How would you define love to an unbeliever?

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

How would you define love to an unbeliever?

I would say God is love to them.
And that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.
God loved, then God took an action in love. Not just any kind of loving action but a love that was done in self sacrifice for others.

In other words, in the eternal Godhead: God the Father had loving feelings towards us (Which then led to His loving action in sending forth His Son to save us from our sins by His Son's sacrifice). We are commanded to love God with all our heart, mind, and souls. Surely, emotions are in the mix somewhere within those three. Also, our very soul is in the act of loving God, too. So our very being must love God (Which would be displayed by loving action). We are told in Scripture to walk as Christ walked. We are told to lay down our lives for the brethren, too. So we are to not only love from the heart (with loving feelings) but we are to love in self sacrifice towards others (As Christ had done). This is not our love. But the love of God that lives within us. How does one get this love?

First, a person has to repent of their sins and receive Christ as their Savior. This means that they will be born again (or changed) spiritually and Christ (God) will then live within them. Second, they then need to allow Christ (Who is the source of love) to continue to work within their heart and lives. It is not their love, but it is the love of Christ moving and working within them so as to love others in a self sacrificing way.

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

What love is and what love is not.

#1. God is love (i.e. He is the source of all true love); Love is not something man can experience on his own without God.
#2. Love involves loving feelings; But love is not mere feelings alone (with no true biblical actions that follow it).
#3. Love is shown true by living in self sacrifice towards others; But loving action alone is not true love.
#4. After surrending your life to Christ: Love is God working His love in you (and it is not your love); So love is not your working or power (So that you can take the credit).

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

Love manifests itself in right type of actions.

Love (God) is patient. Love (God) is kind. Love (God) is long suffering. Love (God) does not envy. Love (God) does not behave rudely. Love (God) is not easily provoked. Love (God) rejoices not in iniquity but rejoices in the truth.

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

And yet, love is also shed abroad in our hearts (It is a feeling of comfort and love from God), too.

"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
(Romans 5:5).

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

True love can only exist because of God.

For God is love (1 John 4:8).

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

And God demonstrated the greatest love act in human history when He paid the price for our sins so as to offer every man the free gift of salvation (If they wanted it).

"No man hath more love than this, that a man put his life for his friends."
(John 15:13) (WYC) (Wycliffe Bible).

...

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

Love is of God and it involves both feelings and actions.

1 Peter 1:22 (NIV)
"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart."

1 John 3:17-18 (NIV)
"If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

fhansen · Sep 3, 2015

All of this is true. And Gods most basic command to man is, "That Shalt Love". And to the extent that we do so, our own peace and joy and happiness blossom forth. But love cannot be forced. God doesn't/won't force us to love; here is where our freedom lies. And we cannot force ourselves to love either, even if we think we should, even if we acknowledge our obligation to do so. Love comes freely or its not love; it must, finally, be desired and embraced, as we come to see our need for it and recognize its supreme goodness. And this love comes only as a gift of God as we cooperate in His work of transforming us into His image, a work of grace.

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

fhansen said:
All of this is true. And Gods most basic command to man is, "That Shalt Love". And to the extent that we do so, our own peace and joy and happiness blossom forth. But love cannot be forced. God doesn't/won't force us to love; here is where our freedom lies. And we cannot force ourselves to love either, even if we think we should, even if we acknowledge our obligation to do so. Love comes freely or its not love; it must, finally, be desired and embraced, as we come to see our need for it and recognize its supreme goodness. And this love comes only as a gift of God as we cooperate in His work of transforming us into His image, a work of grace.

Amen. I agree.

Love is a Command that is given to us (Which I believe is a part of obeying all His Written Commands in the New Testament that were spoken by both Himself and His apostles). God helps us to obey His Word when we choose of our own free will to surrender to Him thru repentance and acceptance of Him. For Jesus said, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Steeno7 · Sep 3, 2015

Jason0047 said:
How would you define love to an unbeliever?

The Cross.

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

Steeno7 said:
The Cross.

I see men who have tatoos of the cross on their bodies and I see many who wear cross necklaces; But I know for a fact by the way they talk and live that they are not truly aware of the love of God, though. There are also many who were crucified on crosses thru out history. Then there are those who make the cross into an idol as if it has some kind of power. There is no power in the symbol in and of itself. So just saying the "cross" is not exactly specific enough.

Steeno7 · Sep 3, 2015

Jason0047 said:
I see men who have tatoos of the cross on their bodies and I see many who wear cross necklaces; But I know for a fact by the way they talk and live that they are not truly aware of the love of God, though. There are also many who were crucified on crosses thru out history. Then there are those who make the cross into an idol as if it has some kind of power. There is no power in the symbol in and of itself. So just saying the "cross" is not exactly specific enough.

Then you are simply ignorant of the full theological implications of the Cross and can help no one.

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

Steeno7 said:
Then you are simply ignorant of the full theological implications of the Cross and can help no one.

I am aware that Jesus saves. The cross in and of itself does not save. It is just the method used to kill our Savior. There is no life outside the Son. For he that has the Son has life and he that does not have the Son does not have life (1 John 5:12).

Steeno7 · Sep 3, 2015

Jason0047 said:
I am aware that Jesus saves. The cross in and of itself does not save. It is just the method used to kill our Savior. There is no life outside the Son. For he that has the Son has life and he that does not have the Son does not have life (1 John 5:12).

The Cross is God's ultimate revelation of Love. There is no higher expression or better explanation of Love.

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

Steeno7 said:
The Cross is God's ultimate revelation of Love. There is no higher expression or better explanation of Love.

Like I said, there are many who like the symbol of the cross, but they do not have Jesus or know Him. So I would say that is more than just the cross. It was the person on the cross that they need to know. The cross in and of itself is nothing but an instrument or tool used by our Lord to accomplish His task in saving us. But there are others in history who were crucified on crosses, too. Does that mean their cross is special, too? No of course not. Like I said. It is Jesus Christ (Who is a person) and not a thing that saves us.

Steeno7 · Sep 3, 2015

Jason0047 said:
Like I said, there are many who like the symbol of the cross, but they do not have Jesus or know Him. So I would say that is more than just the cross. It was the person on the cross that they need to know. The cross in and of itself is nothing but an instrument or tool used by our Lord to accomplish His task in saving us. But there are others in history who were crucified on crosses, too. Does that mean their cross is special, too? No of course not. Like I said. It is Jesus Christ (Who is a person) and not a thing that saves us.

Like I said you are ignorant of the theological meaning of the Cross. Paul’s reference to the Cross is not just to the material object made of wood, he is speaking of the finished work of Christ upon it, and of all the theological implications inclusive of Christ's finished work on the Cross.

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

Steeno7 said:
Like I said you are ignorant of the theological meaning of the Cross. Paul’s reference to the Cross is not just to the material object made of wood, he is speaking of the finished work of Christ upon it, and of all the theological implications inclusive of Christ's finished work on the Cross.

May God's love shine upon you.

Steeno7 · Sep 3, 2015

Jason0047 said:
May God's love shine upon you.

Bailing out, eh?

Bible Highlighter · Sep 3, 2015

Steeno7 said:
Bailing out, eh?

I had stated my case, but you ignored the points I made. Also, I fail to see how insults help to prove your case, either. If anything, such a thing works against you and not for you.

Steeno7 · Sep 3, 2015

Jason0047 said:
I had stated my case, but you ignored the points I made. Also, I fail to see how insults help to prove your case, either. If anything, such a thing works against you and not for you.

It is not an insult to state the obvious. You have no "case".

How would you define love to an unbeliever?

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Oldbie

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Not I...but Christ

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Not I...but Christ

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Not I...but Christ

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Not I...but Christ

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Not I...but Christ

Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

Not I...but Christ

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