Love
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" (NIV).
John 15:12-14 - "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command" (NIV).
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (NIV).
1 John 4:7-8- "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" (NIV).
God is all about love in our relationships. He gives love (John 3:16) and desires love (Matt. 22:37-40). In fact, God is defined by love (1 John 4:8). If love is so important to God, we need to know how to love like He loves. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (NIV). So we see that God's love is demonstrated as sacrifice. Love is choosing the highest good for another demonstrated through personal sacrifice. God did this and calls us to imitate Him.
Often the highest value in relationships taught by the world is tolerance. We are taught to tolerate everyone, and even pat ourselves on the back for learning to tolerate all the differences in people around us. Actually, God never tells us to tolerate people. He tells us to love each other. There's a big difference between toleration and love. Toleration means that you keep your opinion to yourself. You don't have to really care about someone… just don't get in their way. God's way of love means that you sacrifice for a person, because Jesus has sacrificed for you. Love does not "put up" with someone, rather "love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Cor. 13:7-8 NIV).
When we listen to the radio, we hear a lot about love. But, the love found in most songs is based on emotions or physical lust. This kind of love is constantly changing based on emotions and physical attraction. It is not stable and offers no security. This is the best that the world has to offer. God, on the other hand, has something much different for us.
You can't really love unless you know God (1 John 4:7). True love is based on God and the revelation of His love in Jesus Christ. All attempts at true love outside of knowing God fall short and end up in destruction. We see in Scripture that God's love takes action (1 John 4:9); sacrifices title, comfort and deserved affirmation (1 John 4:10); is practical (1 John 3:16-18), and; is commanded (1 John 4:21). When we obediently follow God's way of love, we become transformed by the continual filling of His love inside of us.
For More Study
Thoughts and Questions for Application
Memorization
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (NIV).
John 15:12-14 - "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command" (NIV).
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (NIV).
1 John 4:7-8- "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" (NIV).
God is all about love in our relationships. He gives love (John 3:16) and desires love (Matt. 22:37-40). In fact, God is defined by love (1 John 4:8). If love is so important to God, we need to know how to love like He loves. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (NIV). So we see that God's love is demonstrated as sacrifice. Love is choosing the highest good for another demonstrated through personal sacrifice. God did this and calls us to imitate Him.
Often the highest value in relationships taught by the world is tolerance. We are taught to tolerate everyone, and even pat ourselves on the back for learning to tolerate all the differences in people around us. Actually, God never tells us to tolerate people. He tells us to love each other. There's a big difference between toleration and love. Toleration means that you keep your opinion to yourself. You don't have to really care about someone… just don't get in their way. God's way of love means that you sacrifice for a person, because Jesus has sacrificed for you. Love does not "put up" with someone, rather "love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Cor. 13:7-8 NIV).
When we listen to the radio, we hear a lot about love. But, the love found in most songs is based on emotions or physical lust. This kind of love is constantly changing based on emotions and physical attraction. It is not stable and offers no security. This is the best that the world has to offer. God, on the other hand, has something much different for us.
You can't really love unless you know God (1 John 4:7). True love is based on God and the revelation of His love in Jesus Christ. All attempts at true love outside of knowing God fall short and end up in destruction. We see in Scripture that God's love takes action (1 John 4:9); sacrifices title, comfort and deserved affirmation (1 John 4:10); is practical (1 John 3:16-18), and; is commanded (1 John 4:21). When we obediently follow God's way of love, we become transformed by the continual filling of His love inside of us.
For More Study
- Hosea 1-3
- John 17
- 1 Corinthians 13
- 1 John 3-4
Thoughts and Questions for Application
- Are there any people that you tolerate? Have you thought that toleration was a good thing, because at least you aren't actively hating people? What is God's desire for you?
- Do you believe that it's possible to love the way God loves? He tells us to imitate Him (Eph. 5:1). If He give us this command, it must be possible. Jesus died and rose again, so that we would have the power to walk in His steps.
- How can you sacrifice for your brother or sister in the Lord? How can you sacrifice on behalf of someone who doesn't know God yet? Spend a moment to wait on God for His ideas on how you can sacrifice.
Memorization
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (NIV).
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