Friday, June 2, 2017

"True Love Defined"

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."  John 13:34,35
If Jesus said that our love would identify us to the world and others that we are truly His disciples, then we need to know the definition of love.  (That is, not the world's definition, but the true Biblical definition.) 

Love as been defined as a warm fuzzy feeling.  It has been equated with sex.  It is used when we get emotional over a particular food or other thing that we strongly like.  But what does Jesus mean when He says the word "love"?

Love is the character and nature of Jesus.  "God is love".  When we receive Jesus as Savior He comes into our lives-- this means love comes into our lives.  We can't have Jesus apart from having love.  And we can't truly love without having Jesus.  The two-- Jesus and love-- are one. 

Love is an action verb.  That means that it is something that we do-- not just say.  Love does something.  God loved so much that He gave His only begotten Son into the world as a ransom for our sins.  Jesus loved us so much that He went to the cross and died for us.  A former pastor of mine used to say-- we are more like God when we are giving.  He wasn't talking about giving money.  He was talking about giving love.  God is a giver and He gives because of love.  

Just in case we still didn't get it right, the Holy Spirit gave us the definition of love-- the kind disciples should demonstrate-- through the Apostle Paul.  In His definition of love He tells us what it is and what it is not.

Love is longsuffering-- it endures a long time; it endures through thick and thin; it endures heartache and hardship without giving up.  Love is kind, affectionate; sweet, considerate of others.  It does not envy.  It doesn't want (covet) what someone else has.  It doesn't get angry when it sees someone else being blessed.  It doesn't resent or get mad when someone else is receiving something good.  It isn't jealous.  Love doesn't parade what it does and has.  It doesn't have to have the limelight, honor and recognition for what it does.  It doesn't get the "big head".  It isn't arrogant.  Love is not rude, but has good manners.  Love doesn't seek its own will or to get its own way.  It is always seeking good and the best for others.  It is not conceited.  It isn't self-centered.  It centers on what is the will of God and best for others instead of on itself.  Love is not easily provoked.  It doesn't think the worst of others and doesn't go around looking for the bad.  Love rejoices in truth.  It bears all things-- goes the second mile and puts up with a lot. It believes for the best.  It hopes, it is not a pessimist.  It endures all things-- it won't let anything steal it away, no matter what the difficulty.  Lastly, love never fails... it will continue on and withstand the test of time.  

So, do you posses love?  Does love posses you?  Are you acting in love or just talking about it?  Do others know you are a Christian because of your love?

Have a great day.  You are identified as a Christian by your love.   
 
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)



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