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Our presentation of God to others will influence their understanding of Him. Unfortunately, it is too easy for Christians to misrepresent God both accidentally and intentionally according to the world’s designs and definitions. 

Observations: 

1. The message of the gospel defines love as “Christian”
2. The presence of Christian-love is determined by:
   A. Source
   B. Heritage
   C. Knowledge
   D. Identification
   E. Spirit-Fellowship
   F. Dependence
3. Characteristics of Christian-love:
   A. Selfless
   B. Unsolicited
   C. Sacrificial
4. The practice of Christian-love is the fruit of God’s work in our lives and the evidence of our participation in eternal life

Conclusions: 

• Christian-love is the evidence of eternal life and provides you with confidence & no fear of judgment
• If you won’t love your brother or sister in Christ, you do not have eternal life, and you will be judged in death

Application: What to do if I don’t love those in the church? 

1. Believe the message of the gospel
2. Go back to the source of love

Philippians 2:1-8

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”

Romans 5:6-8

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

2 Corinthians 8:8-9

“I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”