The Nature of Love

What is the nature of love, especially God’s love? The Scriptures teach us what we want to know.

We need to ask the Lord to give us wisdom, insight and revelation knowledge about these passages.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor 13:6-7 NIV)

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. (1 Cor 13:4 NASB)

. . . but love covers all offenses. (Pro 10:12b NIV)

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. (Joh 3:16 CEB)

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Pet 4:8 NIV)

God’s kind of love, which we should desire to imitate, is described in these terms.

LOVE does not:

Delight in evil;
Is not jealous;
Does not brag; and
Is not arrogant.

LOVE:

Rejoices with the truth;
Always protects;
Always trusts;
Always hopes;
Always perseveres;
Is patient;
Is kind;
Covers all offenses;
Gives; and
Covers many sins.

This is the kind of love that God showers upon us each and every day. And in order to be His ambassadors on this earth, it is our calling to share this same love with everyone. Glory to God!

Abide in God’s Word & Be Made Free

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

The word KNOW in verse 32, above, means to perceive; understand; recognize; or realize. This is a knowledge that has inception, a progress and an attainment, according to Strong’s concordance (#1097). It is the recognition of truth by personal experience.

This personal experience suggests a close, personal relationship. And verse 32 states that we need to abide in [accept, stand in, obey] God’s Word and thereby confirm ourselves to be Christ’s disciples.

In that context, as we personally come to experience the truth of and dependability of God’s Word, it is that same truth that shall set us free from various challenging and destructive experiences in our lives. It also sets us free from the hurts that other people have inflicted upon us.

God’s steadfast and unfailing love for you can give you such strength and stability in your emotions that you can be made emotionally whole and healthy.

The best kindness that you can do for yourself is to abide in the Scriptures and become more and more stable and secure in their truth—because you know that God does not lie. (Num 23:19)

Rest in Jesus, who has given you the grace, freedom, and strength to live your life to His glory daily!

Note: This is a reprint of our blog article dated 11/21/2016.

God Holds Us

The Word of God tells us that the Lord has engraved [inscribed, imprinted, etched] us on the palms of His own hands! Wow! What a concept! That’s worth meditating upon.

Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands . . . (Isa 49:16a ESV)

God also tells us that He holds us by the hand, and He reminds us that He is the One who helps us. What an honor and a blessing to be helped by the all-powerful, living God! He is not only “close” to us, but He is actually holding us by the hand. Glory!

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” (Isa 41:13 ESV)

Even if people who are blood relatives of ours desert us, our Savior God holds us close to His heart. He will never leave us nor disown [reject] us. (Hebrews 13:5) God’s love is constant, enduring and unfailing. (Ps 136:26; Rom 8:39)

Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. (Ps 27:10 NLT)

NO ONE has the strength, might or power to be able to take us out of our Father God’s hand. Praise the Lord!

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (Joh 10:29 ESV, emphasis added)

The Lord says that He is our God for our entire lives. Once we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, He cares for us and will carry us and save us—even into eternity!

I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. (Isa 46:4 NLT) The Lord upholds [sustains] our very lives. (Isa 54:4 NLT)

Did you realize that? Return His perfect love and worship Him today!

Pleasing All Men in All Things

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. (Rom 15:1 NIV)

Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, ³³just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. (1 Cor 10:32-33, emphasis added)

Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. ⁴Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. (Phil 2:3-4 CEB)

We’re instructed by God’s Word to watch out for what is best for others and pleasing to others. We’re also urged to avoid selfishness and encouraged to care for each other. That’s a tall order, right? The apostle Paul said that he pleased all men! Wow, he is a righteous example to us all.

So why did Paul ‘please all men’? He did it so that many people would be saved. By his pleasing and caring behavior toward others, he won many, many people to the gospel of Jesus Christ. All of those people accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Paul didn’t do it in order to be a man-pleaser but in order to win souls to the Kingdom of God. His motivation was pleasing in God’s sight.

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. (Gal 1:10)

. . . not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart . . . (Eph 6:6)

Our assignment as followers and servants of Jesus Christ is to please God first, but also to demonstrate God’s love to all people. That means doing top-notch work in our jobs (even those who are self-employed). It also means finding ways to cooperate kindly with our earthly neighbors whether we have a house, condo, apartment, or a tent.

We also, as servants of Jesus, represent Him in our families, with our friends and within our communities and churches. As ambassadors for God’s Kingdom, we have the honor and privilege of being ‘the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.’ (2 Cor 2:15) May our conduct and our conversation be as a pleasant perfume to the lost and the hurting as well as to the Lord Jesus. Praise the Lord!

Know God = Have Strength & Courage

Pursuing a deep, profound knowledge of God and His nature will impart courage and strength to your soul.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Josh 1:9)

. . . the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. (Dan 11:32b, emphasis added)

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. (Mt 11:12)

. . . strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” (Ac 14:22)

The better you know God, which is a consequence of studying the Bible and spending time in the presence of the Lord, the greater courage, strength, and boldness you’ll have to serve Him.

You’ll have boldness to be His ambassador on the earth, enforcing the will of God on earth as it is in Heaven. (Mt 6:10)
You’ll have courage and authority to step out in faith and heal the sick, preach the Word, and to testify of God’s love for all mankind. (Deut 31:6; Ps 27:1; 56:3-4; Isa 41:10, 13; Mt 10:1; Mk 6:7; 10:8; Lk 9:1-2; 10:19)
Lastly, you’ll have the strength and perseverance needed to pass through tribulations, and to enter the kingdom of God. (Ac 14:22; Col 1:11; Phil 4:13; Ro 15:5)

Deepen your relationship with the Lord so that you KNOW Him deeply; and become bold, strong, and courageous today!

Who Do You Want To Be?

Today’s topic is a consideration of what type of person each one of us wants to be. How do we get T-H-E-R-E from where we are now? The Lord Jesus is committed to each and every one of His children. If we cooperate with Him, we will never be put to shame.

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Mt 7:12 NKJV) – This is the golden rule: Do unto others what you want them to do to you. If this rule guides your thoughts and actions, the results will be pleasing. Allow this to motivate you to extend mercy and forgiveness to others.

For “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’” (Acts 17:28 ESV) – Remember, we are made in the image of God; we are His children. We live and do everything in Christ. God bestows His unconditional love and abundant blessings upon His children. Remember WHOSE you are! It will do wonders for your self-image, and for how you conduct yourself.

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Rom 5:3-5 NKJV) – God’s love has been poured out upon each one of us. All of life’s circumstances are designed to improve our character and to conform us to the image of Christ. (See Romans 8:29) Allow your circumstances to soften your hard edges, and to nurture a merciful and loving quality within you.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Cor 3:16 ESV) – Each one of us is truly God’s temple, and His Spirit dwells within each one of us. Glory to God! Be aware of God’s presence constantly, and allow the knowledge that He is with you to transform all of your decisions and actions. It will bless you and cause you to bless others.

. . . but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— (Eph 4:15 NKJV) – God wants us to grow up (mature) into the image of Christ. One way of doing that is to walk in love and to do everything with a loving heart and attitude.

Grow up and BE the person you truly want to be. How do you want your spouse, your children, and your friends to remember you? Once you’ve come to a decision on that, take some time to strategize how to aim your life and your behavior in that direction. Allow the Scriptures and the Lord to guide you. God is committed to transforming each one of us, and will give us the grace that we need. Oh joy!

Open Up Before God

Open up before God, keep nothing back; He’ll do whatever needs to be done: He’ll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon. (Ps 37:5-6 MSG)

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. (Ps 37:5-6 NLT)

These are two versions of the same Bible verse. They’re both encouraging and uplifting, and accurately describe the fact that God loves us ALWAYS and He fights on our behalf. He will uncover anything that is hidden if it means exonerating one of His children. Have a great day meditating on these truths!

God is in a Good Mood

Here’s a great idea: God is in a good mood! Yes, He is. Here are some concepts to mull over.

And God can give you more blessings than you need. Then you will always have plenty of everything—enough to give to every good work.¹ Because God IS good and because He loves you, not only is He able to give you more blessings than you need but He is eager and WILLING to do so! ²

Give thanks to the Lord because he is good. His love continues forever.³ God’s love for us continues forever—it’s nonstop! And His goodness towards each one of His children is nonstop. That’s another way to say that He’s in a good mood. He views each one of us as the person that He has created us to be, fulfilling His call upon our lives and bringing glory to the Kingdom of God. How could He not be in a good mood when He thinks of us with perfect love⁴ so therefore His expectations for us are good?

Quotation: God describes Himself as gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. God is good and, by nature, in a good mood.
~ Source: http://bssm.net/about/corevalues

God is good and His nature influences everything about Him. His own goodness and love for His creation keeps Him in a “good mood,” which is a human concept, of course. It’s a wonderful way to think of God, though; because thanks to Jesus, we are able to communicate with and approach the Lord always, for any reason.⁶ Hurray!

2 Cor 9:8
Mat 8:3; Mk 1:41; Lk 5:13; Jer 29:11; Ps 35:27; 37:4; Mal 3:10; Php 4:19; Mt 6:33; Eph 1:3
Ps 136:1
1 Cor 13:4-8
Ps 103:8-14; Num 14:18; Zep 3:17; Gal 5:22-23; Mat 7:11; Ex 34:5-7
Heb 4:16; 2 Cor 5:18; 20; Eph 3:12

Words of Jesus

But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. (Matthew 12:28 NKJV)

Jesus cast out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit. He also was enabled by the Spirit to heal.¹ The same Holy Spirit enables us to do the same works as Jesus did, and even greater works! ²

Are you prepared to be a witness for the Kingdom of God who operates not just in human words but in power? ³ How can a natural human being perform miracles? We must use the spiritual discernment⁴ that is available to us because we have the mind of Christ.⁵

This type of living requires faith⁶—and faith operates by love.⁷ We, ourselves, must be aware of how much God loves us. Once that we’ve inundated ourselves not only with a knowledge of His love, but experiences in receiving His love, we are then ready to share that same powerful love with others. And our faith for the supernatural will operate out of love. Glory to God!

______________________

¹ Mat 12:15-21

² Joh 14:12-14

³ 1 Cor 2:4

⁴ 1 Cor 2:14

⁵ 1 Cor 2:16

⁶ Rom 10:17

⁷ Gal 5:6

Do Everything With Love

Let all that you do be done with love. (1 Cor 16:14 NKJV – emphasis added)

For the Love of Christ compels [constrains, leaves no option] us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died. (2 Cor 5:14 NKJV – emphasis & definition added)

Love is one of the major themes throughout the Bible. Love is what binds us together as Christians. We’re instructed to love one another¹ and the source of our love is God.² Love is defined as an intense feeling of deep affection.

Human beings, overall, tend to experience love on a conditional basis. Some spouses won’t speak to one another after an argument. Certain friends will stop seeing each other after an argument, and might even speak badly about each other. Some parents even have raised their children in a way that makes them feel unloved or rejected if they’re naughty or disobedient. This is NOT the model of love that God has given to us.

Our Heavenly Father has extended His love to us completely and unconditionally. He invites everyone – yes everyone – to the banqueting table of salvation.³ There are no restrictions upon this invitation because God loves humankind so much, and He yearns to have a vital relationship with every individual. The Father offered love to us through the sacrifice of His own Son as the Savior of the world. He literally gave sacrificially to prove His love to each and every human being. Whether we accept His love and His gift of salvation is entirely a matter of our own choice.

The Scriptures tell us that we are accepted in the Beloved.⁴ Some of the blessings that we enjoy because we are accepted are that we are:

recognized as children of God;
received as a sister or brother in Christ;
admitted into God’s family; and
welcomed always with LOVE.

Because we are loved by God, we have the grace to love others even as we are loved.⁵ God’s love enables us to forgive.⁶ His love gives us the wherewithal to extend mercy and understanding to others, not returning evil for evil, but on the contrary—blessing them.⁷ As we learn to live this way, we become a living example of the love of God; and we demonstrate that His love has been perfected in us.⁸ Then we can truly confess that the love of Christ compels us to act as we do and leaves us no option!⁹ Faith operates by love.

Faith operates by love.¹⁰ When you do everything with love, you can only win. Glory to God!

¹ John 15:12 ² 1 John 4:8

³ John 3:16 ⁴ Ephesians 1:6

⁵ John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17 ⁶ 1 Peter 4:8

⁷ 1 Peter 3:8 ⁸ 1 John 4:12

⁹ 2 Corinthians 5:14 ¹⁰ Galatians 5:6

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Tag: God’s love