, a Greek city located 1570 miles from Jerusalem.  Street Level Love can change our world.