LOVING

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“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity.”
Colossians 3:14

“Because God is love, we do not discover God from our experience of love, but we discover love from our experience of God.”  Michael Harper in The Love Affair

To look at the character quality of loving is like trying to hug an elephant. It is so big, where do you start? It is what defines us as Christians. It is the essence of God. Even in writing out some Scriptures, it was hard to choose just a few because there are hundreds more.

To begin we must first examine who God is and His love for us. The Bible says God is love. That is His overriding character quality with which we can identify. Love is the theme when we talk about God. Not only is He love, but also He pours that love out into us. He pours it out by the Holy Spirit in an ending, unconditional stream. All we have to do is put our cup out and drink of it. There is nothing that can stop that flow or separate us from it. Read through these verses about God and His love for us.

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”  I John 4:16

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us.”  Romans 5:5

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the pre-sent nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39

The immensity of God’s love for us is exhibited to us through the death of Jesus Christ. As we receive Christ as our sacrifice, God again showers His love on us by making us His children. He didn’t do that because we loved Him so much but He did it because of His love for us. We didn’t have to do any-thing but receive it. The following verses demonstrate what God’s heart toward us is in this area.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.”  I John 3:16

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.”  I John 3:1

“We love because He first loved us.”  I John 4:19

So… God is love, God loves us. How does that bring about the virtue or character quality of love in us? We are able to love others because of God’s love in us. It is not something we work at. It is some-thing that is produced in us through that intimate relationship with God. The Scriptures call it “abiding”. Out of that abiding relationship we have the desire to obey God and to demonstrate His love to others. It is something that we do, not because we have to, because we want to. Our motive is our love for Him.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you, now remain [abide] in my love.” John 15:9

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.”  John 14:15

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”  John 15:12

“For Christ’s love compels us...”  II Corinthians 5:14

“Dear children, let us not love with works or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
I John 3:18

As Christians, our demonstration (not feeling alone) of love is the mark and the goal of interacting with others. Love is one of the most powerful of all Christian virtues.

“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”  Galatians 5:6

God’s Grace, My Surrender