What Is Love?

[WebersHome]

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● John 13:35 . . By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

For many of us who grew up in dysfunctional families, broken homes, foster systems, gangs, and/or orphanages et al; the concept of love doesn't resonate in our thinking; viz: it just goes in one ear and right out the other because we quite literally have no points of reference in our minds to aid comprehending what Christ means by love. We know what Hollywood and contemporary music mean by love, but we haven't a clue what Christ means.

This is why the epistles are so valuable-- many of them not only show Christ's followers how to recognize love when they encounter it; but also how to exemplify it in their own lives so that those of us who were deprived of love growing up are not left to figure it out on our own. For example:

● Col 4:6 . . Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt

Grace can be defined as kind, courteous, inclined to good will, generous, charitable, altruistic, compassionate, sympathetic, thoughtful, cordial, affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, hospitable, considerate, and tactful.

One of salt's purposes is to enhance flavor and make otherwise naturally insipid and/or bad-tasting things palatable, viz: diplomacy; which can be roughly defined as conversation that makes an effort to maintain peace rather than provoke conflict and/or annoy people and make them uncomfortable.
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[J Daniel]

When you value somebody

 

[Jeshu]

True love sets free and brings personal growth, while worlds kind of love captivates and breaks down.

It is for us believers to let Jesus fill us with His love so we learn to love like Jesus did.

i think the biggest attribute of true love is that God is self denying in an effort to win the other for Himself. i think this is the forgotten attribute of Christ. Our Lord Jesus denied Himself the right to His own glory in an effort to win sinners over to His side of seeing things.

i know that religion can't do that! Religion hates self denying love because religion likes to put itself up front and in charge. (Just see what religious people do with Jesus!) With religious people only when we obey religions rules and laws are we accepted and included. While with Jesus He love us while were still sinners.

Unfortunately many believers forget to love sinners like that. Some even judging other sinners for the sins they themselves have been forgiven for and set free from. i think that when believers sit in top of their ivory towers and look down on those still captivated with sin with disdain and dislike, hating them to hell instead of inviting them lovingly into The Kingdom, then they are very much like that unfaithful servant who was forgiven his debt but would not forgive those indebted to him.

Truly loving is the challenge of our live time - we can always do better and learn more. Our sinful hearts are in a desperate need of His loving truth. Our God is love so those who love Jesus have eternity to grow into His perfection.

Galatians 5:14
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

[Tigger45]

Sacrificial selfless motives and actions.

 

[Stranger36147]

 

[devin553344]

Love is wanting what's best for someone. Love is also an emotion felt thru the spirit of God, Galatians 5:22-23

 

[com7fy8]

Love makes me submissive so I can relate mutually with another person >

"submitting to one another in the fear of God." (Ephesians 5:21)

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

 

[anna ~ grace]

Aaaaaaaaaagh, you beat me to it!

 

[eleos1954]

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● John 13:35 . . By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

For many of us who grew up in dysfunctional families, broken homes, foster systems, gangs, and/or orphanages et al; the concept of love doesn't resonate in our thinking; viz: it just goes in one ear and right out the other because we quite literally have no points of reference in our minds to aid comprehending what Christ means by love. We know what Hollywood and contemporary music mean by love, but we haven't a clue what Christ means.

This is why the epistles are so valuable-- many of them not only show Christ's followers how to recognize love when they encounter it; but also how to exemplify it in their own lives so that those of us who were deprived of love growing up are not left to figure it out on our own. For example:

● Col 4:6 . . Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt

Grace can be defined as kind, courteous, inclined to good will, generous, charitable, altruistic, compassionate, sympathetic, thoughtful, cordial, affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, hospitable, considerate, and tactful.

One of salt's purposes is to enhance flavor and make otherwise naturally insipid and/or bad-tasting things palatable, viz: diplomacy; which can be roughly defined as conversation that makes an effort to maintain peace rather than provoke conflict and/or annoy people and make them uncomfortable.
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God is Love.

1 John 4:6

6 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

 

[Mark51]

Bible writers used four different terms-of the ancient Greek (Koine) language-for describing conditions of love .

Eros was used in association with romantic relation between a husband and wife.-Proverbs 5:15-20.

Storge was used to identify the natural affection among family relationships (parents, siblings, extended family)-John 11:1-44; 1 Thessalonians 2:7; Isaiah 49:15.

Philila was used in describing affection between friends-without sexual desires.-2 Samuel 1:26; John 20:2.

Agape is love governed/guided by principle, unselfish, not prejudicial and is moved to doing good to others without any expectations of reciprocation from the recipient.-Romans 5:7, 8.

 

[WebersHome]

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● Col 3:15b . . Be thankful.

You know "thank you" is not a dirty word. Christ's people should never take the attitude that just because somebody is doing their job that they don't deserve recognition.

One of my favorite romantic comedies is "No Reservations" starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart. Prior to filming, Catherine took a job waiting tables to get a feel for working in a restaurant.

On several occasions, patrons didn't even look up at her nor speak in a cordial, courteous tone when they ordered. It struck her as remarkable that some of the people whom she was serving totally took her for granted and displayed not the slightest inclination to even so much as acknowledge her as a fellow human being, let alone express their gratitude for her taking care of them.
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[yeshuaslavejeff]

Mostly, from all Scripture, from all Jesus Says, Love is Obedience to Yahuweh -

doing what is best for people, laying down one's life obediently without thought of one's own self, for others.....

a choice of the WILL, to always DO (to always obey , as Yahushua (Jesus) is Lord and Master) ) what Yahuweh says.

 

[WebersHome]

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● Matt 5:7 . . Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Christ wasn't talking about forgiveness in that beatitude. The word for "merciful" is eleemon (el-eh-ay'-mone) which means: compassionate (as an adjective). And the word for "mercy" is eleeo (el-eh-eh'-o) which means: to pity (as a verb).

So then, what Christ says is: if somebody is by nature cruel, hard hearted, thoughtless, and insensitive; then they will get no sympathy from God whatsoever.

Webster's defines "cruel" as: (1) disposed to inflict pain or suffering, (2) devoid of humane feelings, (3) causing or conducive to injury, grief, or pain, and (4) unrelieved by leniency.

A well-known example of cruelty is North Korea's Kim Jong-Un, a dictator who squanders billions of dollars on national defense while the growth of something like than 30 to 40 percent of North Korea's children is stunted by malnutrition; and adequate health care is available only to a relatively privileged few. There are actually hospitals in North Korea without electricity, medications, and anesthetics. Potable water is another scarcity in North Korea.

But Kim is a red herring because there are cruelties far more common than his; for example: demeaning comments, thoughtless remarks, carping criticism, relentless ridicule, bullying, sniping, denigrating labels, hounding, stalking, grudging, needling, perpetual fault-finding, gossip, slander, social sabotage, obnoxious behavior, computer hacking, rejoinders, et al.

There are actually kids growing up in homes where their parents never give them even one atta-boy. As a result, they grow up feeling ugly, unwanted, stupid, useless, and unnecessary. There are also kids growing up in homes where mothers never hug them nor bother to take the time to forge a bond between mother and child. Thus they grow up with reactive attachment disorder; feeling convinced that no one could possibly ever love them or be their best friend forever. RAD kids grow up to become adults with some serious trust issues.
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[WebersHome]

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● Eph 4:32 . . Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

(chuckle) that resembles a line from one of Bill And Ted's adventure movies: "Be excellent to each other"

Within the context of the letter Paul wrote and sent to the Christians residing in the ancient city of Ephesus; the objects "one another" and "each other" are exclusive; viz: the comments refer only to one's fellow Bible-believing Christians rather than the world at large. So if you're unwilling to be kind and compassionate to outsiders; at least be so with people at church so as to help prevent church from becoming a hostile worship environment.

The koiné Greek word for "kind" is chrestos (khrase-tos') which means: employed; viz: useful.

Chrestos is found in only seven places in the New Testament, and without exception implies being beneficial to others for their own good rather than using people to benefit your own self.

The word for "compassionate" is eusplagchnos (yoo'-splangkh-nos) which means: sympathetic.

Webster's defines sympathy as: 1) an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the other, 2) inclination to think or feel alike: emotional or intellectual accord, 3) feeling of loyalty: tendency to favor or support, 4) the act, or capacity, of entering into or sharing the feelings or interests of another, 5) sensitivity, and 6) heart; as in "have a heart".

The word "forgiving" is charizomai (khar-id'-zom-ahee) which essentially means: to grant as a favor; viz: gratuitously, i.e. courtesy.

Webster's defines gratuitous as: 1) given unearned or without recompense, 2) not involving a return benefit or compensation or consideration, 3) costing nothing: free, 4) not called for by the circumstances: unwarranted, 5) complimentary, 6) gratis, and 7) voluntary. In other words; charizomai seeks no reciprocation; it never says "you owe me one"

Sailors are oft heard to say that the sea is very unforgiving: meaning it allows no room for error or weakness. Christians ought not be like the sea. We ought to be the most forgiving people on the planet; and not because we expect others to reciprocate; but just because we enjoy being gratuitous. For some Christians though, courtesy is an effort.

Eph 4:31-32 isn't easy. What we're looking at there is not just good citizenship; no, what we're looking at is something divine in both its nature and its behavior.

● Phil 2:1-2 . . If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

The koiné Greek word for "bowels" is splagchnon (splangkh'-non) which means: an intestine. Your gut is the very place where you "feel" pity and/or sympathy for others-- that is; if you're capable of those kinds of feelings; not everyone is.
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[deelux]

God is Love and he loves us all!

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

God is Love.

1 John 4:6

6 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

1 John 4:16

 

[eleos1954]

1 John 4:16

Yes! Love is who God is ... not just something He does. Amen.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

1 john 4:16
1 john 4:6

 

[WebersHome]

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● Matt 12:9-12 . . And departing from there, he went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they questioned him, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?-- in order that they might accuse him.

. . . And he said to them: What man shall there be among you, who shall have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it, and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep!

I didn't select that passage in order to start a discussion about Sabbath law. My interest is in the importance that people place upon beasts in comparison to the importance that Christ places upon human life.

One of the salient characteristics of psychopathy is that people afflicted with it can form bonds and attachments to animals much easier than bonds and attachments with people; viz: they're usually capable of feeling affection for animals, while curiously incapable of feeling an equal amount for humans. It's not all that unusual to find psychopaths taking better care of their pets than the families under their own roofs.
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[yeshuaslavejeff]

One of the salient characteristics of psychopathy is that people afflicted with it can form bonds and attachments to animals much easier than bonds and attachments with people; viz: they're usually capable of feeling affection for animals, while curiously incapable of feeling an equal amount for humans. It's not all that unusual to find psychopaths taking better care of their pets than the families under their own roofs.

That's a very serious result of sin as society increases in wickednesses.

The people in the Bible took good care of their animals, but did not give them such undo attention, and did not think animals protection was worth more than human life.