What is Love?

Feb. 14, 2019
What is Love?

Valentines Day is a day we set aside to show people that we love them.  So let's do something different here today.
God describes love for us in so many Scriptures. First, He reassures us of His love for us, His children. Then we are told to love others as Christ loves us. Friend, you are loved by God and by me.
Take a look at the two kinds of love.

LET THE LOVE OF GOD GLOW

1. First, there is agape love, which is the highest form of love, God's love.

• Jesus tells us in John 15:9, As the Father hath love Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.
• But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)
• Paul declares this: I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of god, which is Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39)
• The Disciple John tells us: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. (1 John 3:2)
• And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God is him.  (1 John 4:16) 

LET THE LOVE OF GOD GROW

2. The second form of love is phileo, which is brotherly love. We are reminded to love others as ourself:

• For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  (Galatians 5:13)
• With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love. (Eph. 4:2)
• Jesus told us in Matthew 5:44, But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.
• Jesus declared His love demonstrated in John 15:12-13, This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have love you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

One more verse that describes our love is found in 1 Corinthians 13:7: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Does love put limits or restrictions on it? Nope. All things means everything is include. It forgives unconditionally. It never looses hope in the one you love.

LET THE LOVE OF GOD GO

... to others, loving them unconditionally without expecting love in return.

May God bless you with an over flow of His love today, sweet friends.