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Tag Archives: bible
Love is Personal
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It is relatively easy to think about loving all the brethren or all people. It is a interesting observation that when I think about large groups it almost becomes impersonal and does not require much of me. It does not really touch or affect my life much to imagine loving a faceless group of “all the brethren.” The love God expects of me is much different.
It is also easy for me to feel good about myself because I think of myself as a nice person. While it is a good thing to be a nice person, that is only a small part of the love God expects me to have for others.
Does Loving God Mean I Must Love My Brother?
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For the people of God it only makes sense that we love God. We may struggle with learning what that love entails, but we understand that He expects it. And, as we come to know Him and His love more, we are moved to open ourselves more completely to loving Him. However, there is an integral part of this love that may not seem as obvious.
Reading through 1 John it becomes apparent that there is a direct connection between the love we have for God and the love we have for our brethren. And this is not an optional connection. Consider the following passages:
Posted in Loving One Another
Tagged bible, disciple, God, love, New Testament, One another, study
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What Does it Mean to Love God?
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It is not unusual to hear someone claim to love God. I make that claim myself. But what does that mean? Or rather, what is that supposed to mean, as we see it described in God’s word? In the last post, I talked about how our whole existence is supposed to be involved in our love for God. What does that mean to me? How will that show up in my life? This is not to be merely a one time event, but an ongoing relationship. Notice the sense of continuity in this passage in Jude.
What is meant by “love”?
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As I mentioned in an earlier post, the study and understanding of love is complicated by the fact that there are so many ways in which the word “love” is used in conversation and writing today. We can read in the bible that God expects us to love Him and each other and then assure ourselves and others that we are doing exactly that. But are we actually loving as the New Testament describes it? If the love of which we feel assured is not the love of which God speaks, then we are not fulfilling His expectations. How can we know what the inspired writers of the bible mean by “love”? I looked up some definitions. We can use an English dictionary and, while that can be helpful, a modern dictionary tells us how the word is currently being used. I am more interested in what the inspired writers of the bible meant.
When Did God Start Loving?
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I am sure we have all heard the question, often expressed as a challenge, “How can a loving God allow _________ (fill in the blank) to happen?” We definitely have a tendency to assign our definition of love to God and then to judge Him accordingly. Doesn’t that seem arrogant, even if it is not intended in that way?
Learning God’s Love. Where should I start?
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So , where do I start? As I mentioned in the last post, the essence of knowing about God, what He expects of us and so much more, is LOVE. We need to understand love. There is no shortage of sources willing to tell us about love. In fact, the multitude of voices from books, organizations, movies, culture, popular media and endless other places speaking about love is noisy, confusing and full of contradictions. The word “love” is used to mean almost anything. To rephrase an old proverb, that which means too much, comes to mean nothing at all. I would not presume to speak for Satan, but could this be his work? From the scriptures mentioned in my last post, an understanding of love is needed to know God and to be His disciple. If the meaning of love is lost in confusion, it is a victory for Satan. Is it any wonder that so many people have given up in frustration or resolved to carry on with what seems good, until something else that seems better comes along?
Love is the key! But, what does that mean?
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The point of being a Christian is to be a follower of Christ, to surrender to Him on His terms. That is, after all, what the word Christian means. We live in a time when that name has lost much of its meaning. It seem that anyone can call themselves, their homes or their country Christian with only a vague connection with God or belief in Jesus. For someone serious about being a Christian, it is important to learn who Jesus is and what He is about. That search leads us to the bible, the Word of God.