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Friday, November
18, 2011
Love In The First Degree
Williams New Testament translation
of 1Corinthians 13:4-7
4. Love is so patient and so kind; love
never boils with jealousy; it never boasts, is never puffed with pride; 5.
It does not act with rudeness, or insist upon its rights; it never gets
provoked, it never harbors evil thoughts; 6. Is never glad when wrong is
done, but always glad when truth prevails; 7. It bears up under anything;
it exercises faith in everything; it keeps up hope in everything; it gives
us power to endure in anything.
You know, when one thinks of the love of
God and what it really means, simply put it is described as putting others
before ourselves. The more one understands the love of God, the more one
realizes that there are other people on this planet besides themselves. The
more you understand the love of God and experience it for yourself, the
more you find out that your own thoughts and desires become less and less when
seeking the Lord’s desire over your own. The love of God will endure, while
anything else will fall by the wayside and dissolve. Now the question is,
is the love of God real to you, or is it something you just hear about but
haven’t really experienced for yourself?
John 15:10-13 If ye keep my commandments,
ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments,
and abide in his love. (11) These things have I spoken unto you, that my
joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (12) This is my
commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (13) Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (KJV)
Some people have experienced the love of
God for a season only to have it taken away and replaced with a cheap
imitation. The world and its people are full of things that they claim will
bring peace and joy, but while it promises liberty, in the end it only
delivers corruption. It is vital not only to know and experience the love
of God, but to remain and abide in it so that you can receive it fully. The
more you allow the Lord to increase in your life the more you decrease and
let Him have His way. The greatest expression of the love of God that we
can reciprocate in return to Him is to lay down our lives for His people,
just as His Son did on our behalf. So are you truly experiencing the love
of God personally in your life, or is it something that eludes you because
you are still stuck in your lower fallen nature seeking to please self
rather than the Lord?
1 Peter 2:21-23 For even hereunto were ye
called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye
should follow his steps: (22) Who did no sin, neither was guile found in
his mouth: (23) Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he
suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth
righteously: (KJV)
Keep in mind that while our Lord walked
this earth and was demonstrating the love of God, He wasn’t always well
received and treated with the respect that He deserved. In fact imagine
this if you would, the creation telling the Creator that He didn’t know
what He was talking about, which is in essence what we see happened when
mankind refused to give ear to the message of God being delivered through
the Son. So be forewarned that just because you are delivering a message of
love and it is not always being well received, don’t think that you did
something wrong, but rather rejoice that you were counted worthy to deliver
that message and suffer with Christ. Keep in mind as well, that just
because someone reviles the message being delivered doesn’t mean you
respond in the same way, but rather hear the correct response in love,
which many times may be by keeping silent.
1 Peter 4:11-14 If any man speak, let him
speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the
ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through
Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (12) Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing happened unto you: (13) But rejoice, inasmuch as
ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (14) If ye be reproached
for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God
resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he
is glorified. (KJV)
Know that the flipside to delivering a
message of love to a fallen mankind is that the more you are able to speak the
words of God effectively from the motive of love, the more the enemy is
going to oppose you as well. So when this happens, and it will, don’t think
something strange took place, but rather rejoice, because it is not for
something that you did wrong, but rather for the right reason. It is a joy
to share the love of God with God’s people and allow that to flow from
heart to heart, but sometimes it is not always a joy to others, especially
when they have had their heart convicted by the Lord knowing that they
haven’t been right with Him.
Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are ye, when men
shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and
shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's
sake. (23) Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your
reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto
the prophets. (KJV)
Have you seen these football players that
leap into the crowd after scoring a touchdown? Well that should be your
attitude as well when delivering a message of love only to experience some
opposition. So rather than get down and bummed out, leap and rejoice
because you are in good company with our Lord, and because you were willing
to lay down your life for others despite how they reacted. This is truly
the love of God being demonstrated despite the opposition, despite the fact
that you are cast out of their inner circles for holding fast to the truth
and you are willing to endure no matter how it is received. In fact our
Lord Himself was rejected and despised, and now look at the reward He
received, having been seated next to the Father on His right hand.
Romans 5:6-8 For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. (8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (KJV)
Before you go get all uppity and raise a
stink just because you ran into some opposition, remember you weren’t
always the most pleasant person to be around before you experienced the
love of God. In fact He was willing to die for us while we were yet sinners
ourselves, which was the ultimate act and demonstration of love for us. So
next time that the Lord asks us to give something up, say even that
favorite show on TV so that maybe you could spend some time in His word and
be ready to share that Word with one of His people, keep in mind the love
it took to get you access into His kingdom before you go throwing a pity
party. The greatest love that we can give in return to our Father is to lay
down our lives and desires, putting His needs before our own. God bless and
let His love flow like a mountain stream, and let His love shine for all to
be seen.
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