Our father's love......real love!

[WISDOM]

Few things express the needs of our generation like secular music.  Some of the greatest hits of the past 40 years were written about Love.  I'm sure any and all of us can remember a love song

that made a postive impact on our lives during this time period.

If you'll read the passage of Scripture I noted in the heading, in these 15 verses the HOLY SPIRIT through the Apostle John used the word Love 21 times.  The basic emotional need of EVERY human being is to be loved.  However, the love described in secular songs IS NOT the "Love" we ALL seek AND need.  We long for a love that is fulfilling anf forever.  This section of First John discusses what I'd like to call the "original love story", ....our FATHER's love for YOU and ME.

John begins by saying:  "Dear friends, let US love ONE ANOTHER, for love comes from GOD.  EVERYONE who loves has been born of GOD and knows GOD" (verse 4:7).  The world and its Satanic system DOES NOT offer the type of love referred to here in this verse.  We use the word love to describe totally different types of feelings,  from the way we "love" our dog/cat to the way we "love" our spouse/friend.  Fortunately, the Greek language of the New Testament used different words to describe different types of love.

One word for "love" is EROS, from which we get our English word,  "erotic".   This is love for the sole purpose of self-satisfaction, primarily sexual.  It says, "I love YOU because you give me pleasure.  If you stop giving me pleasure, I will stop loving you."  Now.....this is NOT the word that is used to describe GOD's love.  Instead, John uses the word AGAPE, which is a totally selfless love.  When used of our FATHER it is the love of a perfect living righteous GOD toward entirely UNWORTHY objects. (John 3:16)

This love comes EXCLUSIVELY from GOD, and if we are genuinely born of HIM we will habitually love one another WITH "agape" love.  Look at what John says in verse eight.  This was a bombshell in John's day from the many things I've read through the years concerning that period of time.  Never would the people of pagan religions have declared their gods to be "gods of love".  They were portrayed as gods of anger, punishment, and fear.   If you just did a very basic study of world religions YOU will see that CHRISTIANITY is distinctively different from others, like Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism,  just to name a few.  ONLY Christianity proclaims that GOD is Love!

GOD doesn't love us because of who we are; HE loves us because of WHO HE is!  That means HE will NEVER stop loving us.  We change, our behavior changes; sometimes we are good and sometimes we are bad.  If HIS love depends on who we are, HE might stop loving us.  BUT.....HE loves us because of WHO HE is and that means HE will NEVER stop loving us (Malachi 3:6).  The Bible often describes our LORD as spirit, light and love.  Of these the one that should have the most effect on us is that HE is Love because it is the ONLY one of the three YOU and I can emulate.

We CANNOT make ourselves "spirit" or "light", but by following the teaching and example of JESUS CHRIST, we can make ourselves "love".  It doesn't matter what we believe or what church we attend, if we do not love with "agape" love we DO NOT know the living GOD, and are not HIS children.  Fact....HE wanted us to know how much HE loves us, but love is not something we can touch, taste, smell or fully express in words.   So in order to manifest HIS love for us HE sent HIS only SON into this world that we might live THROUGH HIM (verse 9).

Not only is our FATHER a GOD of Love, but also a living GOD of Holiness and Justice WHO cannot tolerate sin or allow it to go unpunished.  HIS Law demands punishment for sin because law WITHOUT punishment is just a suggestion.  Therefore, out of love HE sent HIS SON AS AN ATONING SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS so the demands of the Law would be satisfied.  Agape love IS NOT an abstract, intangible thing.   It was clearly manifested for ALL to see on the Cross; therefore John says, "Dear friends, since GOD so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (4:11).  Because of WHO our FATHER is and what HE has done for us, we have an INESCAPABLE OBLIGATION to LOVE other people....NOT just our Christian brothers/sisters and those we feel comfortable around (put yourself in check if this applies and hear what the SPIRIT is speaking).  HIS love is an example for us to follow!  Furthermore John says, "NO ONE has ever seen GOD; but IF we love one another, GOD lives in us and HIS love is made COMPLETE in us." (4:12)

The living GOD is invisible because HE is Spirit (John 4:24); therefore, to reveal HIS love HE sent HIS SON to earth in flesh and blood.  JESUS was GOD spelling out HIS love in language we can all understand.  However, JESUS is no longer with us in flesh and blood, so our FATHER has chosen another physical body through which HE continues to reveal HIS agape love to the world.  THAT physical body is YOURS and MINE.  When we let our LORD's love flow through us HIS love is made complete in us; it has reached its goal in our lives.  

Being aware of our FATHER's love for us produces confidence in our relationship with HIM.  John put it like this in verse 17, "In this way, love is made complete among us....".  The phrase "love is made COMPLETE" means it is FULLY DEVELOPED or MATURE.  It has ACCOMPLISHED its intended effect.  Why does our FATHER want us to be mature in HIS love?  The Apostle John says, so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement.  This "confidence" isn't a SPIRITUAL HAUGHTINESS or PRIDE, but a tranquil assurance in HIS presence.

You see, most of us fear the idea of being judged for fear of disapproval (2 Corinthians 5:10).  Though we (Christians)  MUST ALL appear before the Judgement Seat of CHRIST ("BEMA"), we need NOT fear IF GOD's love is COMPLETE in us.  (Romans 13:10)

If we love as our FATHER loves, we will have no fear in judgement because we will not have disobeyed any of the Commandments of GOD.  LOVE fulfills the demands of the Law.  That's why I believe John says in verse 18, "There is NO FEAR in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears IS NOT made perfect in love."  LOVE doesn't coexist with fear.  It drives out fear.....it expels it.  Fear comes from thinking that punishment is coming.  If we live in fear of facing our LORD, HIS love has not reached its intended purpose in our lives.

When we begin to understand how much GOD loves us, it is easy to love other people, no matter how unlovable they may appear to be.  Let verse 19 soak your thoughts.  HE first revealed HIS love so that we would love HIM in return.If you say YOU love HIM, yet hate your brother/sister, our FATHER says you are a liar (4:20).  You've seen them and hate/dislike them!  How can YOU then claim to love GOD who you haven't seen??!!!  How hypocrital can you be.  NO ONE can love an invisible GOD if he/she cannot do the much easier task of loving those "whom he has seen".

Agape love is not just an emotion that we can show when we feel like it.  It isn't like these little "emoticons/smilies" we use on this Board.  It is the result of loving GOD, and IF we love HIM, we will habitually love other people. (Matthew 22:37-40)

[traveller]

AMEN brother!  :il:

oops - I used one of those little smiley faces!

[Guest shilou]

That was great Wisdom. I was wondering recently about the commandment not to take the Lord your God's name in vain. I always thought that meant swearing or lightly. I looked up vain in the dictionary and one definition is being full of one's self. It dawned on me that in the Hebrew it may have a more explicit meaning, or it may mean not to be filled with spiritual pride in the name of God. Do you know the answer? The spiritual pride thing seems to cause alot of problems in the Body so I was leaning towards that explanation.

Love in Yeshua

Shilou

[WISDOM]

You chose well, Shilou.  That is exactly what it means!

[Guest shadow2b]

You chose well, Shilou.

[WISDOM]

What's happenin' Gary?!!

No problem, you're welcome bruh!  :bg:

[Guest shilou]

Thank you Wisdom, I'm sure it was the Spirit that showed me that, it was one of those periods of reading stuff people write that sound so full of pride in their knowledge of scripture. People out here are getting down right nasty if anyone even questions their interpretation of anything. God's love is so much huger than a person being able to understand scripture. This is great and wonderful but it's all in the head and needs to filter to the heart. I show children an ant hill and point out that is their environment and all they know. Now watch them, they all have a job to do, a special job that they were born for and they know it naturally. They are in complete tune to the Spirit of God and are directed by Him. That is where we want to be. God loves us more than the ant and wants to give us direction too, problem is our hearts are not in line with the will of God and we put too much emphasis on the workings of the mind. Instead we need to balance out knowledge with love. An illiterate person can intuitively know the love and will of their Creator, so it logically should be that much more so for us who can read His word. Sadly it is the very interpretation of the Word that is causing so much division these days. We need to get back to hearing when the Spirit speaks to our hearts and have less dependance on our own understanding. When we get in tune with the heart the Word takes on new meaning and power.

Love in Yeshua

Shilou

[WISDOM]

Thank you Wisdom, I'm sure it was the Spirit that showed me that, it was one of those periods of reading stuff people write that sound so full of pride in their knowledge of scripture. People out here are getting down right nasty if anyone even questions their interpretation of anything. God's love is so much huger than a person being able to understand scripture. This is great and wonderful but it's all in the head and needs to filter to the heart. I show children an ant hill and point out that is their environment and all they know. Now watch them, they all have a job to do, a special job that they were born for and they know it naturally. They are in complete tune to the Spirit of God and are directed by Him. That is where we want to be. God loves us more than the ant and wants to give us direction too, problem is our hearts are not in line with the will of God and we put too much emphasis on the workings of the mind. Instead we need to balance out knowledge with love. An illiterate person can intuitively know the love and will of their Creator, so it logically should be that much more so for us who can read His word. Sadly it is the very interpretation of the Word that is causing so much division these days. We need to get back to hearing when the Spirit speaks to our hearts and have less dependance on our own understanding. When we get in tune with the heart the Word takes on new meaning and power.

Love in Yeshua

Shilou

Shilou:

I can read and enjoy your post/writings all day long.  It is because I "hear" you speaking genuinely from your heart.  You are definitely in tune with the HOLY SPIRIT, and the music the MASTER permits you to play is ever so soothing.

*sigh*....I understand what you are saying about how prideful we can be about our faith and knowledgable about it.  I can only speak for myself, and say I look at what I say and write and always try to put myself in check.  Knowledge is good, when we allow GOD to lead in the use of it.  So it is never the knowledge.....it is the person.  There will be some who may even think the same about you and I, so to speak.  

But we do have to be careful as to try and not be "puffed up" like a adder.  Shilou, one of the things I'm happy to admit is that I don't know everything.  Heck, I 've learned more on this Board about some areas of Christian study that I never knew about.  The trick is what I do with it AFTER I learn.  First, I try to thank GOD and realize HE's the TEACHER/GIVER of all true knowledge and wisdom.  The more I learn, the more I realize how deep and vast is the mind of our LORD.  And here's the good part.....HE excepts me just as I am.  You don't have to be a scholar of the Word.  You just need to be available for HIS use....HE'll provide you with what you need.

I don't know about you, but the more I do learn the smaller I see myself in the overall realm of things and the greater HE is magnified to me!  When people get upset because you question their interpretations it is nothing more than a sign of spirtual immaturity.  The pride comes in to play when they don't admit to it.  Sadly, this becomes a vicious cycle.  Our FATHER's love IS (as you put it) so much BIGGER than this.  The question boils down to this.....are YOU saying/doing the things you are for GOD's benefit, or YOURS?  

It is a hard question for a person full of the wrong kind of pride to answer, but they will continue to face the obstacles which always lead back to that question.  I thought that was a wonderful illustration you used with your children involving the ant hill.  Interesting, isn't it?  A social insect in fine tune with the CREATOR of the universe, yet without HIS SPIRIT in them.  What does that say about us??!!

I concur with you wholeheartly about being in tune with the HOLY SPIRIT.  It has changed my life immensely, because I try to involve HIM in each and every one of my endeavors.  It doesn't mean everything becomes easier, however, it sure is nice to know that if I don't make the final decision, usually it will all work out right.

Please continue your wonderful posts.  Just like traveller, you make me think in the SPIRIT!

[Guest shilou]

Thanks Wisdom but I don't get any of the credit. For some reason I can not fathom He put a huge desire in my heart to know Him. I know other people who are christians that have a luke warm attitude towards things of God and I just don't get it. I know I personally didn't put this desire upon my own heart so therefore can claim no special status because of it. To grasp simple concepts like to be grateful for the very air I breath on a daily basis is wonderful. When I point out to so many all that He gave us and how He sustains us on a daily basis they find something to complain about. The only thing I can figure out is that God gives to each a different amount of desire for different areas of learning and understanding so in our quest to share what He has given each of us our personal faith is strengthened.

Back to the ant hill. When the kids were fighting about chores or what not I would take them back to the ant hill. I tell them watch closely now one ant may be carrying a very small piece of sand while another is carrying a huge insect ten times it's size. I ask does that seem fair to you? Of course they say no. I say now do you see anyone of them stopping to complain or fight about it? They all share in the gathering of food and building of the home and they all share in it's benefits equally. Does that seem fair? No. And I say see how much easier it is to go about the task and get it done rather then waste so much time creating a problem where one doesn't have to be. Do you ever notice that people look for things to debate rather then build upon the foundations of teachings that others present? My son asked me once well what if I stepped on the anthill then all that was for nothing. I say no they will go on and build again. It's a good thing for us they are not plotting and planning a retaliation but they know it is fruitless to fight against man, just as it is fruitless for man to fight against God. Theres alot to be learned from even the smallest of Gods creation. BTW I don't have to take them literally to the ant hill anymore I just have to suggest it. I'm not sure if they get it or if they are just sick of watching ants, but they stop whinning and do the job.

Love in Yeshua

Shilou