love
ləv/
noun
- 1.an intense feeling of deep affection."babies fill parents with intense feelings of love"
synonyms: deep affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy, attachment,endearment; More
verb
- 1.feel a deep romantic attachment to (someone).
Today is Valentine's Day. The day dedicated to love. The definitions above are what my computer told me love is. Here is what my Bible tells me love is:
"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." 1 John 3:16
I find it so interesting that this verse, 1 John 3:16, is also referring to the intense love of Christ as does the well-known verse, John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." That's our God of divine order and plan for ya.
This 1 John verse works right into the next verse of thanks that I've been looking at for weeks.
"If you do good to those who are good to you, what thanks do you deserve? Even 'sinners' do that." Luke 6:33 ISV
Continuing on in pursuit of understanding the Golden Rule as defined by the Bible and by Christ's standards, we are to do good to our neighbor. Laying down our lives for our brothers - our neighbors - would be the highest level of doing good in my book.
Faith expressing itself through love, by doing good, keeps us right with God. Expressing love (God's love) through acts of kindness is putting the "walk with the talk".
"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:6b
"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:13-14
By doing good to those that you don't really want to share your efforts with, the lesser, the 'sinner', the unlovely, the outcast... well, that's being a true Christian. That's living and loving like Christ.
"He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:2-5
In my Bible Study Fellowship lesson on Matthew 18 this week we learned that a little child isn't limited to the literal meaning, but to anyone that is thought of as lesser, weaker, more humble, vulnerable, or in need. And the former: "become like little children", is to be humble, quick to forgive, and have a deep desire to obey God and to serve God.
We can very well serve God by doing good. There is a song by Jason Gray that tells of this concept of loving so wonderfully. It's called "With Every Act of Love" and there's a line in it that says, "God made a million million doors for His love to walk through. One of those doors is YOU!" - copy and paste this link into your browser to see the YouTube video - it's a great song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4bB7BUxBbY
So we learn that the ultimate love is to lay down your life for others, as Christ did for us. As we work out our faith toward this ultimate level we love by serving others - or doing good as our Luke verse tells us to do. This doing good allows Christ's love to shine through your open door. In obedience, your service will bring praise or thanks to God, and that, my friends, is true love.
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10
So we learn that the ultimate love is to lay down your life for others, as Christ did for us. As we work out our faith toward this ultimate level we love by serving others - or doing good as our Luke verse tells us to do. This doing good allows Christ's love to shine through your open door. In obedience, your service will bring praise or thanks to God, and that, my friends, is true love.
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10
Happy Valentine's Day!
"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b
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