The Key to Salvation

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humbledbyhim

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Oct 27, 2005
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As part of my effort to study the word of God more often, I'm starting this thread on the Key to salvation, Love.

To begin I'll look at St John 13:34-35 (I use KJV primarily):

34A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Christ loved us so much that he was tortured and died, without complaining, so that we could have access to a personal relationship with the Father. Romans 5:7-8 explains it even better:

7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

While we were yet sinners, Christ died. That means that we must love each other even if they treat us wrong or treat God wrong through blatant disobedience. Of course we don't condone sin, but we need to rebuke in love.

Why should we love? First, because Christ commanded it as written above. Second, because God is love, and for him to be in us, Love must be in us. See below:

St John 17:


25O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

and again

I John 4:8-9:



8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.




Dear Brothers and Sisters it was LOVE that made God redeem us, and it will be love that allows us to see his face in Heaven.

In case you didn't know, these are the characteristics of love:


4Love suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8Love never faileth... (1 Corinthians 13)

Also note, that you are NOTHING without love (1 Corinthians 13:2).

God Bless You All.
 
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