What is love?

The initial "onset" of loving God begins by "keeping" his commandments. The word "keep" means to "to guard, to protect, and to keep your eyes fixed upon". If a person does this Jesus said he would love them back by "revealing, showing" him self to that person. If we have never seen Jesus than maybe we are not truly loving him.

Joh 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
 
CCW, why do you say that it is the initial onset, and not the totality of it? If I understand you correctly you are saying that doing this is something we start with in order to take us somewhere else. Please expand on this idea.
 
Mykuhl said:
CCW, why do you say that it is the initial onset, and not the totality of it? If I understand you correctly you are saying that doing this is something we start with in order to take us somewhere else. Please expand on this idea.
Click to expand...

The reason I said that is because when you "keep" the Word of God in you, eventually it produces it's first fruit which is the "new birth".
We are born again by the "seed" of the Word of God which is God's Word. When Jesus reveals himself to a person they receive the revelation that Jesus Christ is Lord. This is the rock Jesus said he would build his Church upon. This is the beginning of a new life or I call it the "onset" of loving God.
 
CCW95A said:
The reason I said that is because when you "keep" the Word of God in you, eventually it produces it's first fruit which is the "new birth".
We are born again by the "seed" of the Word of God which is God's Word. When Jesus reveals himself to a person they receive the revelation that Jesus Christ is Lord. This is the rock Jesus said he would build his Church upon. This is the beginning of a new life or I call it the "onset" of loving God.
Click to expand...
Hmmm interesting.
 
CCW95A said:
Remember without the Spirit of God we can not worship God, neither can we love him.

Joh 4:23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

Notice: The reason one can not love God is because they do not know God.

1John_4:8.. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Click to expand...
I agree.
I think the point is that once you have come into His love, it's something that flows from you with action to others.
 
Mykuhl said:
Simple question: as a Christian how do you define love?

I think it is very important that we all understand what love is and what it isn't.
There seems to be some confusion in this.
Click to expand...
Here it comes...
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 KJV
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, [5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; [6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; [7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

It seems certain that God would define love so clearly for us, when loving is the entire basis of all His commandments, and the entire Bible.
 
Juk said:
Here it comes...
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 KJV
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, [5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; [6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; [7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

It seems certain that God would define love so clearly for us, when loving is the entire basis of all His commandments, and the entire Bible.
Click to expand...
Yes, you are right Juk. These verses describe the qualities of love...thus the qualities of God that we are have and display as members of the body of Christ
 
Mykuhl said:
Simple question: as a Christian how do you define love?

I think it is very important that we all understand what love is and what it isn't.
There seems to be some confusion in this.
Click to expand...

God is Love
We Love God and this Means Jesus and the Holy Spirit and His Word and We Love People and the things of God.
Anything else we can enjoy or like or really like etc but NOT Love.
In this way the scripture of 1 John 2:15 Love not the things of this world now has perspective and meaning and depth.
Many Blessings
Jim
 
Mykuhl said:
My understanding is that love is all of the above. It is primarily a person...God, second and action and lastly a feeling. But all of this flows out of God...for God is love and one cannot not love if he doesn't know God.
Click to expand...

Seeing CCW95A likes on the post#14 of yours, I think am beginning to understand now what Mr. CCW95A trying to convey in his initial post #9 "Love is not a feeling, or a action, it is a person"

"God is Love"….. there’s indeed a lot to ponder on that phrase… made me to ponder on the following verses as well...

John 5:16-23New King James Version (NKJV)

Honor the Father and the Son
16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him,a]'>[a] because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Juk
God is love.
So, what does God do? Number one, He creates and facilitates a universe in which the living entities can grow and develop.
Number two, He provides for and serves others needs.
Number three, He gave His Son in the prime of life for the sins of mankind, i.e., sacrificing Himself for others.

So, to love, we should create an environment for others to grow and flourish. Provide for and serve others in need. Give of our time and lives for others.
 
Mykuhl said:
Simple question: as a Christian how do you define love?

I think it is very important that we all understand what love is and what it isn't.
There seems to be some confusion in this.
Click to expand...


In my thoughts Love is God. And God is love! And true love towards others is something that God gives me upon salvation.
Blessings!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top