Pondering love on this day of love!

[Indueseason]

A very happy Valentines day to all my brothers and sisters here at bibleforums!! Also to all the onlookers reading this!! May God's love abound in your hearts this day and everyday!

We see in scripture how important love is. In fact it is the power by which we are saved! For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will never perish, but have eternal life!!

Scripture tells us that we love because He first loved us, and that God is Love. All the love we share with each other today, has came from Him, who is the essence of love itself. Love is the evidence of God in this world, and God in His mercy allows even unbelievers to experience love, but what is it?

Well 1 Corinthians 13 shows us what it looks like.

1 Corinthians 13

¹ If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.


This is the standard our love is measured against.Love is selfless, just as Jesus was selfless.Love does without any desire for something in return. Love is pure. It is a most beautiful gift from God.The more we let God fills us, the more we will have to share with Him and others! Love as described above, is a fountain that flows straight from heaven, and with it God heals, restores, transforms, and reveals Himself. We need to continue to stand under that fountain, if we are to walk in that same love.

When it comes to God, we know that scripture tells us, that if we love Him, we will obey Him. We can't obey in our own strength, but we can when His love empowers us. When love compels us! Love is the power God has given us to overcome sin, it causes us to obey because we want to please Him more than anything else!

The greatest commandment is all about love!
Mark 12:29-31

New International Version (NIV)

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[a]30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^[b]31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

The word love gets thrown about a lot these days, to where it means so much less than it should. Look at the description of love above, how do we love God like that, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength?How can we love our neighbors like that? I believe it can be done, for God will not tell us to do something He will not equip us to do. If we stand under that fountain of love and be filled to overflowing, what will that look like? What will it change, in us who are believers? What will it say to those who are lost? How will it glorify God? Something to think about on this day of love......

blessings to you

[Watchman]

Excellent! Love is a choice...it is also a verb! Love is not dependent upon us, is not dependent upon our feelings, is totally dependent upon submissive obedience to God...because He is love. The one who does not love, does not know him; conversely, the one who loves knows Him and His love shines through for all to see.

W

[Indueseason]

We need to stay filled by His love, because loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength is not something that comes in our own strength. Neither is loving our neighbor as ourself. Only by going to the Source of love, can we ever hope to live up to the Royal law. God has made a way, if we only reach out to grasp it.

blessings to you

[IMINXTC]

Nothing says it like Chocolates ...well, sometimes

[Saved7]

Great thread Indueseason!

As I read your post I kept going back to the main thing...Love God with all that you are....and the rest falls into place. Really, for when we love God, who LOVES US, we are loving our neighbors as ourselves...and more than that, the way that God loves them. And apart from loving THROUGH Him, or better said, walking in the spirit, apart from that, we are powerless to do anything that will stand. We can do all the great works in the world, but it will not stand because it's not done through loving God who is loving us.

[Indueseason]

We need to walk in His love, we need to love each other, for Jesus said that's the only way the world will see we are His disciples. Love is the proof that we are walking with God, and it is something that will naturally happen when we spend time with God. Look at the recent troll activity here, it's plain that he is not a disciple, for he does not have love for his brother.Love,is the proof we need, and the power we need to serve Him. It must always be our driving force.Without it we can post and shout all we want, but it will not be heard.

We discuss faith, we discuss hope, but we forget about love. Yet scripture tells us that love is the greatest of all these things!

blessings to you

[Fenris]

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.- Deuteronomy 6:5

love your neighbor as yourself. -Leviticus 19:18

The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. - Leviticus 19:34 and elsewhere.

[Indueseason]

We are to love our enemies as well as our brother. We are called to love!


Matt 5:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

blessings to you

[Fenris]

Matt 5:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Judaism does not call on us to love our enemies, only to treat them fairly. I find this sufficient.

[Indueseason]

Judaism does not call on us to love our enemies, only to treat them fairly. I find this sufficient.

Yes I know, I was speaking of the Christian walk, but I appreciate you response.

blessings to you

[-SEEKING-]

Judaism does not call on us to love our enemies, only to treat them fairly. I find this sufficient.

There's always that one guy in the group.

[Fenris]

There's always that one guy in the group.

Behold! I. Am. That. Guy!

But it's ok. I can love you, because you are not my enemy.

[-SEEKING-]

Behold! I. Am. That. Guy!

Indeed. You. Are.