Love, what is it?

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crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,742
3,670
113
#21
Remember, love is a fruit of the spirit, it doesn’t come by striving and straining.
Rather once fully formed (as fruit), it will strive and strain to please God.
 

tantalon

Active member
Oct 11, 2019
286
105
43
#22
Another name for love is righteousness. God IS love, meaning righteous or Holy. Love, or righteousness then is the doing, or the being, of that which is honorable. The fruits of the Spirit are earned, and not bestowed without effort and obedience. The KJV lists them properly and the "start line" for receiving them begins at the bottom of the list at temperance or, self control.
 
G

Godsgirl83

Guest
#23
okay, just can't help myself with this one......
gotta do it.......
this is the first thing that comes to mind when I hear this question.......
"what is love"?
step into the "way back" machine with me here.........

Luv Is a Verb

performed by: DC Talk

Down with the dc Talk, d- d- down with the dc Talk
Are you down with the dc Talk, d- d- down with the dc Talk


Pullin' out my big black book
Cause when I need a word defined that's where I look
So I move to the L's quick, fast, in a hurry
Threw on my specs, thought my vision was blurry
I looked again but to my dismay
It was black and white with no room for grey
Ya see, a big "V" stood beyond my word
And yo that's when it hit me, that luv is a verb


Words come easy but don't mean much
When the words they're sayin' we can't put trust in
We're talkin' 'bout love in a different light
And if we all learn to love it would be just right


Hey, tell me haven't ya heard?
Luv, is a serious word
Hey, I think it's time ya learned
I don't care what they say
I don't care care what ya heard
The word luv, luv is a verb


Down with the dc Talk, d- d- down with the dc Talk
Are you down with the dc Talk, d- d- down with the dc Talk


Thinkin' of a way to explain-o
Cause ya' know when I'm flowin' like a bottle of Drain-o
Simple and plain, L-O-V-E
Ain't all that junk that ya see on TV
Put soaps on a rope cause they ain't worth copin' with
It's a myth that there ain't no hope and
Luv is enough if it's unconditionally
Givin' now you're living out the Great Commission


Back in the day there was a man
Who stepped out of Heaven and he walked the land
He delivered to the people an eternal choice
With a heart full of luv and the truth in His voice
Gave up His life so that we may live
How much more luv could the Son of God give?

Here is the example that we oughtta be matchin'
Cause luv is a word that requires some action


Words come easy but don't mean much
When the words they're sayin' we can't put trust in
We're talkin' 'bout love in a different light
And if we all learn to love it would be just right


Hey, tell me haven't ya heard?
Luv, is a serious word
Hey, I think it's time ya learned

I don't care what they say
I don't care care what ya heard
The word luv, luv is a verb

Hey, tell me haven't ya heard?
Luv, is a serious word
Hey, I think it's time ya learned
I don't care what they say
I don't care care what ya heard
The word luv, luv is a verb

Hey, tell me haven't ya heard?
Luv, is a serious word
Hey, I think it's time ya learned
I don't care what they say
I don't care care what ya heard
The word luv, luv is a verb

Hey, tell me haven't ya heard?
Luv, is a serious word
Hey, I think it's time ya learned
I don't care what they say
I don't care care what ya heard
The word luv, luv is a verb
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,742
3,670
113
#24
Another name for love is righteousness. God IS love, meaning righteous or Holy. Love, or righteousness then is the doing, or the being, of that which is honorable. The fruits of the Spirit are earned, and not bestowed without effort and obedience. The KJV lists them properly and the "start line" for receiving them begins at the bottom of the list at temperance or, self control.
Could you kindly show me where Scripture says that ‘the fruit of the Spirit are earned and not bestowed without effort and obedience’?

Luke 11:13 ESV
[13] If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"


Galatians 3:2-5 ESV
[2] Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? [3] Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? [4] Did you suffer so many things in vain-if indeed it was in vain? [5] Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith-
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,212
2,547
113
#25
The world sees love differently than God does.
Yes there is a vast difference between the love that we humans know of and fathers. For us love is an emotion a feeling or in some cases another word for physical relations.
But his love is something else entirely. It is not merely an emotion or feeling it is something that is so deep and rich that even a drop of it is more than the human body can handle and I know from personal experience. His love can't even be described as an emotion or feeling there just is no word for it, I wish there was I wish I could describe it in words but I simply cannot justify the depth of it in the human tongue.
His love peirces our hearts and we bleed for him, the love and adoration we bleed for him from that peirce of the heart is something that only the heart can sing. We desperately pour our affection and adoration for him in such a child like way, we fawn over him and it only takes one time for his love to penetrate us.

His love changes us his love is a way of seeing, a way of being. his love changes how we think how we see how we act, his love is beyond compare and that is putting it lightly. His love washes over us and he fawns over us because we are his and he took only the greatest care and love in forming us in our creation, his craft is one of the deepest intimacy.
The word love doesn't even do it justice
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,742
3,670
113
#26
1 John 4:7-11,13-19 ESV
[7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. [8] Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. [9] In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. [10] In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

[13] By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. [16] So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. [17] By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. [18] There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. [19] We love because he first loved us.
 

David

Junior Member
Jul 10, 2015
2
0
1
#27
jesus taught us to love God and love our neighbours.

Love of God is keeping the commandments; his commandments are not grievous.

Love of one another is fulfilled when we keep and do his commandments.

Jesus taught that the greatest commandments in the law are love God (Deuteronomy) and love thy neighbour (Leviticus 19). He came to fulfil the law of Deuteronomy so the commandments we have would not simply be the focal point of our lives and minds, but also understood in our hearts.

Those who know God keep his commandments, and those who say they know God and do not keep his commandments are liars (see 1 John 2).
 

crossnote

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2012
30,742
3,670
113
#28
For the born again Christian, love is no longer a command to be kept, but a life to be lived.

Galatians 2:20 ESV
[20] I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

for others of you, who insist on turning love into a law, you have built yourself a box you cannot fill.
 

Webers.Home

Well-known member
May 28, 2018
5,820
1,073
113
Oregon
cfbac.org
#29
.
John 3:16 . . God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The Greek word for "love" in that verse is agapao (ag-ap-ah'-o) which is
mostly an impersonal kind of love that's expressed in things like courtesy,
sympathy, kindness, generosity, charity, deference, benevolence, etc.

John 3:16 tells me that God is concerned for people and pities them; but
doesn't necessarily mean He likes them. In point of fact, quite a few people
disgust God and sometimes make Him wish they were dead. (Gen 6:6-7)

Here's love as an affectionate emotion.

John 16:27 . .The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and
have believed that I came from God.

The Greek word from which is translated "love" in that verse is phileo (fil
eh'-o) which always, and without exception, includes the element of
fondness.
_
 

tantalon

Active member
Oct 11, 2019
286
105
43
#30
Could you kindly show me where Scripture says that ‘the fruit of the Spirit are earned and not bestowed without effort and obedience’?

Luke 11:13 ESV
[13] If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"


Galatians 3:2-5 ESV
[2] Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? [3] Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? [4] Did you suffer so many things in vain-if indeed it was in vain? [5] Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith-
 

tantalon

Active member
Oct 11, 2019
286
105
43
#31
You are mixing salvation with the nine fruits of the Spirit. As I said ,one starts at the bottom of the list (self control), and THEN moves upward in maturity, as each fruit gains residence through obedience. The fruits of the Spirit are not automatic, but bestowed. See KJV for proper sequence.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
37,844
13,558
113
#32
The fruits of the Spirit are earned, and not bestowed without effort and obedience.
oh?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
i'd like to point out that "fruit" is singular

if part of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control, how is it that one by will and effort controls themselves in order to obey, before receiving self control? the wages of self control are self control?

did we receive the Spirit by effort and will and desire, or by faith? is He a gift in great mercy toward the ungodly, quickening them who believed while they were dead in sin, or is He a reward to those who by self-imposed behavior modification attained a righteousness which merited receiving Him?
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
37,844
13,558
113
#34
the tree of life in Revelation 22 is described having 12 fruits.
incidentally these fruits are for "the healing of the nations" -- and it's not like one has to make themselves well in order to be found worthy to receive medicine. it is the sick who need a doctor -- the sinner who needs a Savior ;) the God who takes up the cause of the poor and needy is the One who sees to and meets their needs.

if a person can "earn" the Holy Spirit i wonder what need they have of Jesus?
 
Jul 20, 2019
1,228
882
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#35
Yuk! :sick: That’s vanity, NOT LOVE! :cry:
I was being sarcastic and pointing out mankinsd version of love versus Jesus version of love. I much prefer Jesus version. To. many people, chrisitians included, marry for convenience or pragmatism. Those marriages are yuck, and rarely survive
 

tantalon

Active member
Oct 11, 2019
286
105
43
#36
Self control, when practised is : not my will, not my way, but yours Lord. Man, we as Christians start out as babes in Christ, and grow slowly over time through obedience to righteousness. An example can be found in 1 Cor. 3: 1-3. but if you do not read it, then you won't understand the concept of maturity from baby Christians to spiritual men, and that; long after salvation. Without the fruit of the Spirit, (meaning the nature of), we will remain babes, no matter how long ago our conversion took place.
 
Jun 10, 2019
4,304
1,659
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#37
I’m curious since there is talk about the KJV is the best translation of books and scrolls, how can someone be completely sure that God approved humans to collect all the books and make them into one book called the Bible.
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
37,844
13,558
113
#38
Self control, when practised is : not my will, not my way, but yours Lord. Man, we as Christians start out as babes in Christ, and grow slowly over time through obedience to righteousness. An example can be found in 1 Cor. 3: 1-3. but if you do not read it, then you won't understand the concept of maturity from baby Christians to spiritual men, and that; long after salvation. Without the fruit of the Spirit, (meaning the nature of), we will remain babes, no matter how long ago our conversion took place.
this is like saying you must wait for years before you can be older.
what made you older, the waiting or the time?
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,776
113
#40
I’m curious since there is talk about the KJV is the best translation of books and scrolls, how can someone be completely sure that God approved humans to collect all the books and make them into one book called the Bible.
I will try to give you a succinct answer.

THE OLD TESTAMENT
The Old Testament was already established as Scripture by the time Christ came into the world. And it is the resurrected Lord who established the validity of the Hebrew Tanakh and its 24 books (our 39 books). Here is what is recorded in Luke 24:44: And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in [1] the Law of Moses, and in [2] the Prophets, and [3] in the Psalms, concerning me. Those are the three main divisions of the Hebrew Bible: Torah (5 books), Neviim (8 books), and Ketuvim (11 books). By limiting divine revelation to those 24 books, Jesus defined the canon of the OT. That automatically excluded the Apocrypha.

THE NEW TESTAMENT
1. Peter confirmed by divine revelation that all of the epistles of Paul were Scripture (along side the Hebrew Scriptures). That is over half the NT.
2. Luke affirmed that his Gospel was "from above". We may therefore conclude that Acts was also divinely inspired.
3. John indirectly stated that his Gospel and epistles were also inspired. And clearly Revelation is indeed divine revelation.
4. Peter said that his epistles were prophetic (therefore divine revelation). He also defined the meaning of prophecy.
5. That leaves us with Matthew, Mark, James, and Jude. These books were being circulated in the apostolic churches (as were all the epistles). The proof of the NT canon being what we have is in the 2nd century Aramaic translation of the Bible (called the Peshitta) and also in the 2nd century Muratori Canon (which is incomplete).

There was some dispute about the epistle of Barnabbas, but in the end it was excluded.