Galatians 5:22, 23; 1 John 4:7-11
I want to talk to you about love--not love as defined by the world; the world knows nothing of love. Agape love, God's love, is not a byproduct of human nature; man's nature is sinful and ego-centric. Man tends to love himself.
No, the kind of love we I'm talking is a love that only emanates from God. The Bible say in 1 John 4:7, For love is of God. However, we can acquire this kind of love. Once we have a relationship with God, we can then learn to love as He would have us love. As a matter of fact, to love God and to love others is a commandment: Luke 10:27, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.Let me say at the outset; love is an important and essential ingredient in the Christian life-- without it, everything we do and say (as in Paul's words) is so much "sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.
"QUOTE: Rev. Richard P. McBrien wrote, "If love is the soul of Christian existence, it must be at the heart of every other Christian virtue. Thus, for example, justice without love is legalism; faith without love is ideology; hope without love is self-centeredness; forgiveness without love is self-abasement; fortitude without love is recklessness; generosity without love is extravagance; care without love is mere duty; fidelity without love is servitude. Every virtue is an expression of love. No virtue is really a virtue unless it is permeated, or informed, by love."
Are you being controlled by love? Listen; when love controls a person, it changes a person. It will change their behavior; it will change their attitude, it will build their faith, it will change their relationship with others, and most importantly, it will change their relationship with God.
Are you being controlled by Love?
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