There Is No Plan B With The Love Of God. Know That It Is Always God’s Will To Heal Us; That It Is Always His Will To Prosper Us; And If We Could Grasp This Revelation, It Would Solve All Our Problems. If We Understood How Much God Loved Us, Our Faith Would Shoot Through The Roof. You’d Be Overwhelmed. When Nothing Else Could Help His Love Lifted Me!
God loves you because it is His character. He loves you not because of duty, but because it is who He is and what He does.
There is one thing we all have in common & it is that we have a deep need for love. There is something even more interesting & it is that no one will ever feel complete without accepting God’s love. So, if there is an emptiness that you need to be filled try embracing God’s love.
People use the word love loosely, meaning it has no substance to it, an overused word with no true meaning. We have heard and seen people say I love you to people they do not even like.
Just like the swiftness seen with people who rush into relationships, there are also ... times without purpose or actual reason, does it not lose its significance? The word love is being used at the wrong time and in the wrong context. ... Absolutely loving someone is realizing they have flaws, and so do you, and ... It just seems like love is so shallow now or people don't take it seriously.
How God showed us His love: Jn.3:16 God so loved the world, that He gave His only...Son.
Rom.5:7,8 God commanded His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1Jn.4:9 In this was manifested the love of God...God sent His Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
His love leaves the ninety-nine to find the one every time. To many practical adults, that is a foolish concept. “But what if He loses the ninety-nine in search of the one. What if finding that one lost sheep is and will always be, supremely important. His love is not cautious. No, it is a love that sent His own son to die a gruesome death on a cross. There is no plan B with the love of God. He gives His heart so completely, so preposterously, that if refused, most would consider it irreparably broken. Yet He gives Himself away again. The recklessness of His love is seen most clearly in this-it gets Him hurt over and over. Make no mistake, our sin pains His heart. And 70 times 7 is a lot of times to have your heart broken. Yet He opens and allows us in every time. His love saw you when you hated Him when all logic said,” They’ll reject me,” He said, I do not care if it kills me. I am laying My heart on the line. To get personal, His love saw me, my innocence and youth poured out like water. Yet, He saw fit to use me for His kingdom because He is just that kind. I did not deserve it, as I often say, God extended to us His grace and mercy and we were so underserving, but He is just that good, to look beyond our faults and see our needs. Oh, the overwhelming never ending reckless love of God.
Colossians 3:12-14 ESV
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put-on loves, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
What Does the Bible Say About True Love?
What is love?
What does the Bible say about love?
“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8.
Love is not just an emotion but seen as an act of devotion. True devotion will always lead to loving actions. 1 John 3:18 says “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
When we think of love, it is easy to think about good feelings. But real love is not dependent on feelings. It is about so much more than how I feel about someone. Whether it is romantic love, a member of my family, a friend, a co-worker, so often love is given and received based on what I get out of it. But what do I do when it costs me something to love someone? How does the Bible tell us to love?
God’s Love: Unchanging, Unending, Unconditional!
You hear children say things like this when they are small. “If you don’t play my game, I won’t be your friend anymore!”
Sadly, many adults do the same thing, putting conditions on their willingness to love others. This is often why marriages fail—people are not aware of the unconditional love necessary to make marriage work. Perhaps we should consider more possibilities in our marriage vows, such as, “I promise to love you even if you leave dirty socks on the floor and forget how to take out the garbage.” Such vows would not be very romantic, but they would give engaged couples the opportunity to think about their commitment and the meaning of unconditional love.
Fortunately, God’s love for us is completely unconditional and is freely available to us by grace through faith. We need to understand God’s unconditional love to live in abundant life. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).”
How amazing to think that while we probably should not even have been liked, God completely, eternally, unconditionally loved us! It can be overwhelming to try to comprehend such love. Ephesians 2:4-5 shows us that God’s love for us is based solely on His grace. Our faith needs to stand on this fact. It is not about the things we do or any value of our own.
God’s unconditional love in Living in the Balance of Grace and Faith. “God loves you. If you could grasp this revelation, it would solve all your problems . . . If you understood how much God loved you, your faith would shoot through the roof. You’d be overwhelmed!”
Understanding God’s love for us empowers us to know that it is always God’s will to heal us; that it is always His will to prosper us; and that He would save us at any price.
Think of God as the opposite of the weather. The weather is frequently changing. In the natural world, we are subject to the conditions of the weather. One day it may be sunny; the next day, storms are brewing. But not with God. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and today, and forever” This unchanging quality of God requires that His love for us is unconditional and unchanging.
4 Types of Love in the Bible
Explore the meaning of eros, storge, philia, and agape, the four types of love in the bible: eros, storge, philia, and agape.
The Bible says that God is love and that humans crave love from the moment of existence. But the word love describes an emotion with vastly differing degrees of intensity.
Four unique forms of love are found in Scripture. They are communicated through four Greek words (Eros, Storge, Philia, and Agape) and are characterized by romantic love, family love, brotherly love, and God's divine love.
What Is Eros Love in the Bible?
Eros (Pronounced: AIR-ohs) is the Greek word for sensual or romantic love. The term originated from the mythological Greek god of love, sexual desire, physical attraction, and physical love, Eros, whose Roman counterpart was Cupid.
Love in the form of Eros seeks its own interest and satisfaction—to possess the object of love. God is noticeably clear in the Bible that eros love is reserved for marriage. Promiscuity of all types was rampant in ancient Greek culture and was one of the obstacles the apostle Paul had to battle when planting churches in the eastern Mediterranean. Paul warned young believers against succumbing to immorality: "So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust." (1 Corinthians 7:8–9)
But within the boundary of marriage, eros love is to be celebrated and enjoyed as beautiful blessing from God: "Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love." (Proverbs 5:18–19; see also Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 7:5; Ecclesiastes 9:9)
Even though the term eros is not found in the Old Testament, Song of Solomon vividly portrays the passion of erotic love.
What Is Storge Love in the Bible?
Family Ties That Keep You Strong
Storge (Pronounced: STOR-jay) is a term for love in the Bible that you may not be familiar with. This Greek word describes family love, the affectionate bond that develops naturally between parents and children, and brothers and sisters.
Many examples of family love are found in Scripture, such as the mutual protection among Noah and his wife, the love of Jacob for his sons, and the strong love the sisters Martha and Mary had for their brother Lazarus. An interesting compound word using storge, "philostorgos," is found in Romans 12:10, which commands believers to "be devoted" to one another with brotherly affection.
Christians are members of God's family. Our lives are knit together by something stronger than physical ties—the bonds of the Spirit. We are related by something more powerful than human blood—the blood of Jesus Christ. God calls his children to love each other with the deep affection of storge love.
What Is Philia Love in the Bible?
Philia love
Philia (Pronounced: FILL-ee-uh) is the type of intimate love in the Bible that most Christians practice toward each other. This Greek term describes the powerful emotional bond seen in deep friendships.
Philia originates from the Greek term phílos, a noun meaning "beloved, dear ... a friend; someone dearly loved (prized) in a personal, intimate way; a trusted confidant held dear in a close bond of personal affection." Philia expresses experience-based love.
Philia is the most general type of love in Scripture, encompassing love for fellow humans, care, respect, and compassion for people in need. The concept of brotherly love that unites believers is unique to Christianity. Jesus said philia would be an identifier of his followers: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." (John 13:35, NIV)
What Is Agape Love in the Bible?
God-s-Eternal-Love.jpg
Agape (Pronounced: Uh-GAH-pay) is the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. This term defines God's immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial, and pure.
Jesus Christ demonstrated this kind of divine love to his Father and to all humanity in the way he lived and died: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Following his resurrection, Jesus asked the apostle Peter if he loved him (agape). Peter replied three times that he did, but the word he used was phileo or brotherly love (John 21:15–19). Peter had not yet received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; he was incapable of agape love. But after Pentecost, Peter was so full of God's love that he spoke from his heart and 3,000 people were converted.
Love is one of the most powerful emotions humans can experience. For Christian believers, love is the truest test of genuine faith.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
"Love is long-suffering and kind. It does not envy; does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
So, what is love then? When I can do all these things despite my feelings, regardless of someone’s actions, that is love. I do not feel loving when I am tempted to anger, to impatience, to seek my own, to believe the worst, to give up on someone. But when I deny these feelings and rejoice, am long-suffering, humble myself, bear with someone, endure all things – that is true love. Love lays down its life, those natural reactions and demands that are a part of human nature and expects nothing in return.
“Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13.
What does the Bible say about love? Loving first
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son.” 1 John 4:10. It is great if someone loves me, and I love them in return. That is easy. But that is not proof of love. God loved us before we loved Him, and we certainly did nothing to deserve that love. What if someone has treated me badly? Where is my love then? Love gives, and not only to those who are good to us. It loves its enemies; it loves first. And it does not disappear if that love is never reciprocated. It endures all things.
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:44-45.
What does the Bible say about love? Godly love
The Bible is crystal clear about forgiving others. But why is it so important, and how do I get the strength to forgive them?
“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven but dwelling on it separates close friends.” “Hatred stirs old quarrels, but love overlooks insults.” "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." "The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him."
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother.” 1 John 4:20-21.
Our love for God is not greater than our love for our fellow men. Godly love does not change according to circumstances. It is rooted and grounded.
No exceptions to love.
And there are no exceptions. No “Well, this person doesn’t deserve it.” Jesus laid down His life for us, the ultimate sign of how much He loved us. And no one has ever been less deserving than we are of that. To love does not mean to agree with someone’s sin, to say that everything that they do is OK. Rather, it is to bear with them, to pray for them, to have faith in them, to want the absolute best for them. It is action despite how I feel. Then I can go from having a natural dislike for someone to having a genuine love for them. To help someone and turn them from things that could be harmful to them, I can exhort, advise, or correct them, but only when I do it out of genuine concern and care for them.
Everyone I meet should sense a drawing to Christ through me. Love is what draws people. Goodness, kindness, meekness of heart, patience, understanding. How can someone feel drawn if their experience of me is impatience, haughtiness, rudeness, hate, etc.?
So, if I feel that I am lacking in true Godly love, then I can pray to God that He can show me how I gain more of it. I need to be willing to give up my own self-will and think of others before myself.
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13.
Forgiving others can be difficult.
Forgiving others is important, but sometimes it can be difficult to do. Why should I forgive, and how can I do it?
“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’” Matthew 18:21-22.
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15.
Forgiving others who have wronged you, whether for a relatively small thing, or for a seriously damaging act against you, can sometimes seem like an insurmountably difficult thing to do. In some cases, it is a process that really takes time. Yet, the Bible is crystal clear on the necessity of it. And there are no caveats such as “unless,” “if,” or “but.” As in all things, we need to look to our Forerunner, Captain, and Master as our example.
“Father forgive them.”
People spend years searching for the meaning of true love, but very few turns to the Bible to learn what it has to say about it. The Bible is full of passages about love, and it is one of the central themes of scripture. Love is one of the most important virtues of living a Christian life, so we should really be turning to God to understand what it means.
Draw near to God, and in His love, you will find everything you need.
J.P. Olson
www.journeyintotheword.com
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