Seek Ye First The Kingdom of Love
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I have noticed something strange in the twenty-first-century church; somehow, we have managed to substitute the biblical definition of love with our carnal definition of love. We have unknowingly replaced loving God first with loving human beings first. The greatest of all commandments doesn’t start with loving your neighbor first; it starts with loving God first and then loving your neighbor second (see Luke 10:27). Without loving God first, we can’t love our neighbor. To put our neighbor first and God second is idolatry. For example, there are some who give their tithes and offerings to the poor and somehow believe that is better than obeying God’s Word to give it to the body of Christ. That is not love; it is pride in disguise. The God who instructed us to give tithes and offering is the same God who instructed us to give to the poor. There is a place and time for everything. Disobeying God’s Word and instruction to love others is not love but pride in disguise. You can’t reject God to love others and think it will work. If God is not in the equation, it is not love; it is pride. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed and said, “If it is your will let this cup pass, nevertheless not my will but your will be done” (see Mathew 26:39). Jesus loves the world, yet it got to the point where he didn’t want to die again because of the suffering that would come with it. At that point, it was only the love for the father and the willingness to please Him that got Him through to the finish line. We were saved because Jesus prioritized the love of the Father over His love for man. Jesus demonstrated that you love God first, and you love your neighbor second. True love is for the mature in the spirit because true love is difficult to demonstrate. Your strength will fail you when you attempt to love without the Spirit of God. Love God first, and you can love everyone. Love is not abstract; nor is it something that is formless. Love is a person, and His name is Jesus Christ. So the only way to know and demonstrate love is to accept Jesus Christ into your heart. Love is of the heart, and that is why Jesus is interested in your heart. Until Jesus comes into your heart, love is impossible, because Jesus Christ is love. The love of God was understood in the face of Jesus Christ. In Him (Jesus Christ) dwells the fullness of love bodily. Therefore, the invisible nature of God was made manifest through the life, teaching, and death of Jesus Christ so that through Him we can fully understand who God is and how He functions.
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About the Book
One of the defining features of the 21st century is the unprecedented proliferation of information, yet this era has also produced growing numbers of people, especially young adults, who feel disenfranchised, confused, and uncertain about the meaning of life. This confusion has led many to question traditional values and to redefine terms, including love. For some, love is merely being good, assuming they know what “good” means, while for others it is reduced to feelings like butterflies in the stomach. Even some church leaders have reinterpreted love through religious texts, sometimes introducing worldly perspectives by emphasizing loving one’s neighbour before loving God. In Seek Ye First the Kingdom of Love, the author explores the true meaning of love through the lens of Scripture, demonstrating why any attempt to define love without God, the source of love, and placing Him first is ultimately fruitless. Love is not a human idea and cannot function by human principles.
About the Author
Fred Ofori Otsiwah is a Christian writer, teacher, and researcher passionate about biblical truth and spiritual formation. Through years of study, ministry, and reflection, he has become convinced that love must be understood through Scripture rather than cultural sentiment. He is the President and Founder of Otsiwah Research Consult, an organisation devoted to developing the human spirit, grounded in the belief that the human resource is the greatest resource. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and History from the University of Cape Coast, a Master of Philosophy in History from the University of Ghana, Legon, and a Master of Science in Psychology from Teesside University. Seek Ye First the Kingdom of Love was written to challenge modern assumptions about love and to call readers back to God as its true source. Fred Ofori Otsiwah continues to write and speak on faith, purpose, and Christian living.