Evening Y'all! I pray this post encourages you and gives God glory! Got suggested topics you want me to write about? Please comment below or email me at info@mocatoday.com.
Let's explore some basic principles about love.
But first, what is love?
If you were to ask someone what is love, you would get a different answer from each person due to the varied experiences, perceptions, and teachings we each have...
Thankfully, we have the Word of God as our source of truth. We can study the Bible to learn how God defines love and understand what He had in mind when He created love.
Love can be a challenge to define at the level of how a person experiences it. Love can involve personal affection, sexual attraction, platonic admiration, brotherly loyalty, benevolent concern, or worshipful adoration. To accurately answer the question “what is love?” we need to go to the origin of love. The Bible tells us that love originates in God. ~Gotquestions.org
We also know God is love (1 John 4:8). Therefore, to know what love is and to be able to practice love (as God defines), we must first know God.
We can know God by:
Choosing Him. First, we must make Jesus Christ our personal Lord and Savior.
Growing a personal relationship. Spend consistent time with Jesus in prayer and Bible Study.
Becoming a Christ ambassador. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and teach us how to serve, think, act, and feel more Christlike, according to God's will for our lives.
The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.] ~1 John 4:8 (AMP)
Biblically speaking, the Greek language has four types of love:
Storge love: Familial, parental love
Eros love: Erotic, romantic, sexual love
Phileo love: Brotherly, friendship love
Agape love: God's love. The Fruit of the Holy Spirit speaks to agape love or the perfect love that only God can give (Galatians 5:22). Since the source of agape love is God, we cannot express this love type apart from Him! Therefore, having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and making Him Lord over our lives is critical important.
Although each love type is clearly different by definition and practice, there are at least five biblical principles they all share:
1. Love is an action, not a feeling.
There are numerous examples throughout the Old and New Testaments that support this principle. However, one of my favorites is from John 3:16: For God so loved us that He chose to sacrifice His only Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation.
In other words— Due to God's love for us, God made a choice, committed a deliberate action (wasn't just an emotional feeling) when He commanded the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on our behalf, for our freedom and salvation.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ~John 3:16 (KJV)
2. Love is sacrificial.
As believers, we are called to pick up our cross daily, deny ourselves, and follow Christ in how we think, act, and feel.
Jesus explained—
Then He said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it." ~Luke 9:23-24 (NIV)
By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ~1 John 3:16 (ESV)
3. Love involves commitment.
God's love endures forever. Since love is an action, a level of commitment (the state or quality of being dedicated to a specific task, cause, or activity) is required to complete an action. Without commitment, we can't complete an action.
Oh let Israel say, "His lovingkindness endures forever." ~Psalm 136:26
4. Love is reciprocal.
Reciprocity exists within our relationship with God (2 Chronicles 15:1-4) and within relationships we have with each other.
We love Him because He first loved us. ~1 John 4:19 (NKJV)
Our Daily Journey provides a helpful explanation—
Reciprocity is taught in the Bible (Matthew 7:12). Society can't function without it. It is, however, limited.
For instance, what happens when there’s no mutual benefit? What happens when a friend can’t reciprocate our care, or a poor country has nothing to offer a superpower? What do we do with those who can give little back to society— the poor, the intellectually disabled, the mentally ill? Sometimes, we can’t repay debts or contribute our fair share, and so the Bible says reciprocity must be tempered by mercy (Matthew 5:7, James 2:13).
But the Christian faith goes a step further. Beyond reciprocity or mercy, it teaches agape. This is the Greek word used to describe undeserved, sacrificial, no-strings-attached, self-giving love. God’s very nature is agape love (1 John 4:8). He gives good things to the deserving and the undeserving (Matthew 5:44-45). We’re to give without expecting a return (Luke 6:32-36). Jesus described real love as laying down one’s life for others (John 15:12-13), and what can we gain after doing that? Jesus lived out His teaching. He died a cruel death at humanity’s hands, loving even His persecutors to the end (Luke 23:34). His love went beyond any reciprocity (Romans 5:7-8).
5. Love does not delight in evil and wickedness.
Instead, love rejoices in learning and practicing God's truths.
Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ~1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (CSB)
What are some other biblical principles about love? I'd love to hear from you!
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Remember, it's about progression not perfection! God loves you! With Him, you got this! Until next post, may God give you His peace and blessings!
~Natasha
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