We are continuing to look at personal holiness. We have already seen that we are to live to bring glory to God, put away all sin, live with the knowledge of the link between eternity and the present, and have personal discipline. Today, we consider the next category: the practice of walking in love. It is called the practice of walking in love because you will never this side of heaven be perfect in experience, so you will need to practice. 1 John 2:6 says: "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." This is an exhortation to walk in love as Jesus walked in love.
One of Jonathan Edwards resolutions on the practice of walking in love involved revenge. He stated: "Never to do anything out of revenge." This can go deeper than just not striking back. Consider how you might feel if someone wronged you and subsequent thereto, something bad happened to them. Would you have a sense of satisfaction that they got what was coming to them? Was there a secret feeling of superiority, that God has done this to them because of you? These are all parts of acting out of a revenge motive. The "love" response to wrongdoing is to forgive and desire no harm for the one who has harmed you.
Today, consider your motives. It will take the grace of God to keep you from revenge. Practice walking as Jesus walked, in love. Again, in your own power this is impossible. But aren't you glad that with God, nothing is impossible?
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