THE BIBLICAL MEANING OF LOVE

1 JOHN 4:7-10

"Purposeful commitment to sacrificial action for another." In the Bible it is a fact that loving God is equated with obeying His Word. The two are inseparable.

In our day, most define love as some type of feeling. We "fall in love," or two people meet and it is "love at first sight." But the world's love is a selfish matter. If you are attractive to me, be nice to me, meet my needs and love me I in return will "love" you. The world's love is based on getting something from some else. The world does not give love where is does not benefit themselves. If you do not please me then I have no love for you. Thus for the world love must be earned by making someone else feel good.

Powerful emotions may accompany love, but it is the commitment of the will that holds true biblical love steadfast and unchanging. Emotions may change, but a commitment to love in a biblical manner endures and is the hallmark of a disciple of Christ. Sadly, the opposite is also true.

Emotions will vary, but a commitment which has its basis in biblical love will not be affected by the whelm of emotion or of one's circumstances.

Our example of true love is shown in God's love for the sinner. Romans 5:8 says ". . .commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The lost sinner living in rebellion and sin is still loved by the Lord. He loved us enough to die for us and pay our sin debt while we were sinning against Him. This shows that true biblical love is a matter of will....not of emotion. God choose to love us and His love was not based on our meriting it in any way.

1 John 4:8 tells us that ". . . God is love."

God is telling us that "charity" which is true biblical "love" does not fail. Relationships based on emotion fail, but those based on the tenants of true biblical love NEVER fail.

LET US DEFINE LOVE SO WE WILL KNOW WHAT IT IS TRULY.

Old Testament

The English word "love" has many different meanings. It can have affectionate, benevolent, strong liking, romantic, or sexual implications.

God chose the Israelites as His special people because He loved them (Deuteronomy 4:37, 10:15, Isaiah 43:1-4). The people were commanded to love God in return:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (, Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

That love was to be shown by serving God and obeying His commands (Deuteronomy 10:12-13, Joshua 22:5).

The Israelites were also commanded to have sincere good will for each other:

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. ( Leviticus 19:18)

New Testament

Love the Lord Your God

Jesus said our most important responsibility in life is to love God:

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' (, Mark 12:28-30)

We demonstrate our love for God by obeying His commandments and Jesus' commandments (Luke 11:28, John 14:21-24, 2 John 1:6), putting our trust in Him (John 14:1), maintaining a humble attitude (Matthew 18:1-4, Luke 18:9-14), and by prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 18:1-8).

Love Your Neighbor

Our second most important responsibility in life is to love other people. Jesus went on to say,

The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these. ( Mark 12:31)

All People of the World Are Neighbors.

This is the "Christian love" of the Bible. It means affection, benevolence, good-will, high esteem and concern for the welfare of the one loved. It is deliberate, purposeful love rather than emotional or impulsive love.

A. LOVE IS PATIENT. (Long suffering) Even when you feel like forcefully expressing yourself. Love bears pain or trails without complaint, shows forbearance under provocation or strain, and is steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.

B. LOVE IS KIND. Even when you want to retaliate physically or tear down another with your words. Love is sympathetic, considerate, gentle and agreeable.

C. LOVE IS NOT JEALOUS. (envieth not) Especially when you are aware that others are being noticed more than you. Love does not participate in rivalry, is not hostile toward one believed to enjoy an advantage, and is not suspicious. Love works for the welfare and good of the other.

D. LOVE DOES NOT BRAG. (vaunteth not itself) Even when you want to tell the world about your accomplishments. Love does not flaunt itself boastfully and does not engage in self-glorification. Instead, love lifts and builds up others.

E. LOVE IS NOT ARROGANT. (is not puffed up) Even when you think you are right and others are wrong. Love does not assert itself or become overbearing in dealing with others.

F. LOVE IS DOES NOT ACT UNBECOMINGLY. (Does not behave seemly) Even when being boastful, rude or overbearing will get you attention and allow you to get your own way. Love conforms to what is right, fitting and appropriate to the situation in order to honor the Lord.

G. LOVE DOES NOT SEEK ITS OWN. Biblical love is not selfish and self seeking. True Love does not try to fulfill its own desires, does not ask for its own way, and does not try to acquire gain for itself. Love, is an act of the will which seeks to serve and not be served.

H. LOVE IS NOT PROVOKED. Even when others attempt to provoke you or you are tempted to strike out at something or someone. Love is not aroused or incited to outbursts of anger. Love continues faithfully and gently to train others in righteousness, even when they fail.

I. LOVE DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT A WRONG SUFFERED. (thinketh no evil) Even when everyone seems to be against you or when people openly attack you. Love does not hold a grudge against someone. Love forgives, chooses not to bring up past wrongs in accusation or retaliation, does not return evil for evil, and does not indulge in self pity. Love covers a multitude of sins.

J. LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. (rejoiceth not in iniquity) Even when it seems like a misfortune was exactly what another person deserved. Love mourns over sin, its effects and the pain which results from living in a fallen world. Love seeks to reconcile others with the Lord.

K. LOVE REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH. Even when it is easier and more profitable materially to lie. Love is joyful when truth is known, even when it may lead to adverse circumstances, reviling and persecution.

L. LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS. Even when disappointments seem overwhelming. Love is tolerant, endures with others who are difficult to understand or deal with, and has an eternal perspective in difficulties. Love remembers that God develops spiritual maturity through difficult circumstances.

M. LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS. Even when other's actions are ambiguous and you feel like not trusting anyone. Love accepts trustfully, does not judge people's motives, and believes others until facts prove otherwise. Even when facts prove that the other person is untrustworthy, love seeks to help restore the other to trustworthiness.

N. LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS. Even when nothing appears to be going right. Love expects fulfillment of God's plan and anticipates the best for the other person. Love confidently entrusts others to the Lord to do His sovereign and perfect will in their lives.

O. LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS. This is one of the hardest to practice. Especially when you think you just can't endure the people or circumstances in your life. Love remains steadfast under suffering or hardship without yielding and returns good while undergoing trials.

P. LOVE NEVER FAILS. Even when you feel overwhelmed and the situation seems hopeless. Love will not crumble under pressure or difficulties. Love remains selflessly faithful even to the point of death.

Top 7 Bible Verses About Loving One Another

Jesus commanded believers to love God and to love one another and so what are some of the top Bible verses commanding us to love one another?

The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:37-39 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus gave us the greatest commandment of all. We must love God first and foremost and this love encompasses all of our minds, our soul, and our heart. That means our devotion toward God comes first (Matt 6:33) and involves all that we think about (our mind), all of our soul (whatever we do), and all of our heart (what we desire the most). We are also to love our neighbors as ourselves. Of course, we don’t need to learn to love ourselves because that comes naturally, at least for most, but to love others means that we take care of them as we do our own body, mind, and soul.

Jesus’ New Commandment

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 everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

This commandment is evangelistic in nature because Jesus says that by our loving one another “everyone will know that [we] are [His] disciples.” The converse is true; if we are not loving one another or acting in love toward one another, everyone will know that we are not His disciples. This love is the same kind of love that Jesus directed toward them…and that was a life-giving, self-sacrificing kind of love that was willing to die for others.

Honoring Others in Love

Romans 12:10 “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Love is not a feeling but a choice. It’s not what you feel but more what you do. Being devoted to one another in love means that we honor others above ourselves as it puts others first and ourselves last.

Knowing God is Knowing Love

First John 4:7-8 “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, because God is love.”

If someone hates their brother, then they don’t really know God and are a liar because John writes that “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20). Talk is cheap. Anyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer at heart (Matt 5:21-22). Someone can say that they “know God” but if they don’t love others, they are only lying to themselves and to us.

Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:44-45 “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

It’s easy to love our friends and family but what’s so different about that than from the way the world lives? Unbelievers do the same thing (Matt 5:46-47). What is truly remarkable and displays the love of God in our hearts is when we love our enemies and more than that, we pray for them who persecute us. Jesus said that if we do this, it makes us the true children of God. Jesus said “that you may be children of your Father in heaven” or to put it another way, “so that you might be the children of your Father in Heaven.”

Loving Others like Christ Loves Us

John 15:12-13 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Jesus commands us to love others just as Jesus loved us and that means we are to be willing to die for them, as He said “greater love has no one than this.” Easy to say, hard to do but remember that Jesus died for us while we were still His enemies and wicked sinners (Rom 5:8, 10).

Love Fulfills the Law

Romans 12:8 “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”

Paul is writing that we should stay debt free but one debt remains that has an outstanding balance and that is the “debt to love one another” because “whoever loves others has fulfilled the law” and Paul may be referring to Jesus’ commandment to love one another as He loved us.

Conclusion

God loved us so much that He gave us the supreme example and so “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19), not that we loved Him first. He loved us so much that He willingly gave His one and only unique Son to die for us so that we might have eternal life (John 3:16-17) and in fact, it was the only way to gain eternal life! If you haven’t trusted in Christ and repented, then you do not presently have eternal life but an eternal death sentence hanging over you (Rev 20:11-15). I trust that is not your eternity because time is short but eternity is a long, long time.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. O God my Father, Your name is LOVE, therefore, Arise and send the LOVE that will quench every worldly waters in my life, in the name of Jesus.

2. O God my Father, By Your name which is LOVE: open the rivers of true love into the wilderness of lovelessness operating in my life! in Jesus name.

3. My Father, open the floodgate of your abundant LOVE upon my life this day in the name of Jesus.

4. My Heavenly Father, make me a living proof of Your wealth of LOVE for the world around me to read like an epistle, in the name of Jesus.

5. I declare that my life is not for sale! I confess that my love is not for sale, therefore, let every carnal love targeted at my life be condemned to failure in the name of Jesus.

6. My Father, send the LOVE that cannot be bought with any volume of wealth into my life, in the name of Jesus.

7. O God arise and multiply Your LOVE in me to diminish and despise ungodly wealth in Jesus name.

8. Arise O God, purge and heal me of every seed of hatred operating in my life, let your forgiving grace overshadow my life in Jesus name.

Friday 26 June 2015

LOVE