Tag Love one another

Who do you LOVE?

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Who do you LOVE?

“But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love”

(1Cor 13:13; ASV).

“And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”

(Matt 22:37).

Here’s a recap of last week:

First, GOD IS LOVE. (1John 4:8)

Second, GOD LOVES. (1John 4:9)

Third, HE LOVED US FIRST. (1John 4:19)

Last, GOD DIED FOR US. (1John 3:16)

This week we’ll continue to look at LOVE.

Why we should Love.

Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment. “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself” (Luke 10:27).

In continuation of our study on LOVE, let’s look at the second part of the great command, to love your neighbor as yourself.

Our love for OTHERS.

There are a few categories of people, the first are our brethren. We are to treat them LIKE KINGS & QUEENS because that’s what they are. “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father” (Rev 5-6).

We are to love the brethren like Christ showed, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 15:12).

The Apostles Peter, John, and Paul repeated this command, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1Peter 1:22; 2:17).

“He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes” (1John 2:10, 3:11, 14, 23; 4:11, 12).

“But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another” (1Thess 4:9).

We are to love the brethren. Next, we are to love OTHERS.

“And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you” (1Thess 3:12).

“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law: (Rom 13:8). “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well” (James 2:8).

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Gal 5:14).

We are to love others. We are also to love in deed.

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). To “visit” is to render aid to someone in need. This is an individual responsibility we have toward those in our own house, or toward our neighbors as we have opportunity and is separate from the local church funds. “If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed” (1Tim 5:8-16).

The local church collectively has a responsibility for limited benevolence for the needy saints. “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (1Cor 16:1-2; Acts 11:29). “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (Jas 14:15-17).

We are to love in deed by visiting the needy. Finally, we are to love our Enemies.

This last one separates us from everyone else in the world. As the Lord commanded, “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:27-36).

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1John 3:18).

–Spencer is an evangelist in Borger Texas working with the church of Christ on Franklin & Juniper.

Why We Ought to LOVE the LORD. pt1

The Preacher 2 Comments

Why we should Love the LORD.

1/4

Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

Part 1; why we ought to LOVE the LORD.

1 John 4:8 KJV

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

God Loves.

1 John 4:9 KJV

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.

God Loved us first.

1 John 4:19 KJV

We love him, because he first loved us.

We know Love because God died for us.

1 John 3:16 KJV

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

We Love Him when we keep His commandments.

1 John 5:3 KJV

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

We Love Him when we Love each other.

1 John 4:8,11 KJV

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

We know we Love each other when we keep His commandments.

1 John 5:2 KJV

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

We should LOVE the LORD.

Love One ANOTHER

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“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.” [1John 4:7-11]

Since most are focused on the commercialized version of Love shown through the giving of chocolate filled cardboard hearts, let us also talk about what it means to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

“And the Lord make you to increase and ABOUND in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:” (1Thess 3:12).

“NO MAN hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” (1John 4:12)

“OWE no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” (Rom 13:8)

“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).

“But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are TAUGHT of God to love one another.” (1Thessalonians 4:9).

“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure HEART FERVENTLY.” “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (1Peter 1:22, 1Peter 4:8).

“For I have given you an EXAMPLE, that ye should do as I have done to you.” “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” (John 13:15; 34-35; 15:12; Eph 4:32; 1John 4:11)

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.” “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” “And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.” (Matt 22:39; 1John 3:11, 23, 4:7, 12, 2John 1:5) To love one another is a Requirement of God.

(emph mine seb)

As opposed to our former life…

“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” (Titus 3:3)

—spencer

Spencer is an evangelist for the Franklin & Juniper St church of Christ in Borger Texas. If you live in the Borger area and would like a personal bible study, please reach out & let us know how we can help you know more of God’s word.

6 Verses that COMPEL me

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When speaking about being compelled, we often think that someone is forcibly moving us to do something we don’t want to do.

God doesn’t do that. We obey God because of our love for Him, and because of our reverential belief in who He is, and what He can and will do.

We do this willingly because we believe Him.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

We’re willing participants.

Another way of saying compelled is with the word motivation. I am emotionally motivated by God’s word. We know the will of God only through His divine word. The Bible has many motivating passages, but I wanted to look at just 6 passages that COMPEL (motivates) me to be a better child of God.

The first is what CHRIST said He will say on the judgment day. “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46; cf. Mat 7:21-23)

Another equally compelling passage is about OBEYING the gospel. “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:” (2Thess 1:8; Heb 5:8-9). False teachers claim that there’s nothing a person can do to be saved. But that’s why they’re false teachers.

Moving on to living Godly in Christ, this next passage compels me to do better. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” (Col 3:5). To MORTIFY your members is to kill off sin in your life. That’s serious language. He’s not advocating self-harm, rather he’s illustrating the seriousness of sin.

Within this same chapter, Paul adds details that continue to motivate me to living Godly, “PUT off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” “PUT on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” (Col 3:8-17)

Some wonder why I’m so vocal about the Bible. When we realize our helpless condition, and the salvation only through Christ Jesus, we are compelled to obey the Gospel. Then comes the realization that people you love are lost if they die in their sins. Therefore, I’m compelled to EVANGELIZE to the lost world. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1Cor 6:9-11; cf. Mat 28:18-19)

The last, but certainly not the least passage that compels me is actually several; those passages about LOVE. It’s best to read them and let them be their own commentary…

  1. “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.” (Mat 22:37)
  2. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1John 5:3)
  3. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1John 4:7-8)
  4. “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,” (Luke 6:27)
  5. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1John 2:15-17)

Which bible passages compel you?

What’s LOVE got to do with it?

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Love does not…

EVERYTHING!!

Love is the first & great commandment.

Paul calls love, “a more excellent way” [1Cor 12:31; 13:13].

“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 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. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” [Mark 12:29-31]

The best commentary on Love is found in the Scriptures. Let’s see love from four perspectives.

  1. God’s Love for us
    1. God is Love – 1Jo 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Titus 3:4-6
    1. God Gave His son – 1Jo 4:9, 10 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, John 3:16, 17; Rom 5:8; Eph 2:4,5
    1. God blesses His children – 1Jo 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: Eph 1:3 every spiritual blessings
    1. Every good thing – James 1:17 – comes from above; Acts 17:28
    1. God sends sun & rain – Mt 5:45 for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
  • Christ’s Love for us
    • Passes knowledge– Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
    • As Father loved Him – Joh 15:9, 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
    • He gave Himself – Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.; Eph 5:2; 1Joh 3:16; Rev 1:5
    • His own– Joh 13:1, 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
    • Those who obey – Joh 14:21 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.
  • Man’s love for God & Christ
    • Great command– 1Jo 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. Mark 12:28-30; Mt 22:36-40
    • Good thing for those that do – Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, 1Corinthians 2:9 ings which God hath prepared for them that love him.
    • Crown of life / Kingdom – Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? [1:12]
    • Love displayed through obedience – 1Jo 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments:
      • 2Joh 6; John 14:15, 21, 23
    • Love for truth – 2Th 2:10-12 because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
  • Man’s love for others
    • Brethren – 1Th 4:9; 1Th 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
      • John 13:34; 15:12; 1Pe 1:22; 2:17;
      • 1Jo 2:10, 3:11, 14, 23; 4:11, 12
      • 2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
    • Husbands & Wives – Eph 5:25, 28, 33; Col 3:19; Tit 2:3,4
    • Neighbor – Ro 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
      • [Mr 12:31; James 2:8]
    • Enemies – Lu 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest:
      • Mt 5:43, 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;