The simplest and most accurate definition we can give to love is that God is Love (1Jn4:7). In different dimensions He relates His love towards us, in judgment, chastisement and in mercy (Exo34:6-7).This love has been in existence before the beginning, for love is God Himself.
Love is the unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the good of others just as the Fatherly concern of God for human kind through Jesus Christ, and the brotherly concern of ours towards others. It is an exemplification of the Godhead. Love is exactly what exists between the trinity that binds them together as one, which is also one of the important attributes seen in the early church, that they abode in within themselves (Acts2:44-46), which was an obedience to a command that helped them to be perfect even as God is perfect (Matt5:45-48).
God (Love) is light and in Him there is no darkness at all (1Jn1:5), this light shines on us for illuminations which then makes our spirit grow and glow in glory. The spirit God gave to us is that of love (2Tim1:7), His kind of love (the Agape love), Love is the greatest commandment, and the command to love is the basis of our faith (Mk.12:29-32).
The natural man will find it difficult to express the God kind of love for he is none of His and he has not come into the experience of God, we must understand that love is a doing (action)not just a feeling and it is only God that can work it out in us.(Phil 2:13).
As we continue in this teaching, the Lord Himself will work out love in us in Jesus name. Amen.
LOVE FOR GOD
What is the love for God? The love for God simply means putting God first in everything (Matt 22: 36-40), it can also be put as living the kingdom priority lifestyle (Matt 6:33). When you have a love for God, you will love what He loves; you will love the soul of the lost. (Jn 3:16). For us to adequately express love in His fullness, we need to have come to the understanding that we have an ability to love, which came through God’s love for us.(1Jn.4:19). The first commandment is that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength (Mk.12:29-30), our love for God requires our totality. He gave it all (Jn3:16) and we ought also to give it all, our thoughts should be engulfed with the love of God. When the love of God and for God has not found expression in the life of a man, such man finds it difficult to walk with God. If indeed we love Him then we must obey His commands (Jn14:21) because that is the only way to show that we love Him (Jn14:15). The commandment of God is pure and it enlightens the heart (Ps.19:8).
It is all about God and that is why there is a shedding of God’s love in our heart by the Holy Ghost since love stems out from God. A lot of believers fall by the wayside because their activities and their coming to God was not out of love, it was for the expectation of rewards (materials) He has to offer them, so when it tarries, they simply turn back. A man who truly love God believes in Him through the good and bad times.
LOVE FOR BRETHREN
Love for the brethren is a chord that binds us together (Col. 3:14) just as it binds the trinity together, our faith will be in vain if we who claim to know God (love) cannot walk together in love, for in loving ourselves and in our conversations, we dispense the light of God which expresses our identity as disciples (Jn.13:35).The love for brethren stirs us up to stand in gap in the place of prayer for one another. This love constrains us from hurting our neighbour, it constrains us from living in disunity and also makes us to esteem others better than ourselves. Love teaches us obedience, humility, forgiveness and above all the life of God Himself.
All the knowledge of God we may claim to know will be in vain if we cannot live the words by loving each other.
Brethren that love;
Pray for themselves (Acts.12:5)
Visit themselves and breaks bread together (Acts.2:44-46)
Care for themselves (Gal.6:10, Rom12:10)
Correct themselves in love(2Tim.2:25)
Restore a fallen believer in love.Gal.6:1.
LOVE FOR GENTILES (Acts 13:46-49, Lk. 6:27-32, Matt. 5:44-47)
Gentiles are set of people that are not of the household of faith; those who have not yet partake of the covenant of God which He made with the father of faith (Gen1-7). The life and teaching of Jesus showed us to love and take the gospel to whosoever that have not embrace the grace because God love the whole world and Jesus died for all.(John3:16,Titus2:11). Paul exemplified love for gentiles and it is expected of us to do likewise not to love our life even to the point of death because they cannot call on whom they have not heard of (Rom10:13-14, Mark16:15-16)
One that has beheld and become like Christ does everything in a special and more glorious way and these things shows that indeed we know him and are indeed like him. A natural man tends to love only those who love them and do good to those who do good to them, whereas Christ taught us to love those who hate us by demonstrating His love to us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
The love we have from God (Agape) is unconditional, it is not a response to what we had benefited from others, rather it is that which has been shed abroad by the Holy Ghost. This love is sacrificial and does not expect a reward, this love is a command it propels us to reach out to those that are not saved, it helps us to forgive those that persecute us (Acts7:60), it makes us to bless those that curse us.
ATTRIBUTES OF LOVE-1Cor.13:4-8
The attributes of love are the attributes of God Himself; being perfect in love (God) is walking in perfection. Some of these attributes are:
Love is patient and kind (2Tim2:24-25)
Love is not arrogant or rude (1Cor13:5)
Love does not insist on its own way(Lk.22:42, 1Cor10:24)
It is not irritable or resentful (Lk.19:1-7, Jn.8:11)
Love is not jealous or boastful(1Cor.3:3,2Cor10:17-18)
It does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right (1Cor.13:6)
Love bears all things, believe all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1Pet.4:8, Rom15:1-3
Love never ends (1Cor13:8a)
CONCLUSION
The proof of our love towards God, the amount of the knowledge of God we have and the amount of light we have, is reflected in our love towards others (1Jn.2:9).This love is the totality of the law, therefore walking in it is walking in perfection.
Yours Sincerely
