There is no love that can
compare to the love of God who sent His only Son
to die for a people that deserve only death.
"For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:16
But God demonstrates His
own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us.
Romans 5:8
God talks a
lot about love and He has told us that love is a very powerful force.
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is
love. 1 Corinthians
13:13
What is
love and how important is it in God's sight? God's word says this...
1If
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I
have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If
I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge;
and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have
love, I am nothing. 3And
if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my
body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me
nothing.
1 Corinthians
13:1-3
SO WHAT
IS THIS FORCE
CALLED LOVE?
4Love
is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is
not arrogant, 5does
not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does
not take into account a wrong suffered, 6does
not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7bears
all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians
13:4-7
Therefore
we should not take it lightly when He tells us to love. Whether it
be to love Him with all our heart or to love one another.
Love your
God.
"You
shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your might." Deuteronomy
6:5
And he answered,
"YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL
YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR
NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
Luke
10:27
Love your
neighbor -
If,
however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture,
"YOU SHALL
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,"
you are doing well.
James
2:8
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU
SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
Galatians
5:14
16This
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. 17If
anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no
pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear
children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in
truth. 19This then is how we know that we
belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever
our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows
everything. 1
John 3:16-20
Love your
enemy - God wants us to hold ourselves to a higher standard than that of
the world. All of us are creations of God and He wants us to treat
each other accordingly. When we treat someone with an unloving heart
we are telling God that His creation is not worthy of loving.
"If
you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even
sinners love those who love them. "If you do good to those
who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the
same. "If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive,
what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to
receive back the same amount.
Luke 6:32-34
"Give
to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to
borrow from you. Matthew
5:42
"For
if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the
tax collectors do the same? Matthew
5:46
Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away;
if there
are tongues, they will cease; if there is
knowledge, it will be done away. 1
Corinthians 13:8
