Love as Love

This is something that's been on my mind for awhile, but I was unable to put into words. I'm still not sure I can do so, but I feel like thinking about it, and so while I think about it, I'm going to write about it.

I'm not going to bother with the love of family, or the love of friends, or even the love of lovers. Everyone knows those, or at least thinks about those pretty frequently. My concern is of agape love, the love of God, the love that exemplifiers of Christ display, the self-sacrificing love, the love that has the power to heal all hurts. It's the love that sets Christians apart from the world. It's the love that, when lacking, makes Christians hypocrites.

It is the one continual aspect of Christianity that is dependent on others. Your faith is a matter between you and God. Your time of prayer and bible study are often private times with you and God. But, while your love for God is your own, the method of displaying such love requires others. "Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:7-8. I love the book of 1 John. But I'll get back to that.

I suppose I will limit my conversation about love even more, and refer only to the love of fellow believers in Christ. Next to our love for God, this is where it all begins. If we can not love each other, how can we love the world? How can we show the world what God's love is? As true followers of Christ, we are not just souls with like minds. We are not just family. We are one. In chapter 12 of his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul discusses the workings of the church as a body. He does it on other places, too, but I especially like it when he talks of it here, because he describes how each part is needed, he goes on to say "But God has so composed the body... so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it." (1 Corinthians 12:24b-26) Romans 12:15 tells us to "rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep." The rejoicing part is easy, right? After all, everyone likes to celebrate. Well, except perhaps those who don't feel they have much to rejoice about. Or those who think the person who is rejoicing doesn't deserve it. In the same way, who wants to suffer with someone when you have so many other happy things you could concentrate on? Sadly, the Scripture doesn't put a disclaimer that absolves us when the situation is not convenient.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility, consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look out not only for your own interests, but also the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant. And being found in appearance of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:3-8. Jesus. What He did; that is true love. Putting our needs, our wants, our happiness before others; that is not love. And as Paul so eloquently puts it, the things we do outside of love we do because we are selfish and vain. And likewise, we are selfish and vain because we do not love.

More verses about love:
"Since you have, in obedience to the truth, purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart." - 1 Peter 1:22
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:9
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10
"Therefore, [because your souls are purified, you are obedient to the truth and you have been born again], putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander..." 1 Peter 2:1

I include the verse in 1 Peter 2 because it is said just two sentences after the verse in 1 Peter 1. This verse describes anti-love. Also, it is interesting to note that the word "sincere" in Romans 12:9, in which I quoted the NIV, is translated "without hypocrisy" in the NASB. See? Anti-love.

A thing I have come to realize about love is that not only are we to give it, but we are also to receive it. The disciples relied on the church to provide for their physical needs while they provided for the church's physical needs. In this way, the church was also able to show love. We can not serve if others are unwilling to be served, or if there is no service to do. Now, this is not a license to allow everyone to serve you, as that would be selfish. But at the same time we need to be able to say "although it is not necessary, I will allow you to help me, because I know you love me." That was a really difficult lesson for me to learn.

Back to 1 John. 1 John 2:10-11 say "The one who loves his brother abides in the Light, and there is no cause for stumble in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." There is no gray area with God. We are either in the Light or we are in darkness. This is shown numerous times in the Bible. So, in the same way, if we do not love our brother, we hate him. There is no ambivalence, or slight disdain. Anything we do to our brother that is not an act of love is an act of hatred. And for that we shall be held accountable in the end.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6. Loving everyone all the time can be wearying, especially when the love is not reciprocated. It is important to remember that love is not always about giving people what they want, and in fact, is best expressed by denying people of their wants. And gently rebuking their behavior, if they are Christian, which is what I have been talking about. Let us not forget that our direction always comes from God. But even still, some times it's easier to give in than to do what is right. Yet Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

All of this has been to examine myself inasmuch as it is to teach anyone else. A few verses earlier in Galatians 6, Paul says "Each one test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else." There are times when the world wants to tell me I'm wrong- for wanting to serve others, for scorning selfishness, and for wanting to love. But there is only one standard upon which to measure my actions. And although I fall very short of perfection so much of the time, I will continue to do what I can, and always strive to do better. Because that is all I can do. And it is all I expect of anyone who cares to call themselves my brother or sister in Christ.

Inspired by Steve's sermon

1 Timothy 1:12-17

New Beginnings

New beginnings are not only advised, they are required with God. We must be born again, of the Spirit (John 3).

Am I willing to look at others and recognize their change? Or do I hold their old selves against them? Saul is a great example of someone who made a drastic life change after encountering Christ. After accepting Christ, he was a new creature. Although he had persecuted the church, the disciples were able to recognize his change and accept him as one of them. I need to be able to do this with others. I need to accept that God's power is limitless and even the worst of sinners can be given a new beginning.

Starting over requires repentance. Is our obligation to ask for forgiveness limited to God, or are we also obligated to each other? Is it enough to change, or must we make amends with those we have hurt?

When we recognize that people need a new beginning, we are obligated to make them aware of their sin. If we see that a new beginning is needed, yet do not attempt to set that in motion, we stand in the way of what God wants from others. Jesus sent Saul to Ananias instead of explaining Himself what Saul needed to do. God uses us to bring about others to a right relationship with Him.

Notes on Sunday AM class

Acts 19:19 - Those who practiced sorcery came together publicly to burn their books. While they were not commanded to destroy their books, it was the only thing they could do in order to be truly repentant.

Sometimes it is necessary to rid ourselves of physical things in order to repent. Other times we need only to change our attitude. If our problem is lack of patience, or anger with our brother, the solution is not to kick him out of the house, but to humble ourselves and work through our differences.

Whether getting rid of things or attitudes, repentance requires a sacrifice. We must be willing to give up something when we desire to change.

Inspired by Drew's sermon

Judas sought out Jesus' enemies to betray Him. he was chosen by Jesus to have great power, he was there to witness the miracles, to listen to all of the parables and their meanings, and he was there when Peter proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ. Yet somsething in him allowed himself to seek personal gain and betray Him, whatever his reasoning. He felt that doing so was more valuable to him than obeying Jesus.

What is most valuable to me? Is it my favor among others, or my financial status, or my professional experience? Or is it my relationship with God? Do the things I do place more emphasis on self, and place them above God's importance in my life?

Inspired by Steve's sermon

As Isaiah did in chapter 6, we come to worship not for ourselves, but to fellowship in the presence of the Lord of Hosts. Church service is not for us, for us to get something out of. We are here to worship and through that we will be blessed.

The word "worship" used in the New Testament implies a physical act. It is not enough for us to just be here. We must actively participate and engage our minds. Then we are worshipping in Spirit.

We come to service to encourage one another. Hebrews 10:23-25. To stimulate one another, we must move them to action, to do what we are convicted to do.

"They were continually devoting themselves..." (Acts 2:42) literally, constantly attending all exercises. The early church was there for each other at all times, taking every opportunity to serve one another.

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee

Laban became greedy and began to treat Jacob poorly. He grew to covet the prosperity he received after Jacob worked for him, and took advantage of Jacob's hard work. From the moment he tricked Jacob by giving him Leah instead of Rachel, Laban tried to take whatever he could from Jacob without giving anything in return. Never did he see him as a son, only as a means of making a profit.

Yet despite all of his efforts, God still blessed Jacob and gave him much. When he fled to Canaan with what had been decided as his wages, he had much, even though Laban had tried to take it all away from him. Jacob served Laban even while being mistreated, and God rewarded Jacob while taking from Laban what he tried so hard to hold on to.

Often times people see us for less than what we are. They look at how we can better their lives, and do not take into account the needs of our own life. Yet we are not to repay their inconsiderate attitude with one of our own. Just as Jacob had committed to serving Laban, so we have a commitment to God to server others. We can not let the bad things others do make us into bad people. Romans 12:17-21 tells us that we should not return evil for evil, and that God is the one who will enact vengeance. Just as Laban lost his daughters and his cattle, so God will repay as He sees fit. We need to be as Jacob was and wait for God's blessing.

Beloved, let us love one another.

"As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and not a lie, and just as it has been taught you, abide in Him." - 1 John 2:27

Truth can not be learned from a bible study. It can't be taught through discussion, listening to sermons will not give you the truth. We can only receive the truth from the Spirit. So why do we evangelize? To give people the knowledge and direction to find the truth. Why do we study with each other? Because we have the truth, and now we must help each other grow and remain in the truth. It is important for others to be involved in our spiritual walk, to lead us, to strengthen us, and to keep us accountable. But ultimately, people can not save us. Only through discovering the truth and keeping the commands (1 John 2:5) can we be perfected.

"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." - 1 John 3:16

Jesus laid down His life by sacrificing and dying on the cross. yet the death was not what was important, it was the sacrifice. If Jesus had died through the plan of men, it would not have been enough. But His death was through the plan of God, that He may take upon Himself the burden of man so that we would not have to struggle with them anymore. We lay down our lives for others by doing the same, sacrificing ourselves and taking upon their burdens. it is rare that it would benefit anyone by dying for them. But we can take on their financial or emotional or even physical burdens, in order to alleviate the burden from them. This is how we fulfill God's command and show love.