Crumbs 25

 

Crumbs from the Master ‘s Table 25

Love

1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Crumbs

If I were foolish enough to try to show the qualities of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in my own strength, “love” would be the hardest. Love is defined in 1 John 3:16 NIV “ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” John gives us a picture of a man dying painfully for those who had done Him wrong. The only phrase I can find is “ for others”

Love is the very essence of God. Twice John says “ God is love”

God is the origin of love. If it’s our heart’s desire to be more loving we must get closer to the source of love. I note whether the qualities describe in Galatians or thr descriptions given in 1 Corinthians 13 Love is the source of all other virtues.

We discover God by loving one another. In these epistles at the end of the New Testament there is a strong emphasis love professed should be practically expressed

It seems to me the truth that all Scripture is building up to, the utmost pinnacle in the writings of the apostles and the life and words of the Lord Jesus is this. God is love.

Queries ( for private thought or joint discussion)

1. What does God being love affect us?

2. How is the love of God expressed in our lives?

3. How does loving each other help us to know God?

 b

Please note that this is also published on my blog along with poems and other items on https://pmgsblog.blogspot.com