Love

[James thomas]

19 hours ago, Sower said:

Whenever possible, I take the 'Nathan' approach, when he confronted David with his sin with Bathsheba, allowing the person to apply the lesson themselves, when possible. Trying not to put them on the defensive, but see their error and allow the Spirit do the convicting. When possible. I often use myself as an example, how I fell into the same temptations, and what helped me to over come. In Christ.

That sounds like a great way. I’m not as good as I’d like to be with talking to people. Especially in that sense because people tend to default to defensive. 

So would you agree that it is our duty to correct people when we see them sin?

[Blood Bought 1953]

6 hours ago, James thomas said:

Absolutely. And the intention of the Law never was to save. 

I agree with you that the Law was given to us to help us however, obeying the Law today does not make life easier it makes it much harder. 

If you don’t mind, what ‘Law’ are you referring to?

 

The 613 laws of the OT were the laws I was referring to...

If you are a saved Christian, one who believes the Gospel of 1 Cor15:1-4 , the only Law you are under is to love your neighbor as yourself.We now have something better than an external Law,  beating us over the head with guilt and condemnation. We have an internal force inside us now that will lead us to a life that pleases God.As they say...  “ let go and let God”.....worry less about the law which has already done what it was intended to  do and concern yourself more with enjoying God’s Grace and strive to “ enter into His rest”.Knowing That all of your sins are forgiven will not—- as modern day Judaizers contend—- inspire you to go out and sin up a storm.Understanding and living out a life of Grace will stir up gratitude and love for God.....sins have a tendency to atrophy when that happens.Legalists never understand these things.Stay away from them.God bless.

[Sower]

On 12/29/2018 at 4:59 AM, James thomas said:

That sounds like a great way. I’m not as good as I’d like to be with talking to people. Especially in that sense because people tend to default to defensive. 

So would you agree that it is our duty to correct people when we see them sin?

Yes/No. 
First, I do not look for people to correct. I have enough of my own sin to deal with.
I rarely if ever try to correct someone I know or suspect to be lost, not born again. I do not expect the lost  to act like a Christian, or believe it would help. I would instead share the gospel with them. So NO.

Concerning correcting a Christian, God says to remove the log in my own eyes, (the one that is blinding my eyesight) before I point out the splinter in the eye of someone else. If I'm harboring sin, then I'm not led by the spirit, So I would not be qualified. So NO.

So, I have to be right with God, abiding in the spirit, when confronting someone. I need to be convinced I'm led of the spirit. And even then, I have to do it as the bible instructs.  Whether a child, youth, older or senior,  each is different, as scripture instructs. It has to be done with total lack of any wrong motives, and in a serious desire to help. I will be sharing Light. I do not like to confront, but am instructed to, as a brother, led by the responsibility laid upon me. The few times I have, I first explain of my own dealing with the same or similar sin, and how God enabled me to overcome. Trying not to put them on the defensive, but let them know I'm on their side, and they had better confront me if/when I need it. I think there's a good reason why God says;  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5;16

So, brothers, maybe....

**A good example to consider if you feel qualified. When correcting one of my children once, I was informed that the very thing I was correcting him for was learned by watching me......... ...        Take heed, brother.

I shouldn't be upset that  I can't make others what I wish them to be, when I can't make myself what I need to be....
 

[discipler777]

On 12/26/2018 at 5:10 PM, James thomas said:

 

 

Hello fellow Christians,

I believe I asked this question in the wrong forum so I’ll re-ask it here.

In my experience, it seems as if the New Testament as a whole is really known for its love. Certainly we see that in Christ.  We as Christians are called by Christ to show love to one another.  However, is love ever defined in the New Testament? Love being the greatest commandment I would think that it is defined in a really clear way but I don’t know that I’ve read anything that does in the New Testament. 

If anyone could point me in the right direction that would be great. 

Thanks in advance. 

.

JOHN.14:15-24 (NKJV) = Jesus Promises Another Helper

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Indwelling of the Father and the Son

19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

.

1JOHN.3:4-9 = Sin and the Child of God

4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to takeaway our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

The Imperative of Love

10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

[Christine]

On 12/26/2018 at 9:10 AM, James thomas said:

 

 

Hello fellow Christians,

I believe I asked this question in the wrong forum so I’ll re-ask it here.

In my experience, it seems as if the New Testament as a whole is really known for its love. Certainly we see that in Christ.  We as Christians are called by Christ to show love to one another.  However, is love ever defined in the New Testament? Love being the greatest commandment I would think that it is defined in a really clear way but I don’t know that I’ve read anything that does in the New Testament. 

If anyone could point me in the right direction that would be great. 

Thanks in advance. 

Hello there, @James thomas,

You have been given lovely examples of love's definition biblically. However, my mind goes to the verse in Romans which defines the love of God for us:-

'But God commendeth his love toward us, 
in that, while we were yet sinners, 
Christ died for us.'
(Rom 5:8)  

This encompasses love for the unlovely, for our enemies doesn't it? 

We are told in Ephesians chapter four to 'bear with one another in love', which indicates that it is not an easy thing to do.  Love is not a matter of feeling, of emotion, but of action I believe.  Overriding our natural inclinations in the flesh and operating in the love of God in the spirit.

Just thoughts.
Thank you for the thought processes this question has produced.
In Christ Jesus
Chris

[Neighbor]

On 12/26/2018 at 4:10 AM, James thomas said:

 

 

Hello fellow Christians,

I believe I asked this question in the wrong forum so I’ll re-ask it here.

In my experience, it seems as if the New Testament as a whole is really known for its love. Certainly we see that in Christ.  We as Christians are called by Christ to show love to one another.  However, is love ever defined in the New Testament? Love being the greatest commandment I would think that it is defined in a really clear way but I don’t know that I’ve read anything that does in the New Testament. 

If anyone could point me in the right direction that would be great. 

Thanks in advance. 

There is no greater love than  for one to die  for another, just as George quoted. Please let me add my own take on that kind of love, as it pertains to the passages of the New Testament in fulfilling the lessons of the Old Testament: 

Love is not for self, it is always for others at  real cost to self. Love is not dependent upon reciprocity, instead it is absolutely independent of it, as it must be, for if it requires personal gain it is  merely a purchase not a gift and not love. To require reciprocity of one's affection and sacrifice is to sell, or even to prostitute, and is not to love.

The saint in Christ Jesus loves God, but not for gain, instead in spite of all loss. The saint does walk the extra mile doing the required demands of even an an enemy so that another's burden to do it may be lightened or escaped, and also so that the enemy may have to spend more time with a saint and hear as well as see the gospel of Jesus in play.

Love counts all disparagement, all trial, all burden as joy; for the burden is carried to glorify the Father through acknowledging His Son our Lord Jesus.

Edited December 30, 2018 by Neighbor