Christian love

[Khristeeanos]

Here are a few references of love in the New Covenant Scriptures:

Matthew 22:38-40

This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

(For reference Mark 12:30-32 adds, "There is no commandment greater than these.")

Do you see how the entire Jewish Covenant was specifically created to be a Covenant based upon love?

Romans 12:8-10

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Are we "devoted to one another in brotherly love?" Not just here at Worthyboards forums, but at your local congreation, your home, your neighborhood, your place of work, and even in places like the grocery store, bank, post office, and any other place you go.

One of the most important passages in the entire Bible concerning love is not one I have ever heard quoted before:

Romans 13:8-9

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Again, love is the fulfillment of the Law. I personally believe that love for God will always lead to a love for others.

1 Corinthians 13:2

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

I think that The Apostle Paul states that nothing matters if it isn't motivated by love.

Colossians 3:13-15

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. And be thankful.

Love should be our first priority. Is it? As Christians who profess to follow Christ, how can we individually make this our goal to "put on love?"

1 Peter 1:21-23

Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Ahh, the Apostle Peter. He was formerly argumentive, abrasive, worldly, and self-seeking before he met Jesus. But look at how he was personally transformed. He tells his sheep to "love one another deeply, from the heart." How much do we fulfill this?

1 John 2:9-11

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

This is just a short list of the references in the New Covenant Scriptures that deal with Christians loving other Christians and non-Christians as well.

How do we here at Worthyboards forums love each other? Do we as a group love each other or are we more focus on our own lives and profit?

If Christ were here among us, we would have the greatest understanding of loving one another. While He isn't physically here, we have His life recorded in the Scriptures. We can take heart that Jesus #1 goal was to save us from our sins, and I personally believe that His #2 goal was to demonstrate true love.

Jesus prayed for the unity of His believers. He went as far as to say:

John 17:20-26

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

Did you catch that? Jesus was praying just hours before He would be crucified and His prayer was that all of His followers would be unified. How can that happen?

Here is the key:

John 13:34-35

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

The message is clear, the fulfillment is difficult.

Let us tear off the shackles of hate and pride and selfish ambition and seek first His kingdom and His righteousness so that we can love one another deeply, from our hearts. :il:

I love you all.

(All Scripture references from Bible Gateway are are from the New International Version of the Holy Scriptures.)

[Guest Strservant]

DimeMin,

Good post!!!

[Jedi4Yahweh]

Awesome post DIME

You know we put so much emphaiss on Good Doctrine but yet we neglect the 2 greatest commandmenst of all.

Dont tell me you are a Child of God if you show hate to your neighbor I dont care how spiritual you think you are because the truth is your a liar and your faith is in vain.

1Jo 2:10-11 NASB The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. (11) But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

True Christianity is Loving God and Love those around you.

If you disagree with someone, well tell them the truth in Love. Such as "I disagree with you but you have a right to your opinion and I will love you anyway." Dont start callig people names and calling people ignorant and stupid (which is the same as calling someone a fool) just keep your hateful comments to yourself and say I disagree and this is why I disagree.

God did not say you had to force your opinion on no one. We are all learning even those who think they know it all. To me the ones that think they know it all really have no true knowlege of God because if they did they would relize how little they do know.

The bible say God hides himself from those who think they are wise and reveals himself to those of a humble and of a gentile spirit.

Learn to show Love to those around not just those you agree with.

God bless,

[our3blessings]

I used to be able to love with everything in my being. I went through a phase for about 10 years where I closed up my heart and I struggled to even want to touch anyone. I think I had just been hurt so much by the world that I wanted nothing to do with anyone anymore. Since about 4 years or so ago, things have been so much better. I have delved deeper into His word, prayed longer and more often, began to really feel like I know Jesus so much better.

[Born Again]

Excellent thread Jake

It's easy to love our friends and family, but what about complete strangers? Do you ever find yourself looking at a stranger and getting mad at them for cutting you off in traffic, being rude, etc? It's easy for me to struggle with that with customers at my job- anyone that works with the public could probably agree. But, if our eyes are focused on Jesus, you look at others in a different light. You see through eternal eyes, rather than temporal eyes. It brings soul-winning to a whole new level and perspective! Look through the circumstances and see the soul for what it really is... a Saint or another lost soul that needs Jesus as his/her Savior.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

[Guest Thomas I believe]

Dime, Amen and Amen...... Praise God

Edited September 29, 2004 by Thomas I beleive

[Guest aggiekat]

A wonderful and thought provoking thread. This is something I know that I need to work on. It's hard sometimes to remain calm and genial when you're in a car where the driver is yelling and swearing at the "stupid morons" out on the road. Granted, these other drivers are thoughtless, selfish, and often dangerous... but I'm sure swearing isn't going to help the situation any. :/

Kat

[Khristeeanos]

Love?

[Jedi4Yahweh]

Mercy?

[Az_]

A view from the outside.

While I understand your intent is genuine there is an unfortunate side effect. Because what you love is the person's christian soul you distance yourself from who the person sees themself as.

This may be difficult to understand. Please do not take this the wrong way.

You love the idea of the person. But the person and all they are is removed from your love. Most people do not care if you love the idea of them. What means something to them is if you take the time to get to know them and find that you love who they are. Without that commitment to knowing who they are your professed love will seem disengenuine.