Bible Ballistics: Vol. 14 No. 23 What Love Isn’t???

 

February is referred to as the month of love, as Valentine’s Day comes this month, but so does Ground Hog Day—today, Leap Year Day, and President’s Day; yet I really don’t feel led to talk about season’s weather, the extra day we have this month, or politics, but I would like to share a bit about what we need to know about love!  What it is and what it isn’t, and we’ll probably carry this subject over for a couple of sessions, Lord willing.  The main thing I would like to share is what God says love looks like; and the first and foremost issue about love is what God says!

Let’s begin with what Jesus tells us!

“And one of the scribes came,

and having heard them reasoning together,

and perceiving that he had answered them well,

asked him,

Which is the first commandment of all?

29 And Jesus answered him,

The first of all the commandments is,

Hear, O Israel;

The Lord our God is one Lord:

30 And thou shalt love the Lord

thy God

with all thy heart,

and with all thy soul,

and with all thy mind,

and with all thy strength:

this is the first commandment.

31 And the second is like,

namely this,

Thou shalt love thy neighbour

as thyself.

There is none other commandment

greater than these.

32 And the scribe said unto him,

Well, Master,

thou hast said the truth:

for there is one God;

and there is none other but he:

33 And to love him

with all the heart,

and with all the understanding,

and with all the soul,

and with all the strength,

and to love his neighbour

as himself,

is more than

all whole burnt offerings

and sacrifices.”  Mark 12:28-33

Even His enemies couldn’t resist the truth that came from HIM who IS truth—Jesus!  But where do we get that kind of love?  Only from God!  Only when we know God and are known of Him through the blood of Jesus in forgiveness of sin and redemption can we truly express that kind of love!

“We are of God:

he that knoweth God

heareth us;

he that is not of God

heareth not us.

Hereby know we the spirit of truth,

and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another:

for love is of God;

and every one that loveth

is born of God,

and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not

knoweth not God;

for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God

toward us,

because that God sent his only begotten Son

into the world,

that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love,

not that we loved God,

but that he loved us,

and sent his Son

to be the propitiation

for our sins.

11 Beloved,

if God so loved us,

we ought also

to love one another…

…19 We love him,

because he first

loved us.”   1 John 4:6-11, 19

Did you get that?  GOD LOVED US FIRST!  Did then, does now and ever will.  And the beauty of it is that when we will come to HIM in repentance and faith, He imparts not only His righteousness to us, but His love also.

“For he hath made him

to be sin for us,

who knew no sin;

that we might be made

the righteousness of God

in him.”   2 Corinthians 5:21

And as Paul reminded the Romans and us:

“Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access

by faith

into this grace

wherein we stand,

and rejoice in hope

of the glory of God.

3 And not only so,

but we glory in tribulations also:

knowing that tribulation

worketh patience;

4 And patience,

experience;

and experience,

hope:

5 And hope

maketh not ashamed;

because the love of God

is shed abroad in our hearts

by the Holy Ghost

which is given unto us.

6 For when we were yet

without strength,

in due time Christ died

for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man

will one die:

yet peradventure for a good man

some would even dare to die.

8 But God

commendeth his love

toward us,

in that, while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.”   Romans 5:1-8

Whoa brothers and sister—“while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”—that’s for YOU and ME!  That is love!  God loved us who are unable to save ourselves—poor lost sinners—”But God”! l One of my favorite biblical phrases—”But God”—and I am so grateful that even when I couldn’t save myself, God had a plan to reach me and lift me up out of the pit of hell and deliver my soul—heart—mind and life from wrath and made me HIS child!  How could I not LOVE HIM the same way, and by HIS power not my own!  THAT IS love—but it gets even better—Jesus paid for my sin so I could have life with HIM. It didn’t depend on me, it depends on the substitutionary, atoning sacrifice that Jesus made for us at Calvary!  He paid our debt with HIS own blood:

“Herein is love,

not that we loved God,

but that he loved us,

and sent his Son

to be the propitiation

for our sins”!

Amen and Amen.  And again that “but God”—the God who loved us and is still saving souls today.  If you know Him won’t you let HIS love shine through you, and if you don’t, I invite you to come to Him today, so you can know true love—the love that God has for you, and wants to share with you, impart to you, and grow in you!  Today

“And you hath he quickened,

who were dead

in trespasses

and sins;

2 Wherein in time past

ye walked according

to the course of this world,

according

to the prince

of the power

of the air,

the spirit

that now worketh

in the children

of disobedience:

3 Among whom also

we all had our conversation

in times past

in the lusts of our flesh,

fulfilling the desires

of the flesh   

and of the mind;

and were by nature

the children of wrath,

even as others.

4 But God,

who is rich in mercy,

for his great love

wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead

in sins,

hath quickened us together

with Christ,

(by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together,

and made us sit together

in heavenly places

in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come

he might shew the exceeding riches

of his grace

in his kindness

toward us

through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved

through faith;

and that not of yourselves:

it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works,

lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus

unto good works,

which God hath before ordained

that we should walk

in them.”   Ephesians 2:1-10

Won’t you seek to know God’s real love?  Don’t settle for the cheap imitation of the world!  It may look good for a time, even scripture tells us that there is “pleasure in sin for a season”, but it also tells us clearly that we will all give an account.  Please hear Him as He speaks to us today; for He won’t always “strive with man”!  (See Genesis 6:3 and Hebrews 11:25)

“Be not deceived;

God is not mocked:

for whatsoever a man soweth,

that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh

shall of the flesh reap corruption;

but he that soweth to the Spirit

shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary

in well doing:

for in due season

we shall reap,

if we faint not.”   Galatians 6:7-9

What are you sowing?  It’s your choice but choose wisely there is a test!

May God bless your week, and may you hear and obey!

Amen and Amen!