The Love of God is infinite and inexplicable, so hard for our finite minds to understand its depth and capacity!\u00a0 An old hymn I came across long ago describes as best we can with our mortal tongues to explain a partial understanding of the Love of God!<\/p>\n
\u201cOh Love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!<\/em><\/p>\n It shall forevermore endure, the saints and angels songs!<\/em><\/p>\n With that being said, with our finite understanding of the Love of God, we must look to the infinite in wisdom and understanding, The Word of God, to get a true grasp of what the Love of God means!<\/p>\n Many times in today\u2019s church world, Christians are being told they must portray the \u201cLove of God\u201d to everyone that comes into their daily paths.\u00a0 How does one show the \u201cLove of God\u201d?\u00a0 In what ways and to what extent are we instructed by the Word of God to show forth this great love of God?<\/p>\n In the New Testament alone, we are encouraged 12 times (God\u2019s governmental number) that we should love one another<\/strong>, even as Christ loved us!\u00a0 But is that to extend beyond the boundaries of the brother or believer?\u00a0\u00a0 Am I to love everyone in the world, and give equal portions of that love to believer and unbeliever alike?\u00a0 What does the Word of God say about our love as believers?\u00a0 To many believers and followers of Jesus have never searched out the scriptures to see what HE desires for us to do and how HE wants us to show our love.<\/p>\n I am already hearing the loud disputations and rebukes of the milk toast Christians who have been fed for so long on only the milk of the Word, that this kind of meat being served up will surely cause some to regurgitate this portion of the Word that I am sharing.\u00a0\u00a0 We have been so led down the flower lined path of \u201cLove wins\u201d and \u201cGod rejects NO ONE!\u201d messages in modern day Christianity, that I am shocked at the presentation of so many in todays churches, who believe that to show the \u201cLove of God\u201d is to walk arm in arm with rebellion and backwardness, sugar coating the lawlessness of others as they just need someone to show them love!\u00a0 It is shocking to see how many churches have stumbled upon themselves to join up with the current “black lives matter” movement that they have placed banners upon their church walls and doors, proclaiming their solidarity with a Godless, lawless, racist, communist movement!\u00a0 If that group really believes that black lives matter, why are they not protesting in Chicago, where young black lives are taken every weekend, and at every planned parenthood clinic where millions of innocent precious black babies have been butchered for the sake of convenience!\u00a0 Who will stand up and proclaim that JESUS CHRIST died for all!<\/strong>\u00a0 Not for any particular race!\u00a0 But for ALL mankind!\u00a0 The church should be the FIRST and FOREMOST to proclaim this truth!\u00a0 Let us show forth the LOVE of GOD to all the world by proclaiming first the liberating power of the BLOOD OF JESUS!<\/strong><\/p>\n Lets look at each of these questions and topics one by one\u2026.<\/p>\n What is the love of GOD?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n We must go to the Word of God to understand the basics of the Love of God! \u00a0\u00a0The love of God is so different from the love of man!\u00a0 The Love of God states, You need me, so therefore I love you!\u00a0 The love of man can only state, I need you so therefore I love you!\u00a0 We see that picture of the perfect Love of God in the book of John. 3:16. \u00a0\u00a0It is the bedrock of the believers understanding of the \u201clove of God. \u00a0For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.<\/p>\n This is indeed the Love of God personified!\u00a0 That He loved the world and sent his only begotten Son as a sacrifice and payment for the sins of mankind, so that men might be saved!\u00a0 Humanity was already condemned\u2026Jesus did not come to add to that condemnation, but to give them a doorway through which they might enter and be saved! \u00a0For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.<\/a><\/p>\n Jesus made a way for us to escape eternal death and damnation!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When we believe on Jesus Christ with all of our hearts and confess with our mouth our sins, godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation and we are covered by His blood and are born again!\u00a0 By that action of faith, we escape condemnation and enter into life!\u00a0\u00a0 Anyone who does not come through that doorway, was already condemned, and even more as the opportunity to escape condemnation gets presented to them and it is rejected and refused! He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.<\/a>\u00a0 The Love of God is universally available to all mankind!\u00a0\u00a0 But contrary to popular belief, it is not universally applied!\u00a0 There are conditions that must be met before humanity can receive the benefits of being a child of God, the Love of God applied being one of those awesome benefits!\u00a0 In the following verses we see why the Love of God is not universally applied\u2026even though it is so available to them! And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.<\/a>\u00a0 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.<\/a> But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.<\/a><\/p>\n When darkness is loved over light\u2026.when those who hate the light and commit evil\u2026continue to reject the light and life that was made possible through the Love of GOD, condemn their own selves by their actions!\u00a0 Many times as a Pastor, I tell the church family, that we must speak the truth IN LOVE, because that is where truth was born!\u00a0 But we cannot speak the truth in love, until we fall in love with the truth! True love of God shown forth in the life of the believer is to tell the world the truth!\u00a0 You are not condemning anyone when you speak truth!\u00a0 It is the unbeliever\u2019s rejection of light and truth that they condemn themselves with!<\/p>\n So, we see the Love of God was made available to us by receiving the personification of love, Jesus Christ the only Begotten Son of God!\u00a0 And now the \u201cLove of God\u201d is shed abroad in OUR HEARTS, causing us to love God even more, and making us into more of the image of God\u2019s dear Son!<\/p>\n ROMANS 5:5 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.<\/a><\/p>\n 6<\/strong>For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.<\/a><\/p>\n 7<\/strong>For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.<\/a><\/p>\n 8<\/strong>But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.<\/a><\/p>\n 9<\/strong>Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.<\/a><\/p>\n 10<\/strong>For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.<\/a><\/p>\n So how are we to then take that love of God which was shed abroad in our hearts and present it to a lost and dying world?<\/p>\n How do I show the Love of God to unbelievers?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Here is where the real rubber meets the road!\u00a0 Here is where we must rightly divide the Word of Truth so that we do not find ourselves in error!\u00a0\u00a0 Even though we recognize that Jesus Christ came for the sinner, he did not condone the sin!\u00a0 Even though he was no respecter of persons, he did show favor to the righteous and called out the sins of the sinner!\u00a0 We must recognize the same Jesus who patiently held the infants and children as they gathered around him, was also a force to be reckoned with as he plaited a rope into a whip to punish and chase the moneychangers and thieves out of his His Father\u2019s house!\u00a0\u00a0 Both of these instances was showing forth the love of God!\u00a0 The kind, longsuffering gentleness toward the young and innocent, and the fierce anger and rebuke to those who should have known better!<\/p>\n Obviously, we will not take a whip into places of worship to punish those who have fallen in love with money and worldly treasures.\u00a0\u00a0 Even though it is tempting in this way to be \u201cmore like Jesus\u201d,\u00a0 we must leave that type of chastisement and correction to the Lord of the House!\u00a0 He is more than capable of getting men\u2019s attention who have gone astray and left the path of life and light to walk in the ways of the wicked one.<\/p>\n God is the only one who can love people when they are in their sins and not be affected by it<\/strong>.\u00a0 Jesus was the only one who was tempted in all points like as we are, and yet without sin.\u00a0 We must take the admonition of scriptures to know if and how we should \u201clove\u201d the sinner\u2026.and if so, to what degree, and to what extent?<\/p>\n Unbelievers are enemies of the gospel, having their eyes darkened by the god of this world, so that\u00a0 they should not see the glorious light of the gospel and be converted. Romans 11:28 “As concerning the gospel,\u00a0they are<\/em> enemies for your sakes. “<\/a>They have chosen to live as children of darkness and of the night.\u00a0 To the contrary, the believer has chosen to live in the glorious light of Jesus Christ, the Word of God!\u00a0 As such, we are in a continual spiritual struggle with the powers of darkness.\u00a0 Are we struggling with the unbelieving individual?\u00a0 No!\u00a0 We are struggling against the fourfold powers of Lucifer. Ephesians 6:12 gives us this truth\u2026“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against (1) principalities, against (2) powers, against (3)the rulers of the darkness of this world, against (4) spiritual wickedness in high places<\/em>.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n Unbelievers are enemies in the sense that they are following the wrong master. Jesus told us that we cannot serve two masters, but must love one and hate the other.\u00a0 (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13) We cannot fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, without that darkness attempting to fill any absence of light!\u00a0 Light has no fellowship with darkness, because where light exists, it will inevitably push out darkness and expose what was once shrouded in its cloak!\u00a0 So how do we show the \u201clove of God\u201d to enemies of the gospel if we never fellowship with them?\u00a0 What is the limits of our involvement?\u00a0 \u00a0First, let us look at a verse from the lips of JESUS and then discuss the meanings of love.\u00a0 Matthew 5:<\/strong> 43 <\/strong>Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love<\/strong> thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.<\/a><\/p>\n 44<\/strong>But I say unto you, Love<\/strong> 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;<\/a><\/p>\n 45<\/strong>That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.<\/a><\/p>\n 46<\/strong>For if ye love<\/strong> them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?<\/a><\/p>\n 47<\/strong>And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more\u00a0than others<\/em>? do not even the publicans so?<\/a><\/p>\n 48<\/strong>Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n So what was Jesus instructing us to do?\u00a0 There are two basic words in Greek which translates into one word in English.\u00a0 The first is agapao<\/em> <\/strong>and the second is agape<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 The first means to love in a social or moral sense, and the second means to love with a deep affection, an overwhelming love, a feast of love, a love from the heart.\u00a0 Jesus was telling us in Matthew 5 that we have a moral obligation \u201clove\u201d \u00a0to show to our fellow man, believer and unbeliever alike.\u00a0 That moral obligation is revealed in that every opportunity \u00a0presented to us, we do good to all men, but especially to those of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10)<\/p>\n When enemies of the gospel revile us, we do not revile back.\u00a0 When persecuted, we do not seek revenge or when we are cursed, we do not respond in kind!\u00a0 We are obligated morally to show the same restraint of love that Christ showed towards us!\u00a0 We are IN this world, but not OF this world, so our response to persecution for the cause of Christ should show forth his marvelous light!\u00a0 However, \u00a0we are never instructed to give away that second portion of love, the agape love!\u00a0 That love is reserved for only our Lord Jesus Christ and fellow believers who are also walking in that same love of Christ!\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n I find it interesting that the first portion of love agapao<\/em><\/strong>, when it is pursued in ways not intended by the gospel, it has the potential to become another Greek word for love, fileo<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 This kind of love means that you begin to embrace the judgement, sentiments, feelings, having a deliberate assent as a matter of principle, duty, or propriety.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Here is where the problem of fellowshipping with unbelievers begins. This is where the attachment in the mind begins, ultimately leading to the fileo<\/em><\/strong> love.\u00a0 How many Christians throughout the ages have misunderstood the instructions of the Lord concerning loving our enemies, represented as the unbelieving world?\u00a0 \u00a0They have allowed the agapao<\/em><\/strong> love for others to develop into fileo<\/em><\/strong> love and in the course of time, found themselves in the same pig pen of worldliness that they once avoided and disdained!\u00a0 Fileo<\/em> <\/strong>love caused them to embrace the judgements, ways, thoughts, attitudes of the world by way of fellowshipping with that darkness, and now their light no longer shines to push out the darkness around them!!\u00a0 Many will try to fervently explain away their actions, proclaiming it is their duty, principle, place of propriety, that caused them to \u201cshow the love of God\u201d! Many will also loudly protest, \u201cThis is my family, I must stand by them!\u201d \u00a0Many mothers have whittled away at their God given scriptural convictions to make room for a wayward child.\u00a0\u00a0 Many fathers have looked the other way and allowed aberrations of the Gospel so a son or daughter would not be \u201coffended\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 The story is the same for grandparents, aunts and uncles who so desire to keep a relationship with their family members, that they have put their relationship with JESUS in jeopardy because they had not the heart to \u201cspeak the truth in LOVE\u201d to a wayward loved one.\u00a0\u00a0 Showing them love is not to be fileo<\/em><\/strong>, an acceptance of their judgements, sentiments or feelings,\u00a0 but only agapao<\/em><\/strong> love, which engages the moral duty \u201c love\u201d to speak the truth and not fellowship with their darkness!\u00a0 So here we see that our fellowship must be limited to the moral duty love portion of speaking truth into the lives of all unbelievers around us, including once close friends and loved ones who may have gone astray!<\/p>\n With our understanding opened to the meanings of love, we can now put into perspective the following verse from 1John 2:<\/strong> 15 <\/strong>Love not the world, neither the things\u00a0that are<\/em>\u00a0in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.<\/a><\/p>\n I will break down the verse here to show the different loves listed here\u2026.15<\/strong>Love (agapao\/fileo) not the world, neither the things\u00a0that are<\/em>\u00a0in the world. If any man love(agapao\/fileo) the world, the love(agape) of the Father is not in him.<\/a><\/p>\n Here we see the difference in clear detail.\u00a0\u00a0 If we (agapao unto fileo)<\/em><\/strong> the world, we will fall in love with the things that are in the world (these things are listed in the next verse: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life) and if you fall in love (fileo)<\/em><\/strong> with the world, the (agape perfect mature charity love)<\/em><\/strong> of the Father is not in you!<\/p>\n Notice in Paul\u2019s letters written to the church, he used a unique portion of the word love (agape) and it is translated into English as \u201ccharity\u201d\u00a0 We know that charity means love, but not just any kind of love!\u00a0 It is that perfected love of God in the life and heart of the believer who is completely sold out to JESUS and has no desire to fellowship with any works or appearance of darkness!\u00a0 Paul uses that word specifically in what we have come to call the \u201clove chapter\u201d in I Corinthians chapter 13!\u00a0 This kind of sold out, totally given to GOD love, comes ONLY WHEN YOU have ceased from fileo<\/em><\/strong> with the world!\u00a0 Paul uses that word instead of love, 21 times in the new testament, encouraging the believers to grow in the mature love of GOD!\u00a0 Peter also uses it 4 times in his writings, and John uses it twice, in I John and in the book of Revelation.\u00a0 And lastly, Jude used it once\u2026with such a warning to not fellowship or associate with works or workers of darkness!\u00a0 Jude1<\/strong>:<\/strong>10 <\/strong>But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.<\/a>11<\/strong>Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.<\/a>12<\/strong>These are spots in your feasts of charity,<\/strong> when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds\u00a0they are<\/em>\u00a0without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;<\/a>13<\/strong>Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.<\/a><\/p>\n Conclusion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n We have a moral obligation, a love obligation to speak the truth, not only in the epistles of our lives, but when that which is darkness presents itself to us in the lives of those around us, whether they be family, acquaintances, or co-workers.\u00a0 We must recognize that the darkness and controlling spirits thereof are what is coming against us.\u00a0 If we are reviled, we revile not again.\u00a0 If we are persecuted, for Christ or His Gospel, we do not respond with hatred or anger. It is sometimes hard to do these things, that is why Jesus instructed us in Matthew as his followers to do this.\u00a0 We are morally \u201clove\u201d obligated to pray for the lost, presenting the light of the glorious Gospel that their eyes may be opened to see!\u00a0 In all believer\u2019s lives, we must go through life interacting with many unbelievers and those who reject the gospel.\u00a0 We are to \u201cdo good\u201d to all men, and with all men live peaceably as much as possible.\u00a0 We can do these things and yet not fellowship with their works of darkness<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 Business relationships sometimes call for meetings in formal and informal places.\u00a0 The formal business situation is usually not an affront to the believer\u2019s lifestyle or convictions.\u00a0 It is in the informal \u201cget to know you\u201d situations, that you will need to guard your mind and your convictions.\u00a0 The drinks will be offered, and you must refuse!\u00a0 They will notice immediately when you bow your head to pray over your meal, and your lack of rioting and cursing will also draw their ire and even ridicule.\u00a0 This is where you must not allow the mindset of the world to settle (fileo)<\/em><\/strong> into your hearts and minds.<\/p>\n Parents who have lost and wayward children must not compromise the gospel to obtain the favor and love of their child!\u00a0 Attempts will be made to get you to accept a lifestyle of sin or deviant behavior, or to cause you to turn away without comment!\u00a0 You must stand strong in the love of GOD and tell them the truth of the gospel! \u00a0Grandparents, aunts and uncles must also be strong in the Lord, and in the power of HIS might! You must not enable those lifestyle choices that you know are in direct disagreement with the Word of God! \u00a0With love remind the sinners and the wayward family member that fornicators, adulterers, thieves, abusers of themselves with mankind, deviant lifestyles of the homosexual, lesbians, gays, transgenders, queers and other such abominable behaviors shall not inherit the kingdom of GOD!\u00a0 Also the drunkards, drug users, whoremongers, idolaters, pornographers and abortionists shall also have their part in the lake of fire, and the smoke of their torment shall ascend up forever and ever!<\/p>\n You need not worry about the fellowshipping part.\u00a0 If you hold fast to the Word of God and with love speak truth into the life of a wayward loved one, they will not want to hang around much.\u00a0 Do not allow your feelings of loneliness and pain, cause you to be silent so that you may have more time to be with that loved one!\u00a0 You, speaking the truth in love will have much more eternal value, in your life and in theirs, if it is coupled with consistency.\u00a0 Plan on you being in the love of GOD, today, tomorrow, and into the future, whatsoever it may bring! Staying in the Love of God (agape) means that whatever the cost of relationship, be it friend or family, you will hold fast to the truth of God\u2019s Word!\u00a0 And the peace of GOD shall keep your hearts and minds!\u00a0 Phillipians 4<\/strong>:7 <\/strong>And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.<\/a>8<\/strong>Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0honest, whatsoever things\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0just, whatsoever things\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0pure, whatsoever things\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0lovely, whatsoever things\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0of good report; if\u00a0there be<\/em>\u00a0any virtue, and if\u00a0there be<\/em>\u00a0any praise, think on these things.<\/a><\/p>\n Be strong in the LORD and show forth HIS LOVE!<\/p>\n Pastor Stephen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Love of God is infinite and inexplicable, so hard for our finite minds to understand its depth and capacity!\u00a0 An old hymn I came across long ago describes as best we can with our mortal tongues to explain a partial understanding of the Love of God! \u201cOh Love of God, how rich and pure! … Continue reading The Love of GOD!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-encouragement-and-growth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.searchforbibletruth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9110"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.searchforbibletruth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.searchforbibletruth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.searchforbibletruth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.searchforbibletruth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9110"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.searchforbibletruth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9113,"href":"https:\/\/www.searchforbibletruth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9110\/revisions\/9113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.searchforbibletruth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.searchforbibletruth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.searchforbibletruth.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}