What is love? If you are a woman, perhaps you have dreams of a man who will be that final piece in the puzzle completing your idea of a husband who will help you reach your goals for life. Is this love? Perhaps only 'love of self'. Contrary to popular opinion, love is NOT an emotion or feeling. The Bible defines love by an event.
Love is defined by the cross of Jesus Christ. Love involves a willing self sacrifice for the benefit of another. True love also doesn't demand reciprocation or that the person being loved is worthy of the sacrifice.
Romans 5:8 states, But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful. CEV. The Message says it this way, verses 5-8. "Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him."
Just as Christ Jesus offered Himself in sacrificial love, so we must in the marriage give love to the spouse who is totally undeserving of our love and unable to give love in return.
Love is a command. In John 15, verses 12-13, Jesus explains the kind of love He expects of His followers. "This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." NLT.
In Matthew's gospel, Jesus further explains the limits of love this way; 'You have heard people say, "Love your neighbors and hate your enemies." But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends.' Matthew 5:43-46 CEV.
1 Corinthians 13 is known as the 'love chapter' in the Word of God. Let's see why this is true. Evaluate YOUR love by the Word of God, ok?
"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love never fails.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." Verses 1-8a, 13
NLT.
What does this look like? Ladies, this means that when you forgive your husband for a wrong, you never bring this up again because love keeps no record of being wronged. Verse 5 means love is not touchy, or fretful or resentful. Verse 7 is sometimes translated that love is always supportive and believes the best about someone. Love covers.
If you have trouble loving your spouse, spend some time meditating on this passage of Scripture. Why did God show mercy and grace to you? Because you were lovely and deserved it?
"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)" Ephesians 2, verses 1-5, NLT.
God gives grace and mercy. Go and do likewise.
Next time we will talk about Marriage and What is Sin? and What is Biblical forgiveness? We welcome your comments and questions.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
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