True love is the mark of a real Believer.

[Jason0047]

The New Testament in God's Word talks alot about how we are to love as believers. We are to even to pray for our enemies and to do good unto them. We are to turn the other cheek if we are smitten. We are not to be overcome by evil but we are to overcome evil with good. For loving one's neighbor fulfills the law (See Romans 13:8-10). For if one loves, they will not covet their neighbor's stuff. If one loves, they will not hurt or murder them. If one loves, they will tell them the truth to them in love (So as to guide them correctly because they honestly care).

So this is a Wake up Call for all those who have failed to love.

I am calling upon all believers now to let go of any hate or sin in your life and to just love.
For God so loved the world.... which then resulted in Him sending His Son whereby He would save us.

However, sadly this image below sort of describes the state of some who profess to be Christian today.

For love is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Can you honestly say you have that fruit in your life? It is important that we do have it because salvation is a relationship (1 John 5:12). Salvation is not in anything you do. But salvation is in the works the Lord does in you. So if you have not put off the old man and his unloving ways, I encourage you to take a step of faith now to let go of the hate and just love. Forgive and forget and just love all people. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For the Scriptures say in....

And they also say in...

If you do not know how to love, I ask you to call upon the Lord now to help you.
For He will transform you from the inside out and make you to walk in His good ways where you will love in both word and deed (Because He is the One loving thru you).

Anyways, may the Lord's love shine upon you greatly today.
And please be well.

Sincerely,

~ Jason.


....

 

[Jeff_56]

anyone who is not willing to live every day for others, no matter what they may give up,

anyone who is not willing to die for others, today, ... .. .

jesus told his own disciples that they were not able to do this themselves... so also no one today can...

but if they trusted the heavenly father to accomplish this, completely, then it is done.

 

[psychomom]

Christ's disciples are known by their love for one another, but love takes many forms.

sometimes it looks like this:
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. (Prov 25:11)

or even this:
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. (Prov 27:6)

 

[Bowhunter2394]

even the devil loves his own.. lolz.. if ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children..

how to you try the spirits? test? every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh or come in the flesh.. is of God.. every spriit that does not confess Jesus is God come in the flesh , this is the spirit of antichrist indeed.. even the devil knows Jesus is God..



[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="class: vDispa"]Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the fllesh is of God:

And everyspiritthat confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this isthatspirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]



the litmus test for the Spirit of Christ is their confession, who saved them? jesus? Jesus the God man? or was is it Jesus the Christ, God manifest in the flesh? even the devils know Jesus and who He is..

* interesting because some New translations leave out

that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh 1 John 4:3 they leave out of their translations. thats tactical, right there. and for a reason. anybody can confess Jesus, even the devils know who He is..

 

[Jason0047]

Christ's disciples are known by their love for one another, but love takes many forms.

sometimes it looks like this:
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. (Prov 25:11)

or even this:
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. (Prov 27:6)

If wounds were what people were getting from their friends all the time, then nobody would have any friends unless they enjoyed constant punishment. It's a balance between the carrot and the stick with more of the carrot in honest love. A true friend and one who loves is easy to see. A hateful spirit who looks only to hurt people is also easy to spot (if you are watchful).

 

[Jason0047]

even the devil loves his own.. lolz.. if ye being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children..

how to you try the spirits? test? every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh or come in the flesh.. is of God.. every spriit that does not confess Jesus is God come in the flesh , this is the spirit of antichrist indeed.. even the devil knows Jesus is God..



[TABLE="width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD="class: vDispa"]Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the fllesh is of God:

And everyspiritthat confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this isthatspirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]



the litmus test for the Spirit of Christ is their confession, who saved them? jesus? Jesus the God man? or was is it Jesus the Christ, God manifest in the flesh? even the devils know Jesus and who He is..

* interesting because some New translations leave out

that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh 1 John 4:3 they leave out of their translations. thats tactical, right there. and for a reason. anybody can confess Jesus, even the devils know who He is..

Yes, this is one of the tests. But the other test is if they love or not, too (1 John 4:8). There are also other kinds of tests, too. Like do they believe in the same gospel, etc.

 

[ctc1989]

Great post. I TRY to treat everyone as I would want them to treat me. It doesn't always work, but I'm going to make a concerted effort to really treat EVERYONE as good or better than I would treat myself.

 

[Jeff_56]

If wounds were what people were getting from their friends all the time, then nobody would have any friends unless they enjoyed constant punishment. It's a balance between the carrot and the stick with more of the carrot in honest love. A true friend and one who loves is easy to see. A hateful spirit who looks only to hurt people is also easy to spot (if you are watchful).

FAITHFUL are the "wounds of a friend "

i.e. it is wrong to call that "punishment".... especially in training in this world we live in --- but that's too big for this thread or even this month!

it's not easy to see "a true friend" or "one who loves" --- otherwise no one would be deceived by the enemy,,,,,, meanwhile, most all of the world is deceived and is serving demons and worshiping them and refuses to repent.....

show "a hateful spirit" from Scripture please. vs Ephesians that says everyone, even believers before they are redeemed, are subjects of the prince of the power of the air>>> i.e. everyone except the redeemed is busy all day long doing things that hurt other people , wittingly or not...

peter was watchful. jesus told him flesh and blood didn't reveal to him the truth. it wasn't because of what he saw(with his eyes) or heard (with his ears) that he learned the truth, but what the Father in heaven revealed to him.... likewise believers everywhere, all the time, on earth....

 

[Jason0047]

Well, I really do not need a Bible in order have discernment on certain things. I can tell when someone is hateful and not of God. Hateful in the sense that they are always looking to knock you down and they are not interested in loving you or leading to the ways of the Lord. In fact, Jesus and the apostles were persecuted both verbally and physically for telling the truth. That pretty much sums it up right there.

 

[Joidevivre]

To express true godly love to others, one must really know and have taken into themselves how very much they are loved by God just the way they are. And until that is done, one cannot be sincere in loving the ones with faults, the ones who persecute them, the ones who are mean.

We are to be merciful to those who doubt and have no faith, even show mercy to some while despising their behavior.

Mercy always triumphs over judgment. It is easy to see "hateful" in someone - why not try seeing "hurting" instead?

 

[Jason0047]

To express true godly love to others, one must really know and have taken into themselves how very much they are loved by God just the way they are. And until that is done, one cannot be sincere in loving the ones with faults, the ones who persecute them, the ones who are mean.

We are to be merciful to those who doubt and have no faith, even show mercy to some while despising their behavior.

Mercy always triumphs over judgment. It is easy to see "hateful" in someone - why not try seeing "hurting" instead?

I have a problem with the fact that you say....

'God loves them just the way they are.'​

What exactly do you mean by that statement? Does that mean a person can just be evil (just the way they are) and be loved by God in them doing evil? Is that what you mean?

 

[dcontroversal]

Love requires a growth process and is not immediate.......the beginning point is fear....the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.....through a process of growth one learns to LOVE as it is not an immediate possession, but is something that is (perfected) completed in a believers life.....Love also demands the truth as love and truth go hand in hand.....Love is also a commandment and yes it does prove discipleship.......but lest we forget...Just like Jesus raking the Pharisees over the coals, John calling them a generation of vipers, Paul not sparing the Corinthian assembly and Jesus when he drove the money changers out of the temple....sometimes Love is not perceived by those false teachers who get raked over the coals by the men of God making a stand for the truth! When a child is being whipped by a parent out of concern and love it is not perceived as love at the moment.........!

 

[Joidevivre]

I have a problem with the fact that you say....

'God loves them just the way they are.'​

What exactly do you mean by that statement? Does that mean a person can just be evil (just the way they are) and be loved by God in them doing evil? Is that what you mean?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world (and that includes sinners) that He gave His only begotten Son....."

He loves his creation - but that does not mean He loves their sin.

 

[Jason0047]

Dear DC:

Why did Jesus, Paul, John the Baptist, and others get upset? Because of evil or sin. But we also have to look at the many more times they did not get upset when they could have gotten upset. Love suffers long. Love is kind. Love envies not. Love is not puffed up. Love is not proud. Love does not dishonor others. Love is not self seeking. Love is not easily angered. Love does not think of evil. Love does not delight in evil but it rejoices in the truth. Love never gives up. Love never stops believing. Love always has hope. Love will never fail. (1 Corinthians 13).

Most of the time people have gotten upset with me because I am trying to promote holiness and condemn sin. I am trying to teach that people need to get their heart right with the Lord by confessing and forsaking sin as the Bible clearly teaches. You would think that if they were a true believer, they would welcome such help in me showing them what the Word says. But that is not the case. They lash out and call me names and they do not discuss the Scriptures in a loving and kind way (So as to debate the issue in the Bible).

Side Note:

Oh, and please tell me you do not mean it is an actual real whip that a child should be beaten with. I sure hope that is not the case. I am assuming that is not what you meant. But I just thought I should bring up so as to clarify what you meant. Thanks.

 

[Jason0047]

John 3:16 For God so loved the world (and that includes sinners) that He gave His only begotten Son....."

He loves his creation - but that does not mean He loves their sin.

Yes, I believe God loves the sinner and hates the sin, too. But I do not believe God is happy with the unbeliever or believer who sins habitually against Him as a way of life. Jesus first words in his ministry were "repent." Jesus defines repentance for us. He said the Ninevites will rise up in Judgment against this generation because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. If we were to look at Jonah chapter 3, we would see that the Ninevites had turned from their wicked ways as a part of their repentance. When Jesus said to the woman caught in the act of adultery that she was not condemned by Him, He also told her to sin no more, too.

So yes, it is true, God does send rain on the righteous and the unrighteous, but only the righteous are going to be with the Lord in Heaven, though.

 

[Jason0047]

Mercy always triumphs over judgment. It is easy to see "hateful" in someone - why not try seeing "hurting" instead?

Did not Christ suffer on the cross (in a great amount of pain) and ask the Father to forgive those who crucified Him?

If Christ lives in us, then surely this type of love that comes from Christ would be in us ... no?

Paul says, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

How can we know if we know Him? By keeping His Commandments.

"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John 2:3-6).

 

[psychomom]

If wounds were what people were getting from their friends all the time, then nobody would have any friends unless they enjoyed constant punishment. It's a balance between the carrot and the stick with more of the carrot in honest love. A true friend and one who loves is easy to see. A hateful spirit who looks only to hurt people is also easy to spot (if you are watchful).

i agree we don't go around always hurting our friends, Jason.
that's why i said 'sometimes'.

i have had friends tell me things...true things about myself that were very hard to hear, and at the time it hurt quite a bit.
but because they had shown me they love me, i trusted it and took it to heart.
those women were good and true friends to risk a relationship out of love.

i don't take a carrot/stick approach with anyone (i hope) as i'm not trying to drive them.
and frankly? i'm more concerned about the deceitful kisses of an enemy
than the faithful wounds of a friend.

when we discipline our children, it's painful, but we wouldn't bother if we didn't love them.
when my Father in heaven disciplines me, it's painful, but He does it because He loves me.
i know He does.

 

[Jason0047]

i agree we don't go around always hurting our friends, Jason.
that's why i said 'sometimes'.

i have had friends tell me things...true things about myself that were very hard to hear, and at the time it hurt quite a bit.
but because they had shown me they love me, i trusted it and took it to heart.
those women were good and true friends to risk a relationship out of love.

i don't take a carrot/stick approach with anyone (i hope) as i'm not trying to drive them.
and frankly? i'm more concerned about the deceitful kisses of an enemy
than the faithful wounds of a friend.

when we discipline our children, it's painful, but we wouldn't bother if we didn't love them.
when my Father in heaven disciplines me, it's painful, but He does it because He loves me.
i know He does.

2 Timothy 3:3 lets the cat out of the bag and leaves no excuse for those who have a form of Godliness, but they deny the power therof in the last days (Which would be the days we are living in now). It says they are without natural affection and they are false accusers. So if someone appears to have a form of Godliness and they are always a hardcase and always critical, cold, and hard, then they are without natural affection. The cat is out of the bag. They are exposed by 2 Timothy 3:3.

 

[Vernon]

Some say: faith alone! But Paul says: if I have All faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing...

But now faith, hope love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1Cor13

 

[PeterJens]

Without love we do not know the Lord.

This is a very hard saying for those so beaten and lost, their love is hidden below so many layers of defence they cannot let it out, the hurt is too deep and too painful. The sad news is, unless you can do this, and take the risk with Jesus you cannot know salvation or eternity.

It can take years, literally to find out why, and get movement. It has taken my whole life, to find the meaning of love, and still I only know the surface. People have asked me how I could have become so healthy and normal, and I reply because Jesus loved me, and I opened up to it over many, many years, through many relationships and people but mainly the Lord.

This experience has convinced me of one thing, eternity is founded on love, hard righteous, forgiving, pure love. Some would say love should just forgive everyone, but this is non-sense. Love knows what is right, appropriate, healthy, and what is destructive, evil wrong. Love forgives the destruction, but in the end if it just continues forever, it is subject to judgement. The judgement is just the removal of the destruction, which for sinners is the sinner themselves.