GodReflection: Six Jesus Markers To Be More Like Him.
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us (1 John 4:7-12).
Like Grace, Faith, and Trust, Love is another of God’s words that stand in as a synonym for the 
message of our Bible. Thomas Olbricht, my Abilene Christian University Bible Professor, understood He Loves Forever as God’s summation of Love in The Old Testament.
Throughout The Old Covenant, Love was a standard the Israelites could hold up as a marker to see God. Like those of today, few drove that marker into their lives.
With the arrival of Jesus on planet earth, God’s Son walked daily among humankind to live out Love As A Marker of Our Jesus-Likeness.
The Apostle John sums up his, Matthew’s, Mark’s, and Luke’s, Gospels in the verse we all know by heart, God so LOVED the world that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Jesus instructs his apostles, just prior to his death, (and us) how we are to make Love As A Marker Of Our Jesus-Likeness. Listen to his words, So now I am giving you a new 
commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John13:34-35).
Wow! What a high standard to love others as God loves me.
Paul, the late arrival of the apostles, in his eloquent language inspired by the Holy Spirit writes a resume of what he taught in his 13 letters included in our New Testament:
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love (1Corinthians 13: 4-7 & 13).
He too believes with all his heart, soul, and mind, Love Is A Marker Of Our Jesus-Likeness.
Peter, the fisherman, the one who in his early years always spoke and acted before he thought, grew in wisdom and finally into the likeness of Jesus, affirms throughout his writings sentiments and statements like the one found in 1 Peter 4:8, Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love makes up for many of your faults.
For the now wise Peter, Love Is A Marker Of Our Jesus-Likeness.
And last but not least, James, Jesus own unbelieving sibling, who after the resurrection is convinced Jesus—his brother—is the Son of God, declares Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord’s command, “You must love and help your neighbors just as much as you love and take care of yourself” (James 2:8).
For James who before knew Jesus first as a family member, was skeptical of his claim as Mesiah, then when Jesus returned from the dead, James becomes a stout and ardent believer and with Peter leads the Jerusalem church.
So strong was his belief he couldn’t stop taking with his ascended brother. Early Christians nicknamed him ‘Old Camel Knees’ so often they found him praying. He now sees his brother in a new light– the Light of Love. He too believed Love Is A Marker Of Our Jesus-Likeness.
As I bring this series of posts to a close, I would encourage you the review again these Six Jesus Markers To Be More Like Him. Our Baptism, His Supper, Prayer, Scripture, Holiness, and Love.
How are we doing? Are we starting to look like Jesus to him, to those we live with, and to those we encounter?
Gary J. Sorrells
A GodReflection: Love—A Marker Of Our Jesus Likeness.
God Reflection 