What is God's Love? p3
Series on 1Corinthians 13:4-13
part 1
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart,do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. James 3:14
In Part 1 of this series, we briefly looked at human emotion, asking the question: What is love to you? We looked at the word Perfect and what the meaning of this word represents and how it is defined.
Today I ask you to consider this question: Is it possible from imperfect human emotion and feeling to describe what pure love is? Or better asked, do we humans have any understanding or wisdom as to what "perfect" really means? Has any person ever truly seen purity? Are we able to know perfection when we see it?
A daunting thought in the attempt to define such essence, is it not, friends? What does "perfect" mean to you? Ask yourself this simple honest question: Am I perfect? As for myself, I honestly know and willingly admit, I am not perfect, as I consider to myself in all honesty, am I really any different than you? The apostle Paul describes Agape love or, as translated in the KJV, Charity by means of contrast.
Charity in the original Greek is Agape [1] and means: brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence.
Song of Solomon
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm:
for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave:
the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
The Woe's of Isaiah....
The Gospel of Matthew
Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
The prophet Isaiah described the visualization of divine love some 2800 years ago when he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, as his train [4] filled the temple. Listen now to one of the few men of all humanity describe what he witnessed. Isaiah 6:
When men have described angels in spirit form, they were immediately afraid and frightened (Daniel 10:11). Angels are described in the Bible as messengers of God and they serve Him. They may be seen or unseen, but according to the Bible they are all around us. God uses them as His servants to protect and help those who will inherit salvation. (Hebrews 1:14)
When men have described seeing the Lord Jesus Christ, they describe their souls as undone and their sin manifest within their mind as they all saw themselves as fallen, unclean, unrighteous. Their sin was revealed immediately as they describe, not being frightened, but that of their own iniquity and sorrow. Woe is me... the prophet of God said of himself. Daniel was a man greatly beloved in heaven and on earth. When seeing the Lord Jesus he declared himself as corrupt. Imagine then as these great prophets of God describe their own personal visions. All these great men describe the same exact experience.
Ezekiel saw the Lord and fell upon his face (1:28). Ezekiel declares he was fallen upon his face and asked to stand. It is obvious he was unable on his own strength:
If you believe in angels, then you must believe that some of them are fallen and condemned because of their sin against God. Who is man to discern a being far greater than himself, when he himself is not perfect? I ask you this question: If you believe in God, why would you trust a spirit being to guide your level of spiritual understanding when they themselves worship Jesus Christ and they are used to help man towards salvation, through Jesus Christ?
The practice of communicating with the spirit world is forbidden in the Biblical record, and if you are practicing such then you are deceived already by rejecting what God has clearly declared. The Bible is absolute in the workings of angels in this world and their purpose as ministering spirits of God. [6]
The prophets of God are clear as to their experience of seeing the Lord Jesus Christ in their presence having described perfection, through their own hearts and minds as they themselves fell on their face declaring their own personal iniquity. "Woe is me," said Isaiah, a great prophet of God. "I am corrupt and undone," claimed a man greatly beloved of God. Quite a contrast. Friend, are you a sinner? The Bible declares you are a sinner. The proof of this judgment as witnessed by these men of God is a reverse axiom: Are you perfect?
Who taught us to love? If life is relative and all things are subjective as humanism declares, then how could emotions, feelings, desires and passions evolve from a primordial soup of an evolutionary being, with no hope of an everlasting future? Indeed absurd if you attempt to take a deeper look at this wonderful gift that is inherent to all living human souls, given to us by an all-loving and gracious heavenly Father who is the essence of pure agape love.
Chapters 12-14 of this epistle to the Corinthians is in fact the section where the Apostle Paul describes Spiritual Gifts. These gifts are given to those who choose Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, seeking repentance of personal sin, becoming born again (baptised) through the Holy Spirit. Indeed, it is remarkable how unique and revolutionary the Holy Bible is among all books ever known, from eternity past to our eternal future. Nothing compares to the magnificence of love revealed through this book. For it is the revelation of perfection itself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Both Solomon and Paul said it best as each agreed to their own paradigm, one thousand years removed from each other. All things under the sun (earth) is vanity and vexation of the spirit, death. To be born again under the sun comes from only above (heaven) and this is the wisdom and understanding of the gift of love to all mankind. For God so loved the world....
This is the manifest record of the man Jesus. While he was alive on this earth, the Lord Jesus demonstrated to the world what perfect love is and what the price of perfect love would require us to pay for the penalty of sin and destroy evil and iniquity forever. His blood purchased all the souls that declare Him Lord and King. There is no love greater than this as He is the complete and total essence of pure agape love. There is no religion, faith, or belief on earth that is to come, or that which has past, that has equated and demonstrated such love as our Lord Jesus did for all of humanity. A man himself and forever a man, as we are men and created in His image (1 John 3:2). This is truly a gracious gift that such depths cannot be known by the human mind. The Bible has declared and all has been revealed. There is none righteous, no, not one. (Romans 3:10)
Overview of Gifts [7] 1 Corinthians
Chapters 12-14 concerns spiritual gifts. This series of articles concentrates on this 13th chapter, looking at God's Love and the gift of love to humanity. Chapter 13 is a biography of Christ. The energy of God's gift is Agape Love
What a privilege it is to know and realize that Jesus is the true living God. This is what the Bible calls The Beginning of Wisdom and this can only be a gift from God for those who ask Him. It is a free gift offered for all to achieve and attain, for it is a free gift to those who seek truth. The superscription written over him on the cross, in the letters of Greek, Latin and Hebrew read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. He was the rightful male heir as King of the Jews, passed through the bloodline of King David as Jesus is called the son of David. He is our Kinsman-Redeemer [8] as he is titled The Son of Man [9].
We are created in the image of God in three ways: Mind (God the Father), body (God the Son) and spirit (God the Holy Spirit). The problem with humanity is that our spirit is dead. It is evident through early life that we correspond to that which is in our physical and mental capacity. Yet who can reveal anything of their spirit? Who can know anything of the eternal? No person can, and the Bible makes this clear. Man is but a soul that will perish. It is so because we are not eternal beings, unable to deliver ourselves from all sorts of diseases, birth defects, illness, human emotions of hate, revenge, selfishness and so forth. Humans are unable to travel between time and space and we do not live in the presence of God, having all knowledge. This, friends, is not where humanity dwells. We dwell in a world that is corrupt and fallen, rejecting God's authority, morality and judgment.
Our physical bodies require food and water for life. Our spirit requires food and water as well. Jesus said that He is the living waters and that He is the spiritual food we need, I am the bread of life. God only speaks through His word, the Holy Bible, which reveals the living Christ. The Word become flesh as they witnessed His glory and life. We believe their testimony as truth. Jesus is the single absolute standard for all human experience. We know this is truth because we know what love is in our own experience as we place absolute judgment on what is truth in our own lives. What person does make not make absolute judgments in his daily life? We hold all things we know and understand up to some measure. What is your measure, friend? What have you used to measure what is truth in your experience?
This is what it means to pass from a child to an adult in terms of spiritual truth. We now know that these relative truths of ours are to be considered and compared to some form of standard. Knowing the truth of humanity from our present and past corrupt condition of pride and selfishness, of contempt and disregard to others, of spiritual blindness and flawed human wisdom, of inequity and injustices, of immorality and wanton perversion, of bitterness and revenge, of secrets and deception, of death and war, of murder and anguish, of theft and greed, of self-consumption and feeble comforts, of apathy and spiritlessness, of lust and pleasing desires. Behold humanism... nothing but vanity and vexation of the spirit.
Our spirit is dead for certain and it is agape love that holds all things in balance through righteous judgment. These determinations have nothing to do with our decisions or efforts to change a thing, of what we feel or think is right or wrong. We frail humans can do nothing to this creation that is sustained all around us other than regard it and react to it. This is true for every culture of every time frame, in totality of all earthly existence, from eternity past to eternity future. This is true as well for the written word of God, The Holy Bible, The Word of God.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Revelation 19:13
Man is a fallen and inherently sinful creature. It is only the lasting and enduring pure love of God that can deliver us from our current state of death and decay even though we have life. Delivering us to a complete and fulfilled condition of mind, body and spirit, as God intended in the beginning and as God will bring though for all those who will listen to what He has declared. Are you are true, reborn child of God? If not, why not ask God today to help you find Him? Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it will be opened.
Absolute judgment and perfection determine love. It cannot be any other way. If love is subjected to emotion and feeling, then love cannot remain because our love is tempered by faulty judgment and uncontrolled emotion, caused by personal feeling and held accountable through those whom we love. This is selfishness and pride as we do not love our neighbors and we don't love God with all our mind, soul and strength. We only love that which pleases ourselves, for we are dead to the spiritual and cannot even perceive it, for we are blinded to truth. Human knowledge, wisdom and understanding, these are but mortal things that will pass away. Only love remains.
Another interesting look at this word abide. Abide means: To dwell; settle, to pervade, prompt, govern it to dwell in, inhabit. God is said to dwell in the temple, i.e. to be always present for worshippers. inhabitant.
Consider this verse:
In my Father's universe there are many living spaces, many places of abiding and dwelling life. I am preparing a place of eternal life for those who accept salvation, giving them eternal life through my perfect love. (paraphrase)
Romans Chapter 5
Psalms 22:1
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [11]
why art thou so far from helping me, [12]
and from the words of my roaring? [13]
[1] Agape New Testament Greek Lexicon
[2] Friend According to Scripture there are three possible objects of friendship: another person, God or his Son, or someone else who follows Jesus.
[3] Woe woe! alas! oh! passionate cry of grief or despair
[4] train Shuwl meaning a skirt (of robe), a high priest's robe.
[5] Undone to cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy, perish.
[6] What can we learn from angels RBC Ministries
[7] Notes and outlines J. Vernon McGee - Thru The Bible radio program.
[8] Kinsman-Redeemer Male relative who, according to various laws found in the Pentateuch, had the privilege or responsibility to act for a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need of vindication.
[9] Son of Man Used by Christ himself. Designates himself as the head of the human family, the man, the one who both furnished the pattern of the perfect man and acted on behalf of all mankind. The term "Son of Man" occurs sixty-nine times in the Synoptic Gospels, thirteen times in John, and once in Acts. All but three occurences come from the lips of Jesus.
[10] Bridegroom 1)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her (Eph:5:25). 2)One of the bridegroom's friends who on his behalf asked the hand of the bride and rendered him various services in closing the marriage and celebrating the nuptials.
[11] Why hast thou forsaken me is the language of a heart binding up its happiness in God's favour. This must be applied to Christ. In the first words of this complaint, he poured out his soul before God when he was upon the cross (matt:27:46). Being truly man, Christ felt a natural unwillingness to pass through such great sorrows, yet his zeal and love prevailed.
[12] so far from helping me: salvation, deliverance by God, victory.
[13] words of my roaring: shows that the complaint is expressed intelligently, though the term "roaring" is figurative, taken from the conduct of irrational creatures in pain, a cry of distress.
part 1
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart,do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. James 3:14
In Part 1 of this series, we briefly looked at human emotion, asking the question: What is love to you? We looked at the word Perfect and what the meaning of this word represents and how it is defined.
Today I ask you to consider this question: Is it possible from imperfect human emotion and feeling to describe what pure love is? Or better asked, do we humans have any understanding or wisdom as to what "perfect" really means? Has any person ever truly seen purity? Are we able to know perfection when we see it?
A daunting thought in the attempt to define such essence, is it not, friends? What does "perfect" mean to you? Ask yourself this simple honest question: Am I perfect? As for myself, I honestly know and willingly admit, I am not perfect, as I consider to myself in all honesty, am I really any different than you? The apostle Paul describes Agape love or, as translated in the KJV, Charity by means of contrast.
Charity in the original Greek is Agape [1] and means: brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence.
- Agape originates from Agapao and means: to welcome, to be fond of, to love dearly, to be well pleased, to be contented.
- Agapao originates from Phileo and this means: To love; to approve of, to sanction, to treat affectionately or kindly, to welcome, befriend. To show signs of love; to kiss.
- Phileo originates from Philos [a primitive word] meaning: Friend. [2]
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm:
for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave:
the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
- Envy (zhlovwto): To burn with zeal, to be heated or to boil with envy, hatred, anger.
A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones. Proverbs 14:30
Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9:6
Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. Romans 13:3 - Vaunteth (perpereuvomai): This is the only time in the Bible this word is used, essentially described as Vanity. To boast one's self, a self display, employing rhetorical embellishments in extolling one's self excessively.
As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. Lamentations 4:17
- Evil (kakovß): In general, of persons, of thoughts, deeds, actions: bad, disagreeable, malignant, unpleasant, displeasing sad, unhappy, hurtful, unkind (vicious in disposition), wicked (ethically), giving pain, unhappiness, misery, distress, injury, calamity, adversity.
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. John 7:7
- Think no evil: Of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be, of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting, base, wrong, wicked, troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful.
Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellers of peace is joy. Proverbs 12:20
But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. Isaiah 57:20 - Inquity (Adikia): Perversity, depravity, guilt
The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Psalms:5:5
For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
Isaiah 32:6
Woe [3] unto them..... that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! (5:8) Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! (5:11) Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: (5:18)
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (5:20)
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (5:21) Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink (5:22) Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; (10:1) Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? 29:15
Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
The prophet Isaiah described the visualization of divine love some 2800 years ago when he saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, as his train [4] filled the temple. Listen now to one of the few men of all humanity describe what he witnessed. Isaiah 6:
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; [5] because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.In this verse it is clear that what Isaiah saw caused him immediately to declare his own sinful heart, claiming himself not only sinful but as though he were dead. Why did Isaiah declare his own sinful heart immediately? The Bible is very clear on the different visual experiences between Jesus Christ and that of angels.
When men have described angels in spirit form, they were immediately afraid and frightened (Daniel 10:11). Angels are described in the Bible as messengers of God and they serve Him. They may be seen or unseen, but according to the Bible they are all around us. God uses them as His servants to protect and help those who will inherit salvation. (Hebrews 1:14)
When men have described seeing the Lord Jesus Christ, they describe their souls as undone and their sin manifest within their mind as they all saw themselves as fallen, unclean, unrighteous. Their sin was revealed immediately as they describe, not being frightened, but that of their own iniquity and sorrow. Woe is me... the prophet of God said of himself. Daniel was a man greatly beloved in heaven and on earth. When seeing the Lord Jesus he declared himself as corrupt. Imagine then as these great prophets of God describe their own personal visions. All these great men describe the same exact experience.
Ezekiel saw the Lord and fell upon his face (1:28). Ezekiel declares he was fallen upon his face and asked to stand. It is obvious he was unable on his own strength:
And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. (2:1)Daniel describes his visitation:
And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. (10:7-8)The Biblical record describes what men have seen when looking upon perfection, the Lord Jesus. These descriptions are not the same as when angels appeared unto men. The differences of these visualizations and experiences are as of night and day, even life and death themselves. What is claimed today by "spiritual mediums" is that they communicate with spirit beings, as they are here to help mankind with a variety of problems which seem to plague us but only growing worse and worse, and that that they are friendly in their purposes and loving towards us. Friends, in all the Biblical accounts, not one person summoned up an angel (spirit being) as to communicate with them. The Bible is clear and exact that they are sent forth of God to deliver His messages to those who are chosen.
If you believe in angels, then you must believe that some of them are fallen and condemned because of their sin against God. Who is man to discern a being far greater than himself, when he himself is not perfect? I ask you this question: If you believe in God, why would you trust a spirit being to guide your level of spiritual understanding when they themselves worship Jesus Christ and they are used to help man towards salvation, through Jesus Christ?
The practice of communicating with the spirit world is forbidden in the Biblical record, and if you are practicing such then you are deceived already by rejecting what God has clearly declared. The Bible is absolute in the workings of angels in this world and their purpose as ministering spirits of God. [6]
The prophets of God are clear as to their experience of seeing the Lord Jesus Christ in their presence having described perfection, through their own hearts and minds as they themselves fell on their face declaring their own personal iniquity. "Woe is me," said Isaiah, a great prophet of God. "I am corrupt and undone," claimed a man greatly beloved of God. Quite a contrast. Friend, are you a sinner? The Bible declares you are a sinner. The proof of this judgment as witnessed by these men of God is a reverse axiom: Are you perfect?
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. (13:10)
Matthew Henry Commentary
To sum up the excellences of charity, it is preferred not only to gifts, but to other graces, to faith and hope. Faith fixes on the Divine revelation, and assents thereto, relying on the Divine Redeemer. Hope fastens on future happiness, and waits for that; but in heaven, faith will be swallowed up in actual sight, and hope in enjoyment. There is no room to believe and hope, when we see and enjoy. But there, love will be made perfect. There we shall perfectly love God. And there we shall perfectly love one another. Blessed state! how much surpassing the best below! God is love (1John 4:8-16). Where God is to be seen as he is, and face to face, there charity is in its greatest height; there only will it be perfected.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. (13:1)Very clearly the apostle Paul is describing all things known, yet demonstrating that without love we are nothing. Love is revealed to humanity as we are able to witness love within ourselves. Love is a true gift that God has bestowed upon all His creation. This gift is evidenced in our own lives as we possess love within our being, our soul. For those who reject the sovereignty of God and His providence, I ask you this simple question: How can love evolve or be learned if there is no creator?
Geneva Bible Study
He reasons first of charity, the excellency of which he first shows by this, that without it, all other gifts are as nothing before God. And this he proves partly by an induction, and partly also by an argument taken of the end, for what reason those gifts are given. For, to what purpose are those gifts but to God’s glory, and the profit of the Church as is before proved? So that those gifts, without charity, have no right use. (a) A very earnest amplifying of the matter, as if he said, "If there were any tongues of angels, and I had them, and did not use them to the benefit of my neighbor, it would be nothing else except a vain and prattling type of babbling." (b) That gives a rude and uncertain sound.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. (13:2-3)
Who taught us to love? If life is relative and all things are subjective as humanism declares, then how could emotions, feelings, desires and passions evolve from a primordial soup of an evolutionary being, with no hope of an everlasting future? Indeed absurd if you attempt to take a deeper look at this wonderful gift that is inherent to all living human souls, given to us by an all-loving and gracious heavenly Father who is the essence of pure agape love.
Chapters 12-14 of this epistle to the Corinthians is in fact the section where the Apostle Paul describes Spiritual Gifts. These gifts are given to those who choose Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, seeking repentance of personal sin, becoming born again (baptised) through the Holy Spirit. Indeed, it is remarkable how unique and revolutionary the Holy Bible is among all books ever known, from eternity past to our eternal future. Nothing compares to the magnificence of love revealed through this book. For it is the revelation of perfection itself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Both Solomon and Paul said it best as each agreed to their own paradigm, one thousand years removed from each other. All things under the sun (earth) is vanity and vexation of the spirit, death. To be born again under the sun comes from only above (heaven) and this is the wisdom and understanding of the gift of love to all mankind. For God so loved the world....
Ecclesiastes 1:12-18: I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with mine own heart, saying, lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.In this section of Gifts (chapter 13), we have the very definition of love itself, what God's love is and what precious gifts He will bestow upon His creation. Friends, there is nothing, but nothing, that could ever achieve such magnificence as these words we have just looked at. This whole series of articles on (chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians) is the very biography of Jesus Christ himself. No human knowledge or wisdom could describe that which is not describable. If you cannot understand this, then please describe to me what love is to you. I am afraid that you will be just like me when comes the time to describe such an awesome thing. There are no words for such. The only possible word to describe Jesus as man and as God is simply that He is lovely. Friend, have you witnessed this truth of the Living Christ?
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
This is the manifest record of the man Jesus. While he was alive on this earth, the Lord Jesus demonstrated to the world what perfect love is and what the price of perfect love would require us to pay for the penalty of sin and destroy evil and iniquity forever. His blood purchased all the souls that declare Him Lord and King. There is no love greater than this as He is the complete and total essence of pure agape love. There is no religion, faith, or belief on earth that is to come, or that which has past, that has equated and demonstrated such love as our Lord Jesus did for all of humanity. A man himself and forever a man, as we are men and created in His image (1 John 3:2). This is truly a gracious gift that such depths cannot be known by the human mind. The Bible has declared and all has been revealed. There is none righteous, no, not one. (Romans 3:10)
Chapters 12-14 concerns spiritual gifts. This series of articles concentrates on this 13th chapter, looking at God's Love and the gift of love to humanity. Chapter 13 is a biography of Christ. The energy of God's gift is Agape Love
- v.1-3 - the Preeminence of love - Value
All gifts are a string of zeros. Love placed before them is a figure that gives value. - v.4-7 - Prerogative of love - Virtue
"Love" is an abstract noun. It must be translated into life and action. Love expresses itself in patience, kindness, absence, of envy or boastfulness, etc. - v.8-13 - Permanence of love - Victory
"Love never faileth" (v.8), negative; "Love abideth" (v.13), positive.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways (13:11)When I was a child... We all were children once. I am sure anyone reading this verse can understand what the Apostle Paul is stating here. Growing through reasoning and understanding. The Bible claims that we are judged on the amount of light, or truth, that we have received. It states that we receive this light in the manner in which we can absorb. It is not difficult to understand love at an early age. Love is an inherent quality of our existence that is designed into our human capacity so as to enable us to have conscience, the awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong.
As science means knowledge, conscience etymologically means self-knowledge . . . But the English word implies a moral standard of action in the mind as well as a consciousness of our own actions. . . . Conscience is the reason, employed about questions of right and wrong, and accompanied with the sentiments of approbation and condemnation. --Whewell.This is really the summation of our total soul. We consider these emotions in our thoughts and our bodies react to these things, deep within the bowels of our hearts, our souls. Friends, love is something that could not have possibly evolved as is being preached today in our secular culture of humanism, enlightenment and spiritual understanding. Love is the single most relative object truth of our personal experience, as we interact within this creation belonging to an eternal God described as "Abba Father" or "Daddy." God is the totality of agape love, having expressed love towards His crown creation, humanity, as any good father would towards one of his own. A natural and chosen response of our effection towards each other.
What a privilege it is to know and realize that Jesus is the true living God. This is what the Bible calls The Beginning of Wisdom and this can only be a gift from God for those who ask Him. It is a free gift offered for all to achieve and attain, for it is a free gift to those who seek truth. The superscription written over him on the cross, in the letters of Greek, Latin and Hebrew read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. He was the rightful male heir as King of the Jews, passed through the bloodline of King David as Jesus is called the son of David. He is our Kinsman-Redeemer [8] as he is titled The Son of Man [9].
And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. [10] (Ruth 4:6)God imparts His wisdom upon our hearts and minds. We are able then to see the light that He has made available for mankind to discover and take freely unto himself through the Holy Spirit. Love is the gift of God through the works of the Lord Jesus. This is the truth that we true regenerate born-again believers attempt to teach to a lost and blinded world. Are you really able to comprehend a just and holy God that has declared all souls are His and that all of humanity will be judged for everything he has done in his lifetime? You can count of it, friends, as you yourself judge all things that are relative to your experience, always and without fail.
We are created in the image of God in three ways: Mind (God the Father), body (God the Son) and spirit (God the Holy Spirit). The problem with humanity is that our spirit is dead. It is evident through early life that we correspond to that which is in our physical and mental capacity. Yet who can reveal anything of their spirit? Who can know anything of the eternal? No person can, and the Bible makes this clear. Man is but a soul that will perish. It is so because we are not eternal beings, unable to deliver ourselves from all sorts of diseases, birth defects, illness, human emotions of hate, revenge, selfishness and so forth. Humans are unable to travel between time and space and we do not live in the presence of God, having all knowledge. This, friends, is not where humanity dwells. We dwell in a world that is corrupt and fallen, rejecting God's authority, morality and judgment.
Our physical bodies require food and water for life. Our spirit requires food and water as well. Jesus said that He is the living waters and that He is the spiritual food we need, I am the bread of life. God only speaks through His word, the Holy Bible, which reveals the living Christ. The Word become flesh as they witnessed His glory and life. We believe their testimony as truth. Jesus is the single absolute standard for all human experience. We know this is truth because we know what love is in our own experience as we place absolute judgment on what is truth in our own lives. What person does make not make absolute judgments in his daily life? We hold all things we know and understand up to some measure. What is your measure, friend? What have you used to measure what is truth in your experience?
This is what it means to pass from a child to an adult in terms of spiritual truth. We now know that these relative truths of ours are to be considered and compared to some form of standard. Knowing the truth of humanity from our present and past corrupt condition of pride and selfishness, of contempt and disregard to others, of spiritual blindness and flawed human wisdom, of inequity and injustices, of immorality and wanton perversion, of bitterness and revenge, of secrets and deception, of death and war, of murder and anguish, of theft and greed, of self-consumption and feeble comforts, of apathy and spiritlessness, of lust and pleasing desires. Behold humanism... nothing but vanity and vexation of the spirit.
Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Lamentations 3:19-22No wonder Jesus tells us that if we had faith of a child we would possess the kingdom of heaven. Indeed a child's knowledge is but love, trust and faith. For how is it possible to reject such convicting truths of the human condition, knowing the way we treat our fellow man? A child is taught these things of inquity as he grows into a corrupt and fallen world, ruled by wickedness in high places (Eph:6:12). He loses his innocence of youthful ignorance (protected so to speak) from the knowledge and corruption of man. We came into this world naked and we leave it just the same. Yet as we exit this life we are indeed the captains of our souls, willingly choosing our destinations, unlike our birth. We came into this world not choosing the things that we are known for in life, our birth date, eye and hair color, height, all our unique features, all the things that make us unique as individuals, from our voices to our fingerprints, from our chosen written hand to the music and art we create. True qualities of a living conscience, our hearts and souls. Yet we did not choose any of these things at birth. Faith of a child!
Our spirit is dead for certain and it is agape love that holds all things in balance through righteous judgment. These determinations have nothing to do with our decisions or efforts to change a thing, of what we feel or think is right or wrong. We frail humans can do nothing to this creation that is sustained all around us other than regard it and react to it. This is true for every culture of every time frame, in totality of all earthly existence, from eternity past to eternity future. This is true as well for the written word of God, The Holy Bible, The Word of God.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Revelation 19:13
Man is a fallen and inherently sinful creature. It is only the lasting and enduring pure love of God that can deliver us from our current state of death and decay even though we have life. Delivering us to a complete and fulfilled condition of mind, body and spirit, as God intended in the beginning and as God will bring though for all those who will listen to what He has declared. Are you are true, reborn child of God? If not, why not ask God today to help you find Him? Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it will be opened.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. (13:12)We see dimly because we are unable to breach this time and space to that which is not time and space, that which is eternal. God has declared to all of mankind that only love is enduring and lasting. We can easily see that there is no possible way that we are able to sustain such an impossible task of enduring and lasting love, towards our neighbor, ourselves, or towards God with all our heart, mind and strength, the three things which we are made of.
Absolute judgment and perfection determine love. It cannot be any other way. If love is subjected to emotion and feeling, then love cannot remain because our love is tempered by faulty judgment and uncontrolled emotion, caused by personal feeling and held accountable through those whom we love. This is selfishness and pride as we do not love our neighbors and we don't love God with all our mind, soul and strength. We only love that which pleases ourselves, for we are dead to the spiritual and cannot even perceive it, for we are blinded to truth. Human knowledge, wisdom and understanding, these are but mortal things that will pass away. Only love remains.
So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (13:13)So love then abides, it remains. Love dwells and continues. Love endures. Faith and Hope will eventually be carried up into love, as love will be all that remains, for of these three, two are enclosed unto the greater, to form the completeness of agape love. A Triune work and our blessed Hope. By faith in Christ, we have hope for eternal life through love.
Another interesting look at this word abide. Abide means: To dwell; settle, to pervade, prompt, govern it to dwell in, inhabit. God is said to dwell in the temple, i.e. to be always present for worshippers. inhabitant.
Consider this verse:
In my Father's house are many mansions if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2The word [mansions] in the original Greek is Mone (monhv) and means: staying, abiding, dwelling, abode, to make an one's abode. Metaphor of: God the Holy Spirit indwelling believers. The word [mansions] is used only once in the entire Bible and originates from Meno (mevnw) in the original Greek and means Abide.
In my Father's universe there are many living spaces, many places of abiding and dwelling life. I am preparing a place of eternal life for those who accept salvation, giving them eternal life through my perfect love. (paraphrase)
Romans Chapter 5
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:Through emotion and feelings we are nothing more than mortal and we serve death because death is a fact of life and we can see this truth from all things surrounding our existence. Who would dare doubt such things? As Paul said, once I was a child and did childish things. Now I am grown and can see what is true.
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 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. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
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. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Love is determined through a perfect and justified standard that is equal unto all mankind, in all time frames, in all cultures, with no exception and with no respect of persons. Humanity is truly dead and has no way of saving its own. So we are given faith. Faith refers to the things that are hoped for, thusly encompassing a certainty. For the Christian faith is not blind, as has been evidenced by just these few things mentioned already.
What is true IN your experience and what is love FROM your experience?
In part three of this series we will examine why Jesus is called the Way, the Truth and the Life. We will see the price of God's love and His love accomplished for humanity and what that love will cost each and every human being that has ever lived or will ever come. Those who are in Adam (in the flesh) will die. Yet those in Christ shall have eternal life. Friends, God required His own son to die, wickedly, at the hands of evil and brutal people. This is what God demanded for the penalty of sin and iniquity.
Friends, imagine the magnitude of God's love when He turned his face from his own son, as Jesus was left all alone and nailed to a tree, broken and beaten beyond recognition, ridiculed and mocked, scorned and condemned by sinful and wicked human hands. Oh friend, what is love to you? We know what God's love demonstrated as He did not spare his own son, who laid down His life willingly, so that condemnation of those who are condemned, would be brought to salvation because of His passion and suffering. This is the highest magnitude of agape love and only a loving God could perform such a triumph of love over evil, as Jesus showed to all humanity and their record testifies. Indeed, He is lovely...
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [11]
why art thou so far from helping me, [12]
and from the words of my roaring? [13]
[1] Agape New Testament Greek Lexicon
[2] Friend According to Scripture there are three possible objects of friendship: another person, God or his Son, or someone else who follows Jesus.
[3] Woe woe! alas! oh! passionate cry of grief or despair
[4] train Shuwl meaning a skirt (of robe), a high priest's robe.
[5] Undone to cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy, perish.
[6] What can we learn from angels RBC Ministries
[7] Notes and outlines J. Vernon McGee - Thru The Bible radio program.
[8] Kinsman-Redeemer Male relative who, according to various laws found in the Pentateuch, had the privilege or responsibility to act for a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need of vindication.
[9] Son of Man Used by Christ himself. Designates himself as the head of the human family, the man, the one who both furnished the pattern of the perfect man and acted on behalf of all mankind. The term "Son of Man" occurs sixty-nine times in the Synoptic Gospels, thirteen times in John, and once in Acts. All but three occurences come from the lips of Jesus.
[10] Bridegroom 1)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her (Eph:5:25). 2)One of the bridegroom's friends who on his behalf asked the hand of the bride and rendered him various services in closing the marriage and celebrating the nuptials.
[11] Why hast thou forsaken me is the language of a heart binding up its happiness in God's favour. This must be applied to Christ. In the first words of this complaint, he poured out his soul before God when he was upon the cross (matt:27:46). Being truly man, Christ felt a natural unwillingness to pass through such great sorrows, yet his zeal and love prevailed.
[12] so far from helping me: salvation, deliverance by God, victory.
[13] words of my roaring: shows that the complaint is expressed intelligently, though the term "roaring" is figurative, taken from the conduct of irrational creatures in pain, a cry of distress.
posted by Anonymous at Friday, August 05, 2005
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