Lets discuss LOVE
- Thread starter Lanolin
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God is love, yes, but love is not God.
Loving the lovable = easy
Loving the unlovable = hard
Loving one's enemies = impossible (without God)
So I'd have to say loving one's enemies is one of the best examples of love.
But the Lord said no greater love than giving one's life for his friends.
So I choose what the Lord said.
Loving the unlovable = hard
Loving one's enemies = impossible (without God)
So I'd have to say loving one's enemies is one of the best examples of love.
But the Lord said no greater love than giving one's life for his friends.
So I choose what the Lord said.
Is it possible for a person to know God without knowing love? That is impossible as God is love!
1Jn_4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
It it possible to abide in God and not abide in his love? That is impossible since God is love, abiding in love is abiding in God, for God is love.
1Jn 4:16 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.
Love became "manifest" (visible) who just happens to be Jesus Christ! God is love.
1Jn 4:9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
How long does "love" last? Did God somewhere along the line decide to pick up love to be his? Only God is eternal, and his love has always been eternal, because God himself is love.
Psa 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa 136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa 136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
Psa 106:1 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
There is a counterfeit "love" which turns to envy, lust, and fails all the time, but the Love of God NEVER fails, because God never fails, and he is love!
Jehovah Nissi: this is one of the names of God, which means "the Lord is our banner" What is his banner?
Son 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
Not only is God love, but love is God!!!!
1Jn_4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
It it possible to abide in God and not abide in his love? That is impossible since God is love, abiding in love is abiding in God, for God is love.
1Jn 4:16 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.
Love became "manifest" (visible) who just happens to be Jesus Christ! God is love.
1Jn 4:9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
How long does "love" last? Did God somewhere along the line decide to pick up love to be his? Only God is eternal, and his love has always been eternal, because God himself is love.
Psa 136:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa 136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa 136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
Psa 106:1 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
There is a counterfeit "love" which turns to envy, lust, and fails all the time, but the Love of God NEVER fails, because God never fails, and he is love!
Jehovah Nissi: this is one of the names of God, which means "the Lord is our banner" What is his banner?
Son 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
Not only is God love, but love is God!!!!
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I know you probably don't mean it, but saying love is God is very dangerous. Yes, God is love, meaning it is a part of his character and being. But, to say love is God is to say that we worship and serve love and not the fullness of who God is.
A passage like 1 John 4 can be very dangerous because it can be twisted in so many ways John himself did not want it to be twisted. For example, when he writes "...Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.", we can twist that and say that any person we encounter who loves is a Christian, not being concerned with whether they have faith in Jesus or not. Who is this everyone John is talking about, and what is this love he speaks of? Is it everyone in the world? In his audience? Is love kindness towards others? Affection and care for fellow brothers and sisters? When we take scriptures and generalize them we do damage to the actual purpose behind it. John wanted the Church to love because there was much dissension and fighting in the early Church because of false believers, and this was not how the Church was supposed to behave.
Cosmicwaffle, Without God there is no such a thing as love. Without love there would be no God at all. There is a counterfeit love which comes from and belongs to man. This love fails all the time for it is earthly. People kill other people because of it! You can not have faith without love, because faith works by love.
"Without love there would be no God at all."
Love comes from God, not the other way around. I am just asking you to not put the cart before the horse.
Since God is "love" every where you see the word "Love", just replace it with the word, "God".
1Co 13:1.. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love (God), I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2.. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love (God), I am nothing.
1Co 13:3.. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love (God), I gain nothing.
1Co 13:4.. Love (God) is patient and kind; love (God) does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
1Co 13:5.. or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
1Co 13:6.. it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
1Co 13:7.. Love (God) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1Co 13:8.. Love (God) never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
1Jn_4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
If you abide in love, you abide in God. If you abide in God, you abide in love. It makes no difference how you say it is the same!
He that dwelleth in love dwells also in God. He that dwelleth in God, dwells also in love, because God is love! If you are not in love you are not in God!
1Co 13:1.. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love (God), I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1Co 13:2.. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love (God), I am nothing.
1Co 13:3.. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love (God), I gain nothing.
1Co 13:4.. Love (God) is patient and kind; love (God) does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
1Co 13:5.. or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
1Co 13:6.. it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
1Co 13:7.. Love (God) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1Co 13:8.. Love (God) never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
1Jn_4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
If you abide in love, you abide in God. If you abide in God, you abide in love. It makes no difference how you say it is the same!
He that dwelleth in love dwells also in God. He that dwelleth in God, dwells also in love, because God is love! If you are not in love you are not in God!
Love is an attribute of God, not God himself. For example, you might say something like "God is kind", but that doesn't mean "Kindness is God". We don't worship love, we worship our God who loves us.
You are not seeing what is being said here. Kindness does not contain the attributes of God, as only love does, which is why scripture tells us that love is...love is...love is... It does not say kindness is...kindness is....! Why" Because God is love!!! Scripture does not say if you abide in "kindness" God dwells in you!
The Lord God even manifested his love to us. He made it visible to us!!! How? Jesus Christ is the manifest, expressed image of God. Love became visible to us in the person of Jesus Christ, who is love! The description of love is the description of God him self!
1Jn 4:9 In 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.
The word, "manifest" means "to make visible, to make known."
What did Jesus say he would do if we would keep his commandments? He said he would "love" us. In what way does he love us? How does Jesus show us his love?
Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Love manifested is Jesus Christ who just happens to be God! Jesus shows us his love by showing us himself who is love manifested!
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Jesus showed his love for us by dieing in our place and purchasing our adoption to sonship. Also, if love is God as you say, then what does it mean for God to love us? God Gods us?
Love is extremely important, and God himself is the perfect embodiment love, but to say love is God is idolatry in my opinion.
God made visible his love to us in Jesus Christ who is God, and it was through his love that he brought about salvation. Remember Jesus said , "my Father loves me and shows me all that he does..." The Father manifests his love to the Son by manifesting himself to him. (John 5:20) Jesus manifests his love to us my making himself manifest to us! When you see God you will see love who is a person!
Yes, but loving others doesn't mean you are a Christian.
Precisely why it is difficult to discuss/obtain agreement on “negation”… more so it’s acceptability as deducting conclusions…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negation#Definition
No agreement exists as to the possibility of defining negation, as to its logical status, function, and meaning, as to its field of applicability..., and as to the interpretation of the negative judgment, (F.H. Heinemann 1944).[1]
It is a good thing that prior to John 4:8 (a negation) is John 4:7 (an affirmation) : )
1 John 4:7-8New King James Version (NKJV)
Knowing God Through Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Peter on Cornelius...
Acts 10:34-43New King James Version (NKJV)
Preaching to Cornelius’ Household
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they[a] killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
