what is love?

Well, I was a very bright little kid and I learned love from what I picked up in life. It started with two teen aunts living next door that mothered me in absence of the real thing. That relationship carried over into adulthood, that closeness with my aunts. As they grew older, I had two cousins teens move in with us in '48 and they took over for the aunts. I still have a closeness with them as an adult also.

When I was 15, I stayed with an aunt in Indianapolis for a few months. They had a small house and 8 kids from 16 to 2. I recognized real love there and saw how a father loved. I was impressed with that. When I got married to my first wife, they hugged and kissed we coming and going. I fell right into that and I liked it. Once my first child was born, I finally understood agape love. It made me stay in a relationship that had gone sour. Anyway, upon coming back to Jesus, He shared with me that agape love He had for me the whole time that I did not live for him. When I realized His fatherly love, I could not help but love Him back.

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● Rom 12:13b . . Practice hospitality.

Webster's defines hospitable as: (1) given to generous and cordial reception
of guests, (2) promising or suggesting generous and cordial welcome, (3)
offering a pleasant or sustaining environment.

In other words; a hospitable person is civil, courteous, thoughtful, easy on
one's nerves, helpful, approachable, accommodating, and relaxing to be
with.
_

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● Rom 12:14 . . Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

The koiné Greek word for "persecute" is dioko (dee-o'-ko) which means to
pursue; i.e. to hound. In other words; a persecuting personality is one
whose mission in life is to ruin somebody's day at every opportunity; and
they are pretty good at finding ways to do it.

Christians are under orders to remain civil with people deliberately out to get
them; and not let snipers discourage the practice of hospitality. If they want to
behave like predators, that's their choice; just be careful you don't choose to
react in kind.
_

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● Rom 12:15 . .When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are
sad, share their sorrow.

A number of factors play a role in the making of an insensitive clod; one of
which is defective areas of the brain called amygdalae. In brief, the
amygdalae control, to a large extent, our emotions; i.e. our feelings,
especially relative to empathy.

Normal amygdalae make it possible to commiserate; which can be roughly
defined as feeling sympathy and/or compassion as opposed to just going
thru the motions. For example: I heard somewhere that half of us go to
funerals to honor folk we couldn't be bothered with when they were alive
and then lie through out teeth when we tell the family "I'm sorry for your
loss."

Defective amygdalae are usually a genetic problem; i.e. people with them
were born that way. So, they are going to have a pretty difficult time of it
when it comes to sharing in the happiness and/or the sorrow of others.

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots?" (Jer 13:23)

The answer to both those questions is of course NO; like they say: you can't
get blood out of a turnip. So then, how is it reasonable to expect empathy
challenged Christians to share the happiness of happy people and/or the
sorrows of sad people?

Well; it isn't reasonable, but neither is it hopeless seeing as how a portion of
the fruit of the Spirit is love (Gal 5:22). In other words: there's a
supernatural remedy for personality disorders. (cf. Ezek 36:26)

BTW: It's surprising the number of Christians that I've encountered, even
Sunday school teachers, who honestly believe that feelings have no role
whatsoever in the practice of Christianity. As a result, they go about the
business of their Christian life as insensitive mannequins: heartless, cold,
and metallic; sort of like the Tin Woodsman of the Wizard of Oz-- without a
heart, he couldn't feel the passionate emotions he once felt for the love of
his life. Without a heart; the poor, pitiful man was barely a sentient being.
_

This is also a good answer.

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● Rom 12:16a . . Live in harmony with each other.

It isn't necessary to be in 100% agreement with others on everything in
order to comply with that command. But it is necessary to practice courtesy,
tolerance, and patience, i.e. make every effort to avoid feuding, one-
upmanship, and debating. The opposite of harmony is dissonance, which can
be defined as a mingling of sounds that strike the ear harshly, e.g. sour
notes.

For some people, every disagreement is an act of war to be won at any cost.
That's not harmony, that's hostility. It's far and away better for Christians to
be diplomatic than to be right all the time.

"For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be,
and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be
quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance
and disorder." (2Cor 12:19-20)
_

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● Rom 12:16b . . Don't be elitist, but willing to associate with people below
you.

I'd have to say that those instructions apply only in church where it's
understood by Spirit-led Christians that no one in attendance is somehow
better than another. (cf. Jas 2:1-4)

Church managers should be given a higher degree of respect than pew
warmers because they're in positions of authority; but all in all, church is a
congregation of redeemed sinners, and that includes the managers; so we're
all equals on that basis. Christ had to undergo just as much suffering,
indignity, and death to redeem church managers as he did for everyone else
so God forbid that the hierarchy should exhibit a holier-than-thou attitude;
viz: a superiority complex. (cf. Matt 23:2-7)
_

You have told me what love is now tell me what is the love of God?

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● Rom 12:17a . . Never reciprocate evil with evil to anyone.

That is a really tough command to follow; for example: when someone
makes a demeaning comment, and/or a sarcastic remark about us, the urge
to bounce back with a rejoinder in kind is very difficult to resist.

Well-to-do families at one time sent their daughters off to finishing school to
learn a variety of social graces. I don't know, maybe they still do; but surely
diplomacy ought to be a common social grace among Christians.
_

The truth is in God, but God is love. Being born again through knowing the truth is a necessary step to God. Evil is love's opposite, and evil destroys, kills, lies. Love is God and love builds up, lives, nurtures, makes peace.

We can visually detect it when God lives in humans by the love and caring for others that radiates from them.

The answer was provided. Read down a bit further on that post.

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● Rom 12:18 . . If possible, so far as it in your power, be at peace with all
men.

Assertive, defensive, demanding, fault-finding, imperious, judgmental,
confrontational, argumentative, bossy, spirited, hard-nosed, implacable,
moody, thin skinned, vindictive, abrasive, spiteful people are not allowed in
heaven. Why? Because heaven is a place of peace (Matt 5:9, Rom 14:17).

Disagreeable people who fight at the drop of a hat simply don't fit in heaven
and besides, not only would they be a fish out of water; but it wouldn't be
fair to the others to let difficult people in to heaven where they would surely
turn it into the same kind of hellish world to live in that they've made the
Earth.

Christians should not be difficult. Of all people, they should be the easiest to
get along with.
_

Let me renounce what you said
Jesus is the Word
We are the seed, deep into deep

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● Rom 12:19 . . Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave it to the
wrath of God, for it is written: Vengeance is mine, I will repay; testifies The
Lord.

The focus is upon one's "own" revenge; in other words: if the matter can't
be settled legally; let it go rather than take it upon yourself to be
prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner, i.e. a vigilante. Those who seek
justice outside the justice system are no less criminals than the people they
seek to punish.
_

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● Rom 12:20 . . If your personal enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is
thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his
head.

Way back when the television show SURVIVOR was in its second or third
season, two of the women fell out of sorts and one vowed that even if the
other were lying in the street near death from thirst, she'd walk right past
and not give her so much as a drop of water.

Bad form. Christians have to remain civil and not permit detestable people
to dictate the way we treat our fellow men. It is far better for Christ's
followers to exemplify humanitarian principles than satisfy a grudge. I'll
admit it's galling to have to be courteous with people that mistreat us; but
what can I say? It's Christ's wishes.

● Matt 5:46-47 . . If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?
Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your
brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do
that?
_

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● Rom 14:1 . . Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on
disputable matters.

A strong faith consists of the elements of knowledge, confidence, assurance,
and conviction. A weak faith can be defined as vacillating; viz: one that's not
all that sure whether something is wrong for a Christian; or even that
something is right; in other words, a weak faith lacks the elements of
knowledge, confidence, assurance, and conviction.

Disputable matters are matters of opinion rather than matters of fact.
Opinions are often subjective, biased, and arbitrary, rather than objective,
unbiased, and by-the book. Opinions inevitably invite perpetual debating
that never really gets to the bottom of anything; which, in matters of
spiritual significance is strictly forbidden within the context of the 14th
chapter of Romans; because debatable matters are not matters of doctrine;
but rather; matters of conscience.

We're not talking about black and white doctrines and principles here. Those
are not open to debate. We're talking about gray areas.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery" is black and white; while issues like video
games, music, fashions, foods, cosmetics, movies, self defense, gambling,
swim suits, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, fasting, religious art, crucifixes,
couture, and holy days of obligation are debatable. In regards to those
areas; let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind rather than
somebody else's mind.

Those are things about which each has to decide for themselves according to
the dictates of their own conscience; and God forbid they should impose
their personal dictates upon others and thus become dictatorial because
that's playing God and usurping Christ's sovereign prerogative to make the
rules for his own church.
_

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● Rom 14:2-4 . . One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another
man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats
everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does
not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has
accepted him.

If somebody sincerely believes that fast food, GMO, high fructose corn
syrup, non organic produce, processed foods, grain-fed beef, raw oysters,
sushi, and/or anything fried in lard is sinful; well; more power to them; but
God forbid they should condemn others who disagree.

So then; whether or not to eat grass-fed beef or grain-fed beef is your call;
although in my judicious estimation; you run a much higher risk of
contracting E.coli 0157-H7 by eating grain-fed beef. But the choice to run
that risk is yours alone; not mine. The important point to note is that either
way, God will accept one's diet just so long as they are convinced in their
own mind it's not a sinful diet. And God forbid that we should undertake to
pressure someone via debating and sophistry to violate their conscience.
_

Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Love is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:5

Thank you Lord Jesus.

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● Rom 14:5 . . One man considers one day more sacred than another;
another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced
in his own mind.

Common Christian holy days are The Lord's Day (Sunday), Solemnity of
Mary the Mother of God, the Epiphany, Solemnity of Saint Joseph Husband
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Ascension Trinity Sunday, Solemnity of
Saints Peter and Paul, Good Friday, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, All Saints, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas), and the
Sabbath. Some would probably include Easter and Ash Wednesday.

If your denomination, or your church of choice, rules that days like the
above are sacred, then for you they are. Whether God himself really and
truly rules them as sacred is irrelevant. What matters is whether you are
convinced He does.
_

I'm just a bit confused about this brother. Can you clarify for me and everyone seeking the truth how God who is the Truth be above Himself who is Love?

NIV1984 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

If I have the knowledge of the truth and was born again from above but have no love am I anything or any greater than those who have love?

If the gospel is the Word of truth, is it still the truth that has birthed you from above without the life of Love that Jesus walked on and those who are in Christ who were before ordained to walk on? I'm asking these things because i noticed that some Christians or belevers say that the gospel of our salvation is about the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ which clearly discredits the walking in Love or the life lived in obedience to the will of the Father as He stated in John 14:31 and John 1:6 to mention a few.

Please bear with me on these. Thank you and God bless.