love and forgiveness

[faith2love]

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.
- Colossians 3:12-15, New International Version

How much do we really know about love? We've talked about it. We're familiar with all the scriptures about it. And we've heard so many sermons about it that, if we're not watchful, we'll just let them flow in one ear and out the other. But in spite of all that, most of us don't know the first thing about the real power of love. For instance, researchers have found that hostility and the stress it causes are physically damaging, but walking in love is good for your health. And the benefits don't end there. Agape love, God's love, is a new kind of power. It makes you the master of every situation. As long as you walk in love, you cannot be hurt and you cannot fail. No weapon that is formed against you will prosper. No one even has the power to hurt your feelings, because you are not ruled by feelings but by God's love. You are loving as He loves. E. W. Kenyon accurately tagged this agape love "a new kind of selfishness." You no longer seek your own success, yet your success is guaranteed! This love is revolutionary. If we fully understood the great return from living in God's love, we'd probably be competing with each other, each of us trying to love the other more. And without a doubt, everyone would emerge from that competition a winner! Think about that. When you're yielding to love, you'll be enjoying the best God has to offer. Love. Joy. Peace. The whole world is chasing after those things. People are trying to reach out and get them through drugs and alcohol and immorality. But they can't. The things that are against God only draw you further from a life of peace and well-being. The only way to achieve that kind of life is to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior...and learn to yield to the love of God placed inside of you. It's really rather simple. You can live in hostility and be stressed out...or you can walk in love...and have supernatural peace.

 

[A Blessed Man]

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.
- Colossians 3:12-15, New International Version

How much do we really know about love? We've talked about it. We're familiar with all the scriptures about it. And we've heard so many sermons about it that, if we're not watchful, we'll just let them flow in one ear and out the other. But in spite of all that, most of us don't know the first thing about the real power of love. For instance, researchers have found that hostility and the stress it causes are physically damaging, but walking in love is good for your health. And the benefits don't end there. Agape love, God's love, is a new kind of power. It makes you the master of every situation. As long as you walk in love, you cannot be hurt and you cannot fail. No weapon that is formed against you will prosper. No one even has the power to hurt your feelings, because you are not ruled by feelings but by God's love. You are loving as He loves. E. W. Kenyon accurately tagged this agape love "a new kind of selfishness." You no longer seek your own success, yet your success is guaranteed! This love is revolutionary. If we fully understood the great return from living in God's love, we'd probably be competing with each other, each of us trying to love the other more. And without a doubt, everyone would emerge from that competition a winner! Think about that. When you're yielding to love, you'll be enjoying the best God has to offer. Love. Joy. Peace. The whole world is chasing after those things. People are trying to reach out and get them through drugs and alcohol and immorality. But they can't. The things that are against God only draw you further from a life of peace and well-being. The only way to achieve that kind of life is to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior...and learn to yield to the love of God placed inside of you. It's really rather simple. You can live in hostility and be stressed out...or you can walk in love...and have supernatural peace.

So true. What you say here is right on target. Even....

Mark 11:25-26 (NKJV)
25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
​

So we know that love and forgiveness is crucial.

But...how do we deal with what I will call "a certain kind of love" that comes out in certain Christians, perhaps even you and I at times. We all know that those who are not saved will face eternal damnation. Can we both agree that Mormonism is a cult? So when I talk with a Mormon friend about his belief and try to get him to understand the Truth of scripture, and he gets stressed, then am I walking in love? I don't want my friend dying unsaved!

Some take this to extremes and do not even consider what the recipients response is: they assume it is love if THEY THINK they are preaching the truth to overcome the other guys [presumed] heretical thoughts? Is that love? What do you think?

 

[faith2love]

So true. What you say here is right on target. Even....

Mark 11:25-26 (NKJV)
25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
​

So we know that love and forgiveness is crucial.

But...how do we deal with what I will call "a certain kind of love" that comes out in certain Christians, perhaps even you and I at times. We all know that those who are not saved will face eternal damnation. Can we both agree that Mormonism is a cult? So when I talk with a Mormon friend about his belief and try to get him to understand the Truth of scripture, and he gets stressed, then am I walking in love? I don't want my friend dying unsaved!

Some take this to extremes and do not even consider what the recipients response is: they assume it is love if THEY THINK they are preaching the truth to overcome the other guys [presumed] heretical thoughts? Is that love? What do you think?

when we look at Love in its essance it meens, to benifit others at the expence of self, just like we see the Father doing in John 3:16, For God so love'd the World that He gave His one and only Son, so the whoever believe's Him shall not perish but have everlasting Life. God benifitted us at His own expence, this is the Love the Father is looking for the kind that has no need to look in His Brothers eye and tell Him what He is doing is wrong, but show's Him the Right way to go if He ask's. Remember Jesus said " No man can come to Me, Except My Father First draw's Him." John 6:44, and John 6:65 say's the same. to help just look at Jesus and the way He conducts His life in regaurds to Love. Faith, Love and peace is All you need, Jesus has done All the hard work.

 

[palms25]

Wow it is so refreshing to hear christians talk of love. It is so nice to hear of our wanting to be the grandest version of what we are. For that is love.
when we really udnerstand the enormity of the statement that "GOd is love" then in our endevours to be more Godly become more clear. understand that all love is uncondtional. when we start putting conditions on our love then we have moved away from love.
GOd loves us all unconditionally. This may be a new understanding of God for many. THis may be a new understanding of love but it is the understanding that will bring us to a healed tomorrow.
thanks again and God bless