The Many Manifestations of Love

Last week, we observed another Valentine's Day. Our culture views this as a day of love and romance. It is often celebrated by sending greeting cards, gifts such as jewelry, flowers, chocolates or other tangible items to someone we love or are attracted to. Holidays such as these have a tendency of narrowing our focus to just a particular time frame. By the time March rolls around our attention has been shifted to something else. That should not be the case with love, especially from a Biblical perspective.

1 Corinthians 16:14 instructs us to "Do everything in love." This does not limit it to a period of time. In other words, we ought to do everything in love, all the time. Everything we do ought to be motivated by love. 

Colosians 3:12-13 give us characteristics that we should possess as believers. It reads, "Therefore, as God;s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive." Notice that it begins by pointing out that God chose us and has set us apart as holy and dearly loved. He chose us because He dearly loved us. Paul goes on to say in Colossians 3:14, "Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." Of all the things we strive to put on and live out in the Christian life, this is the most important. This is what unites us with God and one another in perfect harmony. This is what God desires and demands of us. 

Paul also describes the characteristics of this love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. We are all familiar with this passage but do we live it out? Are these the things that people see in us? Would we be characterized as demonstrating these in our lives? If we are to put on love, everything this passage speaks of should be who we are. Am I patient, am I kind? Do I perhaps come across as someone who is envious, boastful, arrogant or rude? Do I seem selfish, irritable, or keep a record of wrongs? Paul continues that we should find no joy in unrighteousness. Instead, we ought to rejoice in the truth. With the love of God in us, we should be able to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things in Christ.

God our Father demonstrated this love as John 3:16 explains. He loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son so that by believing in Him, we would not perish but have everlasting life. This love of God brings us from one extreme, eternal separation and condemnation to the complete opposite extreme, adopted as His sons and daughter, for eternity.

Jesus Christ followed in this same pattern of love. He told his disciples in John 15:9, "As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love."

Our responsibility and the way we demonstrate this love that has been provided and patterned for us can be found in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep my commands."

His commands also include loving when it's difficult or what we may consider impossible. Luke 6:27, tells us, actually commands us to, "Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." 

How are we able to do this? Only by abiding in Christ and in His love with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

Instead of showing our love with just tangible objects, we should show our love with the intangible and in immeasurable ways.

Love in Christ,

Pastor Bryan