* ♥ We Look GOOD in LOVE ♥

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

I am convinced that as, Apostle Paul told the church at Corinth, love covers a multitude of faults, isms and schisms.  

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.  1 Corinthians 12:25

If we employed more love today, inside and outside of the church, we would see a big difference in our world today.  There wouldn't be so much church hurt and church hopping.  The world would not see so many Christians as mean-spirited hypocritical and bitter people.  Perhaps the world would see the love within us and follow our example of loving their neighbor.  There wouldn't be so much hate and strife in the world because of the light we are shining just with our love.  Love is an emotion of deep affection, care, and concern. It is an unconditional giving of self to others regardless of their condition or circumstances, their color or their culture.  

Love is the key to the operation of all spiritual gifts. It is also the quality from which all spiritual fruit develops. This is revealed when you compare the passage on the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians to the "love passage" in 1 Corinthians 13:

            1 Corinthians 13:1-7                                                        Galatians 5:22-23

            Does not seek her own,                                                        Love

            is not selfish or self-centered.

            Love does not rejoice in iniquity                                        Joy

            but rather rejoices in the truth.

            Love is not easily provoked, but                                         Peace

is serene and stable.

            Love suffers long, perseveres, is patient.                          Long-suffering

            

            Love is merciful, thoughtful,                                               Kind [Gentleness]

            and concerned; it envies not.

            Love is great, gracious, and                                                 Goodness

            generous; it is kind and good.

            Love thinks no evil, but has                                                 Faith

            faith in God and others.

            Love is humble and gentle,                                                  Meekness

            does not vaunt itself.

            Love is disciplined and controlled                                     Temperance

            does not behave itself unbecomingly.

The spiritual fruit of love is not love as it is often depicted by the world. It is a love that is "unfeigned". This means it is a holy love. Unfeigned love is the type of love we are to show to others:

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.   1 Peter 1:22

♥   We are to love God:

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 if the first commandment.  Mark 12:30

♥ We are to love our enemies:

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.

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

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.  Luke 6:27-28, 32, 35

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.  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.  Matthew 5:43-44

♥ We are to love our neighbors as much as we love our self:

Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.   Matthew 19:19

♥ Jesus wants us to love others as much as He loves us:

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

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.  This is my commandment, That ye love one another as I have loved you.   John 15:9, 12

And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.  John 17:26

♥ It is by our love for one another that we will be recognized as believers:

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.  John 13:35

♥ If we do not love other believers, God's love is not in us:

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 1 John 2:9-10

♥ Your love is to abound [to increase]:  This is a very important truth.

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.    Philippians 1:9

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:  1 Thessalonians 3:12

♥ We are to be rooted and grounded in love:

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.    Ephesians 3:17-19

♥ We are to "forbear" or relate to others in love:

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.   Ephesians 4:2

♥ We are to keep ourselves in love:

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.   Jude 21

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.    1 Timothy 6:11

♥  Our work for the Lord is to be a labor of love:

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;     1 Thessalonians 1:3

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.   Hebrews 6:10

As we near the end of time here on earth, the love of many will not endure. It will "wax cold". This means people will become uncaring:

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.   Matthew 24:12

Finally, as we move from relationship to covenant agreement with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, our love for God should also be growing; so much that we, like Apostle Paul, should be able to make this same declaration:  

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  

For 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 in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Romans 8:35, 38-39

Apostle Paul starts off his admonishment by letting us know that no matter what our talents, gifts, and anointing may be, without love, it counts for nothing. 

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

1 Corinthians 13:2, 13

(Biblical Studies)

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