WHAT DO YOU FOCUS ON... YOUR LOVE FOR GOD OR....
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The other day there was a message on DVD about the love of God in Christ. The preacher mentioned how he and his buddies who were new in the Navy were so sick as the boat went up and down in the ocean. The captain told the new sailors to keep their eyes on the set horizon. Soon they were no longer sick and then able to begin their work.
The preacher likened it to the experiences of man and what happens when we focus on OUR love for God. Our's is not constant., our love is changing like our circumstances and it goes up and down as our lives often do. When we depend on our love for Him we have a confused and turbulent life.
But when we focus on God's love in Christ for us., that love is steady and never changing and we can course our lives based on His continuous and steady and unchanging love. And Joidevivre just reminded in her post here., we love God because He first loved us.
Again., 1 John 4:10 verse says "herein" is love.... wow... He wants us to know where the love is found.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. NAS
[SUP]10 [/SUP]In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins. Amplified
And then down a few verses shows us how to love by focusing on how much God loves us in Christ and because of Christ.... confidence in God's love for us and others grows and so does our ability to love Him back and to love others because the love of God is then shed abroad in our hearts. But we can't do it until we look away from us and to Christ. And no doubt that gets better with practice as the years go by. Keeping our focus on Jesus and not us.
1 John 4:18-20 (emphasis on vs.19)
[SUP]18 [/SUP]There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love [SUP][a][/SUP]turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear [SUP][b][/SUP]brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. [SUP]
19 [/SUP]We love Him, because He first loved us.
[SUP]
20 [/SUP]If anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [[SUP][c][/SUP]in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen.
The preacher likened it to the experiences of man and what happens when we focus on OUR love for God. Our's is not constant., our love is changing like our circumstances and it goes up and down as our lives often do. When we depend on our love for Him we have a confused and turbulent life.
But when we focus on God's love in Christ for us., that love is steady and never changing and we can course our lives based on His continuous and steady and unchanging love. And Joidevivre just reminded in her post here., we love God because He first loved us.
Again., 1 John 4:10 verse says "herein" is love.... wow... He wants us to know where the love is found.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. NAS
[SUP]10 [/SUP]In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins. Amplified
And then down a few verses shows us how to love by focusing on how much God loves us in Christ and because of Christ.... confidence in God's love for us and others grows and so does our ability to love Him back and to love others because the love of God is then shed abroad in our hearts. But we can't do it until we look away from us and to Christ. And no doubt that gets better with practice as the years go by. Keeping our focus on Jesus and not us.
1 John 4:18-20 (emphasis on vs.19)
[SUP]18 [/SUP]There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love [SUP][a][/SUP]turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear [SUP][b][/SUP]brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. [SUP]
19 [/SUP]We love Him, because He first loved us.
[SUP]
20 [/SUP]If anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother [[SUP][c][/SUP]in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen.
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There is a wealth of information in the Bible about the love of Jesus and it sometimes is hidden in different experiences of the people in the Bible. John was one who referred to himself in John as the disciple whom Jesus loved. John 19:26; John 20:2; John 21:7 The other disciples didn't record it that way.
John made the love of Jesus personal. Jesus loved all the disciples but John practiced the truth of Jesus love for him. I've discovered that I need to be under that same kind of realization of Jesus intense and personal love for me in order for me to succeed in life. Without that personal application I'm weak in the faith.
Anyone can say "God loves us all" even unsaved people can say that. That just makes everyone part of the crowd. But when we are home alone we are not in the crowd or part of the crowd anymore. We are in need of that personal revelation of His love for us all the time.
When we go to the doctor and are sitting in the waiting room alone., we need to know Jesus is right there with us loving us and caring about us individually. He knows our deepest needs and I for one need to keep that in the forefront of my mind and heart. I'm joanie., the daughter whom Jesus loves.
The apostle John practiced the love of Jesus for him. The more he realized that Jesus loved Him personally., the more he loved Jesus personally. The more I realize and practice Jesus love for me., the more I love and appreciate Jesus even more. And actually, the more able I can become to love others in Christ too.
We can and will learn to love the ones who Jesus loves. How can we not after getting revelation after revelation about the love of God for us. There is just so much more to know about the love of God and how knowing His love and believing He loves us., we will succeed in life and the battles that come daily against us. Having that true sense that we are God's beloved causes us to be able to walk farther and jump higher!
Nothing is impossible with God!!
Romans 8:32
[SUP]32 [/SUP]He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?
John made the love of Jesus personal. Jesus loved all the disciples but John practiced the truth of Jesus love for him. I've discovered that I need to be under that same kind of realization of Jesus intense and personal love for me in order for me to succeed in life. Without that personal application I'm weak in the faith.
Anyone can say "God loves us all" even unsaved people can say that. That just makes everyone part of the crowd. But when we are home alone we are not in the crowd or part of the crowd anymore. We are in need of that personal revelation of His love for us all the time.
When we go to the doctor and are sitting in the waiting room alone., we need to know Jesus is right there with us loving us and caring about us individually. He knows our deepest needs and I for one need to keep that in the forefront of my mind and heart. I'm joanie., the daughter whom Jesus loves.
The apostle John practiced the love of Jesus for him. The more he realized that Jesus loved Him personally., the more he loved Jesus personally. The more I realize and practice Jesus love for me., the more I love and appreciate Jesus even more. And actually, the more able I can become to love others in Christ too.
We can and will learn to love the ones who Jesus loves. How can we not after getting revelation after revelation about the love of God for us. There is just so much more to know about the love of God and how knowing His love and believing He loves us., we will succeed in life and the battles that come daily against us. Having that true sense that we are God's beloved causes us to be able to walk farther and jump higher!
Nothing is impossible with God!!
Romans 8:32
[SUP]32 [/SUP]He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?
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I know what He has done for me.
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John/Yahanan 15:16, "Greater love has no one than this: that one would lay down his life on behalf of his brothers. You are My brothers, if you do whatever I command you."[/FONT]
this is why I seek to do His will.
John/Yahanan 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."
Mat 22:37-40, "Yahshua said to him: You must love YHWH your Father with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deut 6:5) This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Lev 19:18) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]John/Yahanan 15:16, "Greater love has no one than this: that one would lay down his life on behalf of his brothers. You are My brothers, if you do whatever I command you."[/FONT]
this is why I seek to do His will.
John/Yahanan 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."
Mat 22:37-40, "Yahshua said to him: You must love YHWH your Father with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deut 6:5) This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Lev 19:18) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
I keep in mind His love for me but I can not quantify it. It’s a hard question to honestly answer, is it 50/50, 55/45, 70/30, 30/70? I can’t say for sure. Knowing His love drives me to want to do His will If I had to give a definite answer, I would say I focus on how I can use the strength, guidance, truth, lessons, etc. He has given me to glorify and worship, follow and love Him in a way the is acceptable to Him, thus my focus is on loving Him. I know this will be twisted into a bad thing by some, but that is simply those looking to find fault. How could a man be faulted for using all his strength, all his might and all his heart to love YHWH? For “You must love YHWH your Father with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” Hard to do this if it is not placed as the top priority. Imagine being a relationship in which someone told you they don't want to focus on loving you back, their focus is on you loving them, I don’t think that would go to well.
Mat 22:37-40, "Yahshua said to him: You must love YHWH your Father with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deut 6:5) This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Lev 19:18) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
1 Samuel 12:24, “Only fear יהוה, and you shall serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what marvels He has done for you."
Psalms 91:14-16, "91:14, "“Because he cleaves to Me in love, Therefore I deliver him; I set him on high, Because he has known My Name. When he calls on Me, I answer him; I am with him in distress; I deliver him and esteem him. With long life I satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
Psalms 31:23-24, “Love יהוה, all you His lovingly-committed ones! For יהוה guards the trustworthy ones, And exceedingly repays the doer of pride. Be strong, and let Him fortify your heart, All you who are waiting for יהוה.”
Mat 22:37-40, "Yahshua said to him: You must love YHWH your Father with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deut 6:5) This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Lev 19:18) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
1 Samuel 12:24, “Only fear יהוה, and you shall serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what marvels He has done for you."
Psalms 91:14-16, "91:14, "“Because he cleaves to Me in love, Therefore I deliver him; I set him on high, Because he has known My Name. When he calls on Me, I answer him; I am with him in distress; I deliver him and esteem him. With long life I satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”
Psalms 31:23-24, “Love יהוה, all you His lovingly-committed ones! For יהוה guards the trustworthy ones, And exceedingly repays the doer of pride. Be strong, and let Him fortify your heart, All you who are waiting for יהוה.”
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I would say it is both. I like what Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians.
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, 15 from whom every [family in heaven and on earth is named,
16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, 15 from whom every [family in heaven and on earth is named,
16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3
Yes., we can't know all or quantify the love of God I agree with you 100% and appreciate the verses you posted. I looked up the word quantify in the dictionary for a detailed definition. to measure or express the quantity of.. 2. logic. To limit the variables of (a proposition) by means of an operator such as all or some.
Over the span of years in discovering what the love of God is about., the truth is I have no idea what the extent of His love was or is for me. I just know it's HUGE.., and more than I can imagine.
It's more of a learning as we go sort of thing and accepting it by faith. But according to the Bible we can daily swim in the sea of the "immeasurable" even though we can't give back measure for measure. But we were taught to do just that., love Him as much as He loved us. And I notice many Christians today are trying to do that. And condemn themselves when they don't.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,
[SUP]
18 [/SUP]That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];
[SUP]
19 [/SUP][That you may really come] to know [practically, [SUP][a][/SUP]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses [SUP][b][/SUP]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] [SUP][c][/SUP]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and [SUP][d][/SUP]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!
[SUP]
20 [/SUP]Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—
IMO., and humanly speaking we are not capable of loving God "enough" Loving Him? YES... loving Him measure for measure as a rule or law...no. It's is a good thing to look into as to what or how are we to love God with all our heart and soul and mind? Was that command ever a possibility in the old testament?
And what does that mean for believers today under the new covenant? Can anyone do that apart from the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives and being aware of that new and living way? "for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and death."
Romans 8:1-3
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. [SUP]2 [/SUP]For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. [SUP]3 [/SUP]For what the law could not do, [SUP][a][/SUP]in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of [SUP][b][/SUP]sinful flesh [SUP][c][/SUP]and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
I'm thinking that is the reason the Bible says we are "learning" and are in process. And I like the way the Amplified Bible uses the word "progressively become more intimately acquainted with Him" Philippians 3:10-15 in process.
[SUP]10 [/SUP][For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [[SUP][a][/SUP]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] [SUP]
11 [/SUP]That if possible I may attain to the [[SUP][b][/SUP]spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
[SUP]
12 [/SUP]Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.
[SUP]
13 [/SUP]I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
[SUP]
14 [/SUP]I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
[SUP]15 [/SUP]So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also.
And so resting in His love while we continue to learn has been a key for me personally. That is how there is rest. The conditions for God's love are no longer there for us to meet. We are loved unconditionally because of Christ. So there is rest every single day now. And there is still more to learn about the love of God in Christ.
Thank you for the thoughtful reply. It is a amazing thing, the abundance of His love surpassing what we know or can comprehend... Rather humbling.
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Psalm 101:1, "I sing of loving-commitment and judgement; To You, O [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]יהוה[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif], I sing praises."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Psalm 145:1-5, "I exalt You, my Strength, O Sovereign; And bless Your Name forever and ever. All day long I bless You, And praise Your Name forever and ever. Great is [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]יהוה[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif], and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. Generation after generation praise Your works, And they declare Your mighty acts. I declare the esteemed splendor of Your excellency, And the matters of Your wondrous works."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Psalm 101:1, "I sing of loving-commitment and judgement; To You, O [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]יהוה[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif], I sing praises."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Psalm 145:1-5, "I exalt You, my Strength, O Sovereign; And bless Your Name forever and ever. All day long I bless You, And praise Your Name forever and ever. Great is [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]יהוה[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif], and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. Generation after generation praise Your works, And they declare Your mighty acts. I declare the esteemed splendor of Your excellency, And the matters of Your wondrous works."[/FONT]
I would say both. I focus on God's love and immediately He has me focus on my love for Him. It's relationship. I'm in Him, He's in me.
God's love is shed abroad in my heart so that I can in turn love Him back. It's synergistic. It works together like the heart.
In school we learned that the heart makes a noise like flub dub. So as our heart beats in unison, I'm focusing in on God's love for me (flub) and then I'm in turn focusing in on my love for Him (dub).
God's love is shed abroad in my heart so that I can in turn love Him back. It's synergistic. It works together like the heart.
In school we learned that the heart makes a noise like flub dub. So as our heart beats in unison, I'm focusing in on God's love for me (flub) and then I'm in turn focusing in on my love for Him (dub).
My opinion on the subject of love and why I don't look at my love for Him., but His love for me. 1 Cor.13 is what God's love is., this is the standard and I am far from being an example of the standard... This is God's love and it's not dependent on the worthiness of those He loves or any other conditions met or not. It just stands on it's own because God is the Author of it. God is love.
Like a child who just receives the Father's love without question., I'm simply learning how to receive this great kind of love without trying to be worthy of it. I am still learning how to believe I've been made worthy IN Christ.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
[SUP]
5 [/SUP]It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
[SUP]
6 [/SUP]It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
[SUP]
7 [/SUP]Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
[SUP]
8 [/SUP]Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].
Like a child who just receives the Father's love without question., I'm simply learning how to receive this great kind of love without trying to be worthy of it. I am still learning how to believe I've been made worthy IN Christ.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.
[SUP]
5 [/SUP]It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
[SUP]
6 [/SUP]It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
[SUP]
7 [/SUP]Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
[SUP]
8 [/SUP]Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].