love2

Let us now look at some other truths about love and then we will look more closely at what love is and its characteristics.

Other truths about love:

·       John 3:16 and 1st John 3:16 express the greatest love and tell us what love is: John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. 1st John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
·       And we love because HE first loved us and if we say we love but do not love our brother we are liars! 1st John 4:19-21 19 We love, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. 21 And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.
·       Love gives all for us. While you and I were sinners, Jesus hung on the cross and died so that we could have salvation. That kind of love cannot be imitated. Satan can imitate all types of love but he cannot imitate agape love! Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God cared so much for our life that He gave the life of His Son so we could have the hope of eternal life!

What is love? Love has been defined as: “A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration (Webster's).” This is how man defines love! Let us look now at how God defines love: 1st John 4:8 8 He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. This verse tells us that God is love! And John 3:16 tells us that God defines love as an act of giving! This act of giving though is not an act of giving familiar to most of us for God gave not an object but a life.

In Romans 5:8 we read, “But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” So here we see that God also defines love as unconditional! While we were yet sinners, in other words we did not have to make changes before God would accept us or love us. God did not put a condition on His love for us.

Man's definition of love always requires conditions. God’s definition never requires conditions. He gave us a definition of love that goes like this: I God am Love! I God love you just as you are! God says that love is an unconditional act of giving!

We can only receive true love by having a relationship with Him! Love is summarized by this passage of Scripture 1st John 4:7-12: 7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 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. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

Love according to God is unconditionally giving of your self to others just as Jesus gave of Him self! “12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) This is a commandment not an option! (Continued in Part Three)

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Living Vine Ministries
Pastor Thomas Miles

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