Love is a word that is often voiced, often heard, but hardly understood. So many people talk about love but, within minutes, demonstrate that their definition is not what they really mean, or if it is, they do not believe what they say.
Often, I ask what is love?
Theologians will tell you that love is an action. Love is not a feeling. It is an act of the will.
Reading the Bible, one has to agree that love is an act of the will demonstrated by action.
Jesus said that we will know His disciples by their love for one another. Now this is a fascinating statement. If only it were true. For I am still looking for those disciples. To date, I haven’t found any who qualify yet. I’ve met numerous people who say they are disciples of Jesus Christ, but love is not something that I find among them. At least, not the love that never ends. For the Bible says that love never ends.
- A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
- Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. (1 Corinthians 13:8)
Love is a commandment; therefore, it is an act of the will. Love is something that we choose to do. Knowledge apparently will end, but not love. Maybe this is because God is love and humans do not possess the completeness of mature love, even though they have the knowledge of what is required by love.
- He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8)
The Epistle of First John is problematic because the Apostle speaks of a lifestyle expected of people calling themselves disciples of Christ or Christians that appears non existent.
For love to be manifest, from what I can gather, two individuals are required, at a minimum. The two individuals would have to express a desire to keep God’s commandment to love each other and actually never fail in doing so, if they are to demonstrate true love. For love never ends.
From what is clearly obvious from the daily news reports, the interactions that occur on the streets, in the shops, in the office, in the factory and at the work site, love is definitely not something that humans actually enjoy, even if they possess knowledge of its existence.
- In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
We are told that the love of God was expressed through Lord Jesus Christ, when He sacrificed His human life for us. Evidently, humans loving God was not part of the equation. After all, we are informed that Jesus died for the ungodly and sinners.
- While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)
As for being ungodly and a sinner, I qualify on both accounts. Amazingly, the God of Creation has chosen to love a scumbag like myself. I know many like to think they are a cut above people like myself, but when I looked in the mirror, I somehow realized my life was futile, if being born to die is all there is, and we have to experience suffering in between. Introspection caused me to realize that I had no love. I possessed the knowledge of love's existence, but not the power to enjoy it every second of the day.
One has to admit that the book of Romans does seem science fiction. Yet, I know it contains truth when speaking about suffering endured creating character in a person. The part that puzzles me is the love bit.
- More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)
People tell me that Pentecostals are more loving than Evangelicals, and Calvinists are really lost in space, because they reject the truth of the God’s word, and are not willing to acknowledge that Jesus died for the salvation of the ungodly.
Then there are those people who say that they believe in God but do not go to church because of the hypocrisy and show acts of kindness and expressions of affection and goodness, that religionists lack—except, maybe, superficially, for those with dog collars giving sweets to little children.
God’s love being poured into the hearts of men when they receive the Holy Spirit seems unbelievable. Yet, I know this has to be true. I have felt it myself, not just thought that it could be possible. Actually, since I met Lord Jesus Christ, I have had this feeling within that is the joy of salvation which never departs, but this is not love.
Nevertheless, I think of God and Lord Jesus frequently throughout the day. Something, I suppose, I would do if I had love for someone. Come to think of it, thinking of a person all day was something I did do--when a teen at school caught up in a thing called puppy-love.
Lord Jesus is my best friend. I know He loves me. Not because there is a verse in the Bible (Proverbs 17:17) that says a friend loves at all times. But because I actually sense His love for me. To be honest, I think I understand what the Apostle meant when he said that we love God because He first loved us.
Once a person feels the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit and the affection that God has for us, apart from being addictive, in that having experienced this, one does not want to be without it, we must ask, Would it not only be bad form and selfish, but also abhorrently vulgar, to dismiss, as unworthy, such love, and reject the Eternal's desire for a relationship with oneself outright?
- {God} desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)
Love is a desire that requires an active response by the another individual. If God has expressed His love towards me and I respond, then for this to be an enduring relationship, I would have to ensure my part is genuine.
Authentic love is a two-way street. Since I am coming from a realm where love is unknown, I need God’s love to draw me and support me; even to uphold me, as I cross the chasm between the two worlds: one governed by death and one that only knows life—which has to be eternal, or it is not life after all.
Even as God has forgiven myself, likewise, if I am really genuine, I should be able to forgive those who do not measure up to the commandment of Lord Jesus to love one another and demonstrate true discipleship.
Why? Because I know that I have fallen short, even when I have tried to love as God loves.
The truth is I can choose to forgive or I can choose to hold a grudge. Choosing to forgive those who have harmed is the way of love. Although love that is not righteous is a foolishness variety indeed; not a case of being wise at all. Still, when one is in love, what appears to be infatuation, is a conspicuous feature of its manifestation.
The truth is I can choose to forgive or I can choose to hold a grudge. Choosing to forgive those who have harmed is the way of love. Although love that is not righteous is a foolishness variety indeed; not a case of being wise at all. Still, when one is in love, what appears to be infatuation, is a conspicuous feature of its manifestation.
Loving God is evidenced in people who hate evil and desire righteousness, which means for me, that I truly need to intensify my desire for the Holy One, if I truly want to walk with Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment