The Greatest of these is Love

For over two years now the theme of love, the concept of love, the understanding of love and the revelation of love has been like tidal waves rising and falling in my heart, mind and soul. The primary readings that have created such intense meditation on the subject comes from the letters of John the Apostle. Yet for the purposes of this blog I will be referencing some other portions of scripture. Enjoy the jumble of my thoughts. Be blessed

Over time I have come to grasp that love in scripture is not just a feeling. In 1 Corinthians 13 it starts  by taking about actions that are related to attitudes of the heart. Now this is just how I see it so bare with me. I believe that the first three verses are not actually addressing the actions but the heart behind them. Without love the heart behind these actions is a desire to be seen, heard and have influence, it is a self focused attitude. This bares a warning of sorts that whatever we do it needs to be from a heart of love which is to be after Gods own, if it is not, though the gifts and call are irrevocable the place of relationship with the gift giver is absent and there is a very real risk of hearing words a kin to "begone from me you doers of iniquity, i do not know you". Heed this warning then that whatever we do, it is essential to be done from a place of love. That place is found here in Matthew 22:37-39, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." English Standard Version.

Back to 1 Corinthians 13. From verse four through to seven we get a very practical break down of what love does and doesn't do. Yet without sounding heretical this is nothing special in and of itself. We read "love is patient and kind" and this is true in scripture and in the world. People in and out of the christian circles have been considered very loving based on the acts of kindness they have shown or the depths of patience that has been displays. So though practically these verses are quite clear, straightforward even, for some reason something for me seemed lacking. What is so different about something that the church and the world share.

It is verse eight that starts to point to something greater. and the verses that follow indicate that there must be maturity to truly see more than what was mentioned in the previous verse. Yet Paul the Apostle who wrote the letters to Corinth was fully aware that even as we mature there would be only so much in our understanding while we walked the earth. Yet another hint to the truth of love. In verse eight of 1 Corinthians 13 he states " Love never ends.". Interestingly enough in Psalms 136 there are 26 verses that end saying "his steadfast love endures forever." What makes this interesting to me is that his love is steadfast which at its grass roots means "will not be moved". Also that His love endures forever. So there is no end to love, it is not removed ever from the object laid upon. So it is fair that when Paul ends this as we have divided it up chapter of the letter that he should state "the greatest of these is love."

This is very likely the best place to take a look at the greatest act of love. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." Our friend Paul says something long the lines of, while we where still hostile toward God he reached down to redeem us through his own son. The greatest demonstration of love is sacrifice. Sacrifice for the benefit of others be they friend or foe. Sacrifice that pays dearly yet joyously. "For the joy set before him, he endured the cross" Hebrews 12:2. I shall be as clear as I can. God loves you, he longs for loving relationship with you. We could not come into relationship with him due to the effects having been born into sin. So to make way for the relationship he through his Son paid the debt we could not. Think on that. We say sometimes that we would do anything, anything at all for some-one or something we love. God our Father demonstrated his great love.

With that said my thoughts return to the Greatest of all is Love. For those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, we now come to the letters of John the Apostle. Chapter three starts with a simple yet deeply profound and impacting statement, " See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. ... Beloved, we are God's children now, ..." 1 John 3:1-2. This dear friends should for all intents and purposes set a fire in your hearts, yet we are familiar with it. Yep we know this and? Well if we are children the we need to be like our Father, for we are his representatives here in the world as Jesus was. As much as I would like to say this is amazing and oh what joy. Great fear grips my being, how great is our God that he would love me, call to me, rescue me and then be happy for me to be his hands and feet and voice in this world. Seriously like, I know me. God is good and knows what he is doing. I must trust and press in and love Him.

A little something about love - a thought, that may mean nothing, yet well. My identity is revealed in, from and for love. Let me rephrase, my identity is revealed in, from and for God. With even the slightest grasp of this thought I can see my value with greater clarity. How can I not love the One who has loved me so. Oh and we do, and for the longest time I loved God but did not love myself. And I know can't say this but I didn't love people, especially them that like me called themselves christian. But I digress.

I would like to think that by now a thought has been developing in your minds. Something along the lines of God equals Love. If so then to clarify. Love is more than part of Gods character and nature. It is who He is. He can not, not love. Oh but if that is so then why all the bad that happens. I am not here to address those arguments, other than to say, that as a parent I have allowed the decisions of my children to play themselves out, not because I haven't  loved them, but because I love them. There is a time when consequences need to be felt. Never the less, this is my thought.

Hear what John says about God. "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whomever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8 ESV Chapter four goes on to say a great many things. Some I would love to address yet for now I am still growing in my understanding and outworking of what God is showing me personally. What I can say is this. Jesus before he was taken yup into heaven gave a commission. He had fulfilled all he had done for the love of the Father. His last words according to the gospels, "All authority in heaven and on on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

We are children, we are told to follow the example of Jesus. The great commission has no fulfillment if there is no love. The first commandment love God, Jesus loved God so much he was obedient even to the point of death. The second commandment love others as yourself, though we don't see self love as we know it displayed in the world, we do see a love that completely trusts and therefore is assured and from the conviction of absolute assurance of trust placed in the one that loves, Jesus demonstrates love to others. That love, is love that comes from the Father flowing into his children and while it returns back to the Father also flows out to others. When we have God we have love, when we love on God we are pouring out to him what he has poured out in us. Because it is so great we want to pour it out to others so they too may know God's great love. Love is the light of the world. Oh to be free to write more of what is on my heart yet for now, practicality can wait. It is in relationship that the fullness of function comes about, and I do not want to lead any into dead works.

Lord I pray this mess of writing may be enough to touch any who may read it. May they be blessed and come to know the fullness of your love. May they be so enveloped in your love that from the overflow everyone around them will be blessed, touched and experience the love that you our Father in heaven have for us. Amen.