Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,067
“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:19-21 ESV)
The love being spoken of here is not human love based in our emotions. It is agape love, which is of God, and which prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, righteous, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to the Lord and to his New Covenant (NC) commandments. It is unselfish love which considers the true needs of others. And for the Christian it is a love which prefers to live through Christ and to obey his will.
So, when we love other people with this kind of love, we will consider them and their needs above their acceptance and approval of us. We will want what is best for them, and so we are not going to deliberately nor habitually do them harm, i.e. sin against them. So we are also not going to deliberately withhold from them the truth that they need to hear just so that they don’t get angry with us, and so they will like us, instead. For that’s selfish.
So the love that we are to have for one another is not of our human flesh. It is not selfish in nature. But it prefers what God prefers, and it loves others as Jesus loved us and gave himself up for us on that cross so that we can be free from addiction to sin and now serve him in walks of obedience to him. So if I love you, I am not going to lie to you just to make you feel good. I am going to share with you the truth of the gospel for your edification.
For if I know the truth of God’s word, and if I believe that you are believing the lies, and not the truth, and if I am able to share with you the truth, as opposed to the lies, then because I love you, and I care about you, I will speak the truth in love to you, and not the lies which make you feel good. And yet some people might regard that as hate, or certainly as being insensitive to other’s feelings, or as being a “know it all” or such as that.
But that is from a worldly perspective, and we are not to be worldly minded, but we are to be heavenly minded with the minds of Christ. And we are to live in the manner in which the Scriptures teach us that we are to live as followers of Christ. And that means death to sin and walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. And it means surrender of our lives to do God’s will, even if it means being hated and/or rejected by other humans.
Now “hate,” in this context, is the opposite of this agape love. So if we hate others, and we don’t love them, then we are not going to do what is for them, for their good. We won’t even be thinking of their needs or of how we can show them love. But let me add here that there are people who hate others who will superficially do what might be regarded as loving and kind, but they may be doing it for selfish motives, for not everyone is honest.
But God knows what is in our hearts. He knows our motives. He knows whether our actions stem from selfish motives or from genuine agape love. And it is a good practice for us to examine our own motives, from time to time, and to ask ourselves why we do what we do. But if we are those who deliberately and habitually sin against others, it will be hard to prove right motives for any acts of kindness towards those we are sinning against.
So, don’t be a hypocrite! Be who you are all the time. Don’t be two-faced. Love others sincerely, and in truth, with the kindness and compassion of God, and with his love and concern for the people of the world that they might know him intimately, and that they might deny self, die to sin daily, and walk in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit, in his power. For that is their only path to salvation from sin and to eternal life with God, by faith.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
And don’t be cruel to other humans. Don’t mistreat others, especially those who are different from you and that do you no harm. Don’t get even with those who mistreat you, either. Forgive. Keep loving. Keep doing for others what is for their good. Keep speaking the truth in love, but not in hate. Don’t be selfish. Don’t be more concerned about how other people are going to view you than you care about their salvation and eternal life with God.
In Harmony
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17
Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
The love being spoken of here is not human love based in our emotions. It is agape love, which is of God, and which prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, righteous, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to the Lord and to his New Covenant (NC) commandments. It is unselfish love which considers the true needs of others. And for the Christian it is a love which prefers to live through Christ and to obey his will.
So, when we love other people with this kind of love, we will consider them and their needs above their acceptance and approval of us. We will want what is best for them, and so we are not going to deliberately nor habitually do them harm, i.e. sin against them. So we are also not going to deliberately withhold from them the truth that they need to hear just so that they don’t get angry with us, and so they will like us, instead. For that’s selfish.
So the love that we are to have for one another is not of our human flesh. It is not selfish in nature. But it prefers what God prefers, and it loves others as Jesus loved us and gave himself up for us on that cross so that we can be free from addiction to sin and now serve him in walks of obedience to him. So if I love you, I am not going to lie to you just to make you feel good. I am going to share with you the truth of the gospel for your edification.
For if I know the truth of God’s word, and if I believe that you are believing the lies, and not the truth, and if I am able to share with you the truth, as opposed to the lies, then because I love you, and I care about you, I will speak the truth in love to you, and not the lies which make you feel good. And yet some people might regard that as hate, or certainly as being insensitive to other’s feelings, or as being a “know it all” or such as that.
But that is from a worldly perspective, and we are not to be worldly minded, but we are to be heavenly minded with the minds of Christ. And we are to live in the manner in which the Scriptures teach us that we are to live as followers of Christ. And that means death to sin and walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. And it means surrender of our lives to do God’s will, even if it means being hated and/or rejected by other humans.
Now “hate,” in this context, is the opposite of this agape love. So if we hate others, and we don’t love them, then we are not going to do what is for them, for their good. We won’t even be thinking of their needs or of how we can show them love. But let me add here that there are people who hate others who will superficially do what might be regarded as loving and kind, but they may be doing it for selfish motives, for not everyone is honest.
But God knows what is in our hearts. He knows our motives. He knows whether our actions stem from selfish motives or from genuine agape love. And it is a good practice for us to examine our own motives, from time to time, and to ask ourselves why we do what we do. But if we are those who deliberately and habitually sin against others, it will be hard to prove right motives for any acts of kindness towards those we are sinning against.
So, don’t be a hypocrite! Be who you are all the time. Don’t be two-faced. Love others sincerely, and in truth, with the kindness and compassion of God, and with his love and concern for the people of the world that they might know him intimately, and that they might deny self, die to sin daily, and walk in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit, in his power. For that is their only path to salvation from sin and to eternal life with God, by faith.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
And don’t be cruel to other humans. Don’t mistreat others, especially those who are different from you and that do you no harm. Don’t get even with those who mistreat you, either. Forgive. Keep loving. Keep doing for others what is for their good. Keep speaking the truth in love, but not in hate. Don’t be selfish. Don’t be more concerned about how other people are going to view you than you care about their salvation and eternal life with God.
In Harmony
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17
Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.
