LOVE

 Topic: *LOVE*

*By Sister Loveth Nwokeohuru*

Bible Text: Romans 13:8: "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, *for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law*"

*WHAT IS LOVE*?

"Love can be defined as an intense feeling of affection with no limits or conditions for a person".

Some persons say, Love is simply understanding, because when you understand someone you can cope and bear with the person, no matter what.

The definition of Love is so broad and unending. 

The bible tells us from our bible text that when we Love we have fulfilled the Law..

Now, Jesus Christ himself who is the word of God, the law giver tells us that the Law of God(His commandments) are summarized Into two, namely:

1. Love for God

2. Love for Man.

When we love God and our fellow human beings we have fulfilled the law.

In the  10 commandments, the first part(1-4) consists of Love for God, while the second part( commandments 5-10) conssist  of Love for man.

Matthew 22:36-40

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

*TYPES OF LOVE*.

We have different kinds of Love, but not all meets the requirements that the Lord gave: not all are true Love, according to the word of God. All other forms of love can fail, but true Love cannot fail, it's unconditional and last forever. 

*Greek Definitions of Love*

The ancient Greeks had anywhere between four and eight different words for love (depending on the source):

- Storge: affection

- Philia or Phileo: friendship 

- Eros: sexual, erotic

- Agape: unconditional, divine, selfless

- Ludus: flirtatious, playful, casual, uncommitted

- Pragma: committed, long-standing

- Philautia: self-love

- Mania: obsessive, possessive, addictive, dependent

Out of these, the kind of Love that God is talking about is the Agape Love, the biblical kind of Love.

*The Bible's Definition Of Love*

*Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails*” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Indeed  we see all these attributes in God, because He is Love. (1 John 4:8)

The Genuine love of God is *Self  sacrificing* not self Love.( Selfishness)

*Self Love*

Self Love is  “a state of appreciation for oneself that grows from actions that support our physical, psychological and spiritual growth.” Self-love can be a natural and healthy appreciation of self, but also has the potential to easily become excessive, narcissistic, and selfish! When it becomes too much.

Love your neighbor as yourself”(Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31).  

We naturally love and care for ourselves. Notice that the Bible never directly tells us to love ourselves, because it’s unnecessary. (It tells us to love God and others.) We take care of our own needs. We do so to the extent of putting ourselves and our welfare, needs, desires, and ambitions first, before God and before others. It is for this reason that God’s Word says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). The problem is not that we do not love ourselves, but that we love ourselves too much and others too little. 

Most sins stem from love of self and a lack of love for God and others. Think about it: hate, greed, envy, murder, strife, gossip, slander, arrogance and pride all result from a love of self. When we love ourselves without regard for God or others, the result is sin. 

"But mark this There will be terrible times in the last days.*People will be lovers of themselves* , lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God"(2 Timothy 3:1-4)

Do you see the problem? Excessive Love for self rather for God and man.

We can not enumerate or say everything about Love, because the whole law itself is Love. So we're going to be looking at a few.

*What is True Love*?

1. *True Love Is Obedient* 

John.14

[15] If ye love me, keep my commandments.

[21] He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

1John.5

[2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

[3] For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

2. *True Love is about Self Sacrifice*:

 putting others first before yourself,  not the other way round.

*This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth*” (1 John 3:16-18).

3. *True Love doesn't count wrongs*( it forgives)

Psalms 30:3-4

 *If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared*.

Matthew 18:21-22

*Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? “Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven times*

If we have  Love in us, we would always forgive those who have wronged us.

4. *True Love is about Loving even your enemies and praying for their salvation*. 

I know that this aspect is very difficult,  I have even heard Christians in the Church saying that they will never forgive those who have wronged them..some go as far as laying a *curse on them that they should die in their sins*

If you  do this, it is very obvious that you do not have love in you, and you are working against the plans of Christ to win the sinners to God.(that means you are an enemy of God)

How can you a Christian want someone to go to hell? It's not Christlike.

We are to Love those who hate us,  pray for those who hurt us to encounter Christ and be saved.

Acts 7:59-60

*While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep*.

Paul was  among those standing there,  and he gave his consent for the people to stone Stephen, the same Paul later encountered Christ and gave His life to Him, the same Paul led so many people to Christ.

*This is what our Lord Jesus says about True Love*👇

Matthew 5:44

*But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you*

5. *Love Doesn't Discriminate/Show Favouritism*, *It Gives TO All.( Love is a Cheerful giver)*.

30 *Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.*

31 - And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

32 - For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

33 - And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same*

Some Christians only show Love or render help to their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ., they see others as Aliens.

Some only associate with their Church members..

Some Christians,  only render help to fellow Christians, if you are not a Christian they see their help to you as a waste.

Weather muslims,  Hindus,  pagans, etc..we should always love, give and care for all humanity and race.

Matthew 25-24-40

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

6. * True Love is filled with the burden of saving the lost souls and also praying for them to be saved*.( evangelism and interccessory prayers.)

If you are a Christian,  and you don't have that burden to evangelise, in other for the sinners not to be lost..then you may not have Love in you.

When you think of the suffering that the lost would face in the fires of hell, when you think how they would be eternally separated from their maker, then you will have that sense of urgency in you to go out and preach so that some one out there would be saved.

Me personally, I have come to believe through my own experience that you can never win people to the Lord unless somehow you develop deep down in your heart a genuine burden and compassion(Love) for them to know the Lord.

This happened to me, after I gave my life to Christ.

Paul was filled with the same compassion and burden for saving souls..

Roman's 9:2-

*That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh*

Romas 10:1

*Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved*

Those who out of their Love and compassion for the lost win souls to Christ would receive a great reward for their deeds.

Daniel 12:3  “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

7. * True Love Doesn't Hate*

*For  any man who say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen*?

There is a tendency to hate someone based on his/her race, colour, looks, character  etc..( This is what has given birth to racism)

Hatred is as good as murder.

We are commanded to Love, no matter the circumstances or situation.

8. *True Love Of God  puts God first in everything*: Dead to self and the worldly things*.

Matthew 6:33 

*Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything shall be added unto you.

*He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me* (Matthew 10:37)

When we place our family/friends/ wealth/Fashion/beauty, etc...above God , then we are not worthy of His Love, it simply shows that we love these things more than God.

God should be no one in our lives, because He is our creator, the one who made provision for our salvation. Family/friend can forsake and betray you  but God will never betray you.

He has commanded us to Love Him with All our hearts, soul and strength.  ( Deuteronomy 6:4)

Nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ, not family, not houses, not wealth,not persecution etc..( Roman's 8:31-39)

*Friendship with the world is enmity with God*( James 4:4

9. *True Love is Patient, forebears, tolerates*: *True Love covers all sins*.

If we love one another..we can tolerate their weaknesses,  bear with their weak points instead of exposing their weaknesses to the world.

1 Peter 4:8

*And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins*

👇Show me a home where there is peace and Joy, and I will tell you that someone has sacrificed his/her self for that peace.

👇Show me a home where the marriage has lasted and both partners are waxing strong Spiritually;

👇then I will tell you that either both or one of them has greatly stomached nonsense from the other;

👇 I will show you a marriage where forgiveness is their watch word;

👇I will tell you that they have learnt to tolerate each other, 

👇they have learnt to forbear and carry each others burdens; 

👇I will tell you that they have sacrificed so many things for that marriage to last..

👇i will tell you that ,one of them is always on his/her knees praying God for the Salvation of the other person or for  both of them.

Just like Christ forgives us  tolerates us, understands us sacrificed Himself: left His Glorious majesty in heaven; came down to this filthy earth to die for us, even now, He is still trying by all means to reach out to us and save us..so also we need to Love our God with ALL our hearts, our minds and our Souls.

So also we are to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.

When we do these, then, we are fulfilling the law and then we can be called the sons and daughters of God.

For where there is Love, there is: peace, Joy, Patience, long suffering   kindness,  goodness,  faithfulness,  self control.

This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Have you noticed that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is not written like this "Fruits" ( Plural) but "Fruit" (Singular)because all nine of them are just one, and that is LOVE. 

Like we saw in 1 Corinthians 13, we saw the definition of Love accoriding to the bible and we see that, that is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. 

 We cannot Love the way God wants us to Love if we don't have His Holy Spirit,  because it is the character of God that  is being manifested in us as the Fruit of the Spirit, REMEMBER GOD IS LOVE!