First, God is love; consequently, every other definition must be framed within this one.
Second, since God is love, love can be found only in the hearts of those in whom the Spirit of God dwells.
Third, love, however and wherever it is expressed, must be congruent with holiness (God is not only love, but He is also holy!).
Fourth, love, though perfect in and of itself, is not some perfected talent we have at the point of the new birth, but an innate potential, a seed, if you will, which the Holy Spirit progressively develops in our lives, as we progressively become more intimately acquainted with the One who is love—Jesus.
Fifth, love is a powerful force that is at work in our lives, waging war against the power of sin (love’s antithesis), relentlessly attempting to stir our hearts to embrace the One who is love, so that we might experience love in its fullness, and, thus, freely receive it and give it.
Sixth, although love is a powerful force, its attractiveness (its ability to attract) is seen in humility, not in pride. Jesus is the example that gives credence to this postulate.
Seventh, though emotions are involved in love (make no mistake about that!), love is not merely something we feel, or something we say (for that matter); instead, love is primarily something we do (or do not do, as the case may be).
Eighth, attempting to define love can be rather slippery slope, as we use the term to define so many different “loves.” For example, who really knows what I mean when I say “I love fried chicken” or “I love Jesus” or “God loves me” or “I love fishing” or “I love my grandchildren”? To be sure, each usage means something different from the rest.
Ninth, love must have an object, namely a person, without which it has no significance, whatsoever.
Tenth, with the single exception of loving the Triune Godhead—Father, Son, & Holy Spirit—loving another always involves a risk, sometimes a very sizeable risk; however, one must be willing to take the risk, if he/she is to know love.
No comments:
Post a Comment