God is love or Love is God. Yes, love is a characteristic of God that cannot be denied. “God is love” , 1 John 4:16, “whoever lives in love, loves God, and God in him. Verse 7 says, “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. We are reminded that, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love castes or drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” “We love because he first loved us.” (verse 19). These verses speak of who God is; he is Love and much more. Only with God and God in us can we love with the love of God, which is Agape love. This is not eros (sexual) or phileo which is brotherly love. Wow, I knew I had trouble loving my neighbor and myself, because without God’s love is is not possible.
Recently, a dear friend was troubled as he read the “Love
Chapter”, which is 1 Corinthians 13. It says, “Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast…love never fails…Faith, hope and love
remain, but the greatest of these is love.
He struggled with doing or being any of this. I suggested that the love
referred to in this chapter is capitalized, Love is… Why, because love is God.
Only God can love like this chapter portrays and the Bible references. Do not be hard on yourself, God is working,
perfecting you to be more like him or Love. This is a journey in a life of
love, more and more as we draw near to God and are filled with the Holy
Spirit. Love is referred to as the most
excellent way (1 Cor 12:31). This is
talking about “Love” that/who never fails.
God in us is the way of love, it never fails and lives forever. What
lives forever, Love or Christ lives forever as does the Word of God. All else
fails. Live in Love and Love in you,
apart from Love you can do nothing (Paraphrase John 15:5-8). Remember, nothing can separate you from the
Love of God that is in Christ Jesus.
How is your love life?
From the album Love Came Down, Brian Johnson, Composer
How is your love life?
wow! I don't think I have ever heard him, and I appreciate his conversation with God in his music!
ReplyDeleteIt gives strong confirmation of God's faithfulness
ReplyDelete1 Corinthians 13 is a hard teaching. While this description of God's love is a comfort and hope, it also challenges me to love better. Thanks for sharing, Randy.
ReplyDeleteDo you remember me? You spoke to me when I was in Fradert Memorial Hospital about three weeks ago. I was the 15 year old girl who had just gotten a knee replacement who you gave the pink & multi colored knitter prayer shawl to. God is love is so relevant in my life right now, & pain & hardship still come to me but God has shown His love in ways I never expected!
ReplyDeleteEsther, so good to hear from you.I hope you are helaing well. We will indeed have pain in this world, but God will help us persevere so we can be mature and complete, lacking nothing (Ja. 1:1-4). Remember to ask Him for wisdom to get through. Hope and Healing to you, Randy
ReplyDelete