"LOVE" is an eternal message

[foundinHim]

(1Tim.6:3) If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; (refer to "godliness" thread)

"the words of our Lord Jesus Christ" "It is finished"...what "is finished"? Our Lord's perfect, loving work while on earth "is finished"---(Gal.5:14) For all the law is fulfilled in ONE word, even in this; "Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself."
To "love" is to "fulfil the law of Christ." (Gal.6:2)

In 1Cor.13, "charity" = love.
"love never faileth" ... "and now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
Love is the most excellent gift.
Love abides and rules supreme, "because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Rom.5:5)

"God is love" eternal and everlasting.
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom.5:8)
"the holy Scriptures" reveal our Creator's love for His creation from Gen.1:1 through Rev.22:21.

By God's grace through our faith in Christ's finished work, we are "accepted in the Beloved" (Christ Jesus--Eph.1:6)
(Eph.3:17-19)
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."
This great secret in Eph.3:18:
God's love in Christ...in "breadth", boundless; in "length", endless; in "depth", fathomless/exhaustless; in "height", measureless.

We, the members of the body of Christ ("the church") Which He is the Head of, are to be "speaking the truth in love" (Eph.4:15) "according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Eph.4:16)
(Eph.4:24-25)
"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."
(Eph.5:2)
"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, ..."
(Eph.5:30)
"For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones."

Let us speak "boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel," (Eph.6:19) "the gospel of Christ" (Phil.1:27) ...(Phil.2:2-5) "that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"

I pray that our (Col.2:2-3) "hearts may be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ,
In Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

(Eph.6:23-24)
"Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen."

 

[Tertius]

...(Phil.2:2-5) "...Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory..."

For whatever reason, I decided to look up the definition for "vainglory."

VAINGLO'RY, n. [vain and glory.] Exclusive vanity excited by one's own performances; ...undue elation of mind.

Your summary on "love" directly relates to our motivation, as so-called "good works" can be motivated by spirit, as well as the spirit. For example, when we hold the elevator door for someone, what was our motivating factor? In of itself, holding the door is not a good work, as it is dependent on the motivation. If we did it because we want to be a nice person, that is "vainglory." The motivating factor has to be the "love of Christ."

It reminded me of a study called "Our Motives - From Vice or Virtue?"
http://gracebeacon.net/studies/humphrey-our_motives_from_vice_or_virtue.pdf

 

[foundinHim]

Dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ:

(Phil.1:2-11)
"Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
Being confident of this very thing, that He Which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace.
For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."

 

[foundinHim]

"Think on these things"..."faith, hope, love".
Why is "love" more excellent than any other gift?

I believe with "a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned," that this is what "life" is all about, both "in heaven" and "on earth".

Being a member of the body of Christ ("the church") which He "is Head of", I am identified with Him, I am a follower of Him, and I desire/seek to "present" myself as He would have me to---always to glorify Him.

"Christ, Who is our life" is our "ensample" for living. If we live "by the law of faith" driven/motivated by love, we will have joy and peace "with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

We are "in this world", but no longer "of this world". I don't know know about any one else, but when I look around at "this world"...mostly what I see is hate, greed, deceit, lusts, fear, misery, self-centeredness, vainglory, death, etc...
This grieves me deeply at times---
But from deep sorrow cometh deep love! "Yea, the deep things of God."

What "in this world", among most of mankind, has been missing for "ages and generations"?

I say it is LOVE!!!

With "the love of God" that "is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost", we are able to "love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you."

Let us "walk in love" ... "speaking the truth in love."
"Be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."

I love you all---God loves you more!!!

 

[timlamb]

Love must be viewed in the characteristics of God as demonstrated by Jesus. Love is never seperated from righteousness. Sinners are never shown love short of being encouraged in righteousness ("go and sin no more"). The meek and downtrodden came to Him with a sincere heart. Pharasees came to Him in self righteousness, and Jesus showed love through admonition and rebuke. Keep the picture of Love in perspective.

 

[foundinHim]

(Rom.3:10)
"As it is written, "There is none righteous, no, not one"
(Rom.3:23-25)
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God"

We, the members of the body of Christ ("the church") have been "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph.1:6) and "of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
That, according as it is written, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the LORD." (1Cor.1:30-31)

(Col.2:6-10)
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him;
Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:
For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in Him, Which is the head of all principality and power"

 

[eph3Nine]

Dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ:

(Phil.1:2-11)
"Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
Being confident of this very thing, that He Which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace.
For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."

Amen, foundinhim....and love is primarily an action and NOT a "feeling". huuuugs

 

[foundinHim]

So true, beloved sister in Christ.

(((((((((((((eph3Nine))))))))))))))



"Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen."

 

[foundinHim]

To know Him more is to love Him more and to love Him more is to know Him more.

We are to be led by Him, fed by Him, and trained by Him, in His words and His ways.

 

[eph3Nine]

To know Him more is to love Him more and to love Him more is to know Him more.

We are to be led by Him, fed by Him, and trained by Him, in His words and His ways.

Amen sister...huuuugs

 

[foundinHim]

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