Love and Lust

[Orahh]

Latley, I've been trying to gain an understanding of love and lust and why love can be only of God.
I have a friend, who isn't christian, who has been asking me how love in a relationship with another person is different when the two people have given their lives to God, as opposed to when they both don't know God.
I've tryed to help her understand, but I don't know much about the topic myself, so if anyone has some good advice or quotes from the bible, that would be awsome.
God bless

 

[Lucis]

I think both Christians and non-Christians can have relationships that is about love, just like both can have failed relationships. The bible say that God don't make difference to people. And nothing that I've read in the bible suggest that if someone becomes a Christian then they will have perfect relationships. The difference for Christians would be that they know Jesus and will live forever.

 

[Elijah2]

There are five types of love, so read through these.

* Eros (ἔρως érōs) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "(romantic) love". However, eros does not have to be sexual in nature. Eros can be interpreted as a love for someone whom you love more than the philia love of friendship. It can also apply to dating relationships as well as marriage. Plato refined his own definition. Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself. It should be noted Plato does not talk of physical attraction as a necessary part of love, hence the use of the word platonic to mean, "without physical attraction". Plato also said eros helps the soul recall knowledge of beauty, and contributes to an understanding of spiritual truth. Lovers and philosophers are all inspired to seek truth by eros. The most famous ancient work on the subject of eros is Plato's Symposium, which is a discussion among the students of Socrates on the nature of eros.

* Philia (φιλία philía), which means friendship in modern Greek, a dispassionate virtuous love, was a concept developed by Aristotle. It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires virtue, equality and familiarity. In ancient texts, philia denoted a general type of love, used for love between family, between friends, a desire or enjoyment of an activity, as well as between lovers. This is the only other word for "love" used in the ancient text of the New Testament besides agape, but even then it is used substantially less frequently.

* Agapē (ἀγάπη agáp&#275 means "love" in modern day Greek, such as in the term s'agapo (Σ'αγαπ&#974, which means"I love you". In Ancient Greek it often refers to a general affection rather than the attraction suggested by "eros"; agape is used in ancient texts to denote feelings for a good meal, one's children, and the feelings for a spouse. It can be described as the feeling of being content or holding one in high regard. The verb appears in the New Testament describing, amongst other things, the relationship between Jesus and the beloved disciple. In biblical literature, its meaning and usage is illustrated by self-sacrificing, giving love to all--both friend and enemy. It is used in Matthew 22:39, "Love your neighbour as yourself," and in John 15:12, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you," and in 1 John 4:8, "God is love." However, the word "agape" is not always used in the New Testament in a positive sense. II Timothy 4:10 uses the word in a negative sense. The Apostle Paul writes,"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved (agapo) this present world...." Thus the word "agape" is not always used of a divine love or the love of God. Christian commentators have expanded the original Greek definition to encompass a total commitment or self-sacrificial love for the thing loved. Because of its frequency of use in the New Testament, Christian writers have developed a significant amount of theology based solely on the interpretation of this word.

* Storge (στοργή storg&#275 means "affection" in modern Greek; it is natural affection, like that felt by parents for offspring. Rarely used in ancient works, and then almost exclusively as a descriptor of relationships within the family.

* Thelema (θέλημα thélēma) means "desire" in modern Greek; it is the desire to do something, to be occupied, to be in prominence.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_words...

 

[wonderwaleye]

Latley, I've been trying to gain an understanding of love and lust and why love can be only of God.
I have a friend, who isn't christian, who has been asking me how love in a relationship with another person is different when the two people have given their lives to God, as opposed to when they both don't know God.
I've tryed to help her understand, but I don't know much about the topic myself, so if anyone has some good advice or quotes from the bible, that would be awsome.
God bless

They shall have a much stronger bond in their love as a result of GOD'S GUIDANCE in HIS WORD. In a time of struggle or strife GOD'S WORD can be the only thing that holds them together. There are times in a storm where you can't even see where your going but if you follow GOD'S WORD and keep one foot in front of another HE will see you through:





Mark
Chapter 3

24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.


25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.


2 Corinthians
Chapter 5

6 So we are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,

7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.




Isaiah 40:28-31




28Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.





29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.



30Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;



31but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Sirach
Chapter 1
​

9Fear of the LORD is glory and splendor, gladness and a festive crown.



10 Fear of the LORD warms the heart, giving gladness and joy and length of days.


11 He who fears the LORD will have a happy end; even on the day of his death he will be blessed.


12 The beginning of wisdom is fear of the LORD, which is formed with the faithful in the womb.



13 With devoted men was she created from of old, and with their children her beneficence abides.




14 Fullness of wisdom is fear of the LORD; she inebriates men with her fruits.



15 Her entire house she fills with choice foods, her granaries with her harvest.



16 Wisdom's garland is fear of the LORD, with blossoms of peace and perfect health.



17 Knowledge and full understanding she showers down; she heightens the glory of those who possess her.



18 The root of wisdom is fear of the LORD; her branches are length of days.



19 One cannot justify unjust anger; anger plunges a man to his downfall.



20 A patient man need stand firm but for a time, and then contentment comes back to him.



21 For a while he holds back his words, then the lips of many herald his wisdom.



22 Among wisdom's treasures is the paragon of prudence; but fear of the LORD is an abomination to the sinner.



23 If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the LORD will bestow her upon you;



24 For fear of the LORD is wisdom and culture; loyal humility is his delight.



25 Be not faithless to the fear of the LORD, nor approach it with duplicity of heart.



26 Play not the hypocrite before men; over your lips keep watch.



27 Exalt not yourself lest you fall and bring upon you dishonor;



28 For then the LORD will reveal your secrets and publicly cast you down,



29 Because you approached the fear of the LORD with your heart full of guile.


There are many verses in GOD'S WORD that give the strength needed for a good relationship if they are followed.



LOVE


steven

 

[heron]

Love is a human experience, and certainly isn't confined to Christianity. The definitions above show different ways we use the word, and sometimes it is thrown around.

"True love" is usually used to describe obsession, instead of describing what real love should be.

Lust is a desire to get something. It is self-driven, and often ignores the needs of others.

Love is a desire to give something. It is willing to set Self aside, in order to bring good to others.


When people have told you that only God-centered love is real, I think I know what they mean. God can see our lives as an overview, with long-term results of all our short-term decisions.

He can see that one moment of happiness can lead to twenty years as a battered wife. Giving in to the pressure of lust can lead to responsibility for a child that becomes the central part of our lives -- the rest of our lives.

If we are eyeing someone in lust, what might be going through our minds is how beautiful they appear, how confidently they present themselves, how we would be proud to be associated with them, how we like their choice of cars and clothes, how people would finally respect us if we were seen on their arm.

You see yourself in them, or you see what you wish you could be in them.

Compare this to, "I just had a great conversation with Joe. He is thinking of studying oceanography."

Not as spicy, but this sentence shows listening to what was on the guy's heart, not just using the information to get something. (Billie Joe Armstrong loves chocolate chip cookies! I need to write and tell him I do too!)

 

[Mr.Cheese]

.

 

[drich0150]

1Cornithians 13 Speaks all about what True love looks like and how/why it is greater than all spiritual gifts.

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If 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. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love 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. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

[aldar]

Well I can understand the intent behind what your asking I do not believe love is any diffrent whether you are a christian or not. I have been a christian and I have been a non-christian and I can tell you that love is not something either one or the other has but not both. When I think of love I think of selflessness, desire, appreciation, adhoration, friendship, commitment, pure sincerety, a genuine need for that other person in your life. These are things that both christians and nonchristians can have.

I personally do not view christians and non-christians as extremely diffrent, my experience has shown me they aren't. They are the same people choosing to walk a diffrent path, no diffrent on terms of knowledge, understanding, competence, sincerety, goodness, love, faithfulness... I just don't believe nonchristians are bad people or evil. They are just not being christians... I don't believe christians are superior or in anyway better morally. They are just diffrent in terms of lifestyles.

 

[freeport]

Latley, I've been trying to gain an understanding of love and lust and why love can be only of God.
I have a friend, who isn't christian, who has been asking me how love in a relationship with another person is different when the two people have given their lives to God, as opposed to when they both don't know God.
I've tryed to help her understand, but I don't know much about the topic myself, so if anyone has some good advice or quotes from the bible, that would be awsome.
God bless

In the flesh it is almost impossible when you get close to examining lust, for look at Song of Songs.

I like to call Christian love by the word "charity", which is the equivalent to express it as more sublime then the love we see in the world. But, we must remember that Jesus compared the love sinners have for their own kind to the godly love: both the love sinners have for their own friends and for their own children and parents.

Clearly, that love of God is burning deep, for God speaks of the nation of Israel and of Judah as women whom He has married and whom He loves: through out the prophets.

But we know it is sinful to compare fleshly lusts to heavenly love. God is well beyond that. We know Paul spoke of the Bride of Christ in such a manner that he pointed out even born again Christians would have a hard time understanding 'for we are in the flesh'.

Yet, Jesus also was in the flesh and used these metaphors and understood these things: so what did Paul there mean, but that we still have sin.

When Jesus is therefore revealed from Heaven with His Holy Ones, 'we will be as He is'.

We are made in the Image of God and what is of the flesh is but a dim shadow of God. Then God will be known perfectly through Jesus Christ, and these things will well be understood.

 

[heron]

why love can be only of God.

I recognized this statement from things I've heard in different churches. It's not quite scriptural, depending on how people use it.

Ultimately, since God created everything, He is the founder of love and would know the extremes of any emotion, and would have the highest understanding of how to love someone to their greatest benefit.

But some preachers compare the love of Christians and non-Christians, as though non-Christians don't understand selflessness and generosity. Common sense and observation tells us that some people put more effort into caring than others. And some people seem incapable of showing love.

When connecting with someone who shares the Christian faith, they are reading the same teachings on love, holding themselves accountable to similar standards, and striving for generally the same aim.

There is definitely an advantage to partnering with someone else who wants to live for God and follow His guidelines. The Bible teaches on going the second mile, persisting, setting aside selfishness, refraining from cursing others, restraining the temptations to addictive behavior... a lot of things that make social life so much easier.

In following God's Word, it leads a person to express love more deeply and thoughtfully.

 

[alatir]

I think lust in the Scripture refers to a strong desire in person to get something that is illicit to him, than can be money, wealth or to have someone who is not your spouse, be him or her a married or single person.

But love in the Scripture is defined by the person of God (1. John 4:8), and nature of love is best seen in the person Jesus Christ. I think the passage about love in 1. Cor 13 strongly conjures up an image of Jesus. So two person who have been saved by God should in some measure reflect the person of Christ, because the love of God has been poured on them by the Holy Spirit, who is also the Spirit of Christ.

 

[Dire36]

I'll explain it the best I can, love is, according to the bible, wanting only the best for someone. lust on the other hand is a purely sexual attraction without much caring. non-christians can love, they are capable, but often there love is only lust. now, since love is wanting the best in someone, than lust means wanting yourself to feel good without regard to the other.
now where sex comes in to the equation is that sex is a beautiful thing, it is a man giving his whole self to a woman, and visversa. however the drvil often takes something beautiful and twists it into something sick and perverted that seems apealing, but this is only a cheat, and would have been many times better if done the right way, by the correct quidelines

 

[JesusSavedme1]

True love is found in jesus christ..who do you know that would give up their life for u?

 

[Orahh]

love and lust are human issues, not just christian/nonchristian.
both can develop relationships that are very loving. both can fall into the fires of lust.
lust is a greed we serve to satisfy ourselves, our particular desire, at the expense of another human. it's when we take a person and make them a thing to use. lust is often attached to sexual issues but in that instance it is still a selfish burning greed when our desire has gone out of control. it could be for sex, money, power, popularity, revenge, and a host of other things which may or may be perfectly normal by themselves.

That's very helpful advice, thank you

 

[Orahh]

Well I can understand the intent behind what your asking I do not believe love is any diffrent whether you are a christian or not. I have been a christian and I have been a non-christian and I can tell you that love is not something either one or the other has but not both. When I think of love I think of selflessness, desire, appreciation, adhoration, friendship, commitment, pure sincerety, a genuine need for that other person in your life. These are things that both christians and nonchristians can have.

I personally do not view christians and non-christians as extremely diffrent, my experience has shown me they aren't. They are the same people choosing to walk a diffrent path, no diffrent on terms of knowledge, understanding, competence, sincerety, goodness, love, faithfulness... I just don't believe nonchristians are bad people or evil. They are just not being christians... I don't believe christians are superior or in anyway better morally. They are just diffrent in terms of lifestyles.

thank you for your different perspective, it was quite helpful :]

 

[alatir]

I personally do not view christians and non-christians as extremely diffrent, my experience has shown me they aren't. They are the same people choosing to walk a diffrent path, no diffrent on terms of knowledge, understanding, competence, sincerety, goodness, love, faithfulness... I just don't believe nonchristians are bad people or evil. They are just not being christians... I don't believe christians are superior or in anyway better morally and make us loving people. They are just diffrent in terms of lifestyles.

You fail to see one of the fundamental things of the Bible, which calls all people evil, just read Romans 3:9-18. Jesus Himself calls us evil, Luke 11:13. But born-again Christians, who have been saved by God are in some sense better morally, not by their own virtue but by God's power. Because God's has put His own Spirit into us to guide our morality. This is the promise of the new covenant:

For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Eze. 36:25-27

 

[Johnnz]

Aldar's advice is great and very healthy. Sinners and saints are both fallen people. It's just that saints are people working at fitting Jesus into their lives, but we are all a work in progress. No grounds there for wiping the floor with non Christians and extolling some imaginary saintliness in believers.

John
NZ

 

[alatir]

Aldar's advice is great and very healthy. Sinners and saints are both fallen people. It's just that saints are people working at fitting Jesus into their lives, but we are all a work in progress. No grounds there for wiping the floor with non Christians and extolling some imaginary saintliness in believers.

John
NZ

We are not sinless because we have the old remaining sinful nature with us. But it's sad if a believer doesn't know the difference between unsaved and born-again people, even though the Bible so clearly put those two in different categories.