A Study of Love
People everywhere need love. Love is growing colder every day. You can't evangelize or prophecy, or pray the prayer that heals the sick without love. But, what is love? [@more@]
The definition of love mostly used in the New Testament is "agapao" which means "much". Jesus says that we are to agapao (love much in a moral/social sense) our enemy. Another variation of love used in the New Testament is "agape", which comes from agapao. Agape means love, affection, benevolence, love feast, or feast of charity. I particularly like to use "feast of love" or "love feast".
Jesus tells us to continue and abide in His love or in His feast of love. This definition of love is found a lot in John 15. This is also the love used in the New Testament when speaking about God's love or Jesus’ love towards us. This is the strongest and deepest love.
Love is the first fruit mentioned in Galatians 5:22 (amp); "But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience( an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), and self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law (that can bring a charge)."
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the character and nature of God. Romans 8:19 in the amplified version reads, "For (even the whole) creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known (waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship)." This son (or daughter) is HUOS, not TEKNON son. The teknon son is son by natural birth. It is natural. The huos son is the son/daughter that is by the spiritual birth and has the character and nature of God. It is this "huos son or daughter of God" that creation is waiting expectantly and longs earnestly for because when the character and nature of God is in you, you are a mature Christian. This verse is not speaking of a Christian still walking in his or her carnal character or nature, but in God's character and nature.
Notice also in Galatians 5:22 that there is a work accomplished from His presence within. "But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love…" You can stop there because love is the first thing mentioned and it is the greatest. It is the power that kept Jesus nailed to the cross. This is the first harvest/fruit to be harvested above them all!
We can have as little or as much of His presence that we want. How much do we want of His feast of love? What are we willing to give up if necessary, in order to return to our first love? What have we loved above Love Himself?
We need that first love to continue and not turn into cold love.
"Give none, take none", is a statement I use often. If you will remember this, it will help you in these last days when the love of many will grow cold. We are to be an offense (on purpose ) to no one ("give none") and we are not to be easily offended ("take none").
If you will remember I Corinthians 10:32 for your love walk, you will keep yourself out of a whole lot of trouble.
I Corinthians 10:32, "Do not let yourselves be an offense to the Jews or to the Greeks, or to the church of God."
And James 3:12 tells us, "For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech (never says the wrong thing), he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature." (Remember, our goal is the character and nature of God.)
Sometimes it the best walk of love to keep your mouth shut. Sometimes we can love another by not saying everything on our mind. Proverbs says that a fool utters all his mind. We need to keep some things, perhaps most things, to ourselves. Don’t add to the war in your mind or heart by speaking it out loud. Deal with your attitude before God. Don't let it leak out to others.
This can be a real challenge between husbands and wives who have been married a long time. Or perhaps you have had a bad habit of it for so long and maybe it runs in your family. Lay it at the cross and don’t pick it back up. Repent and fall out of agreement with that habit. You may or may not find yourself in a season of repenting over a certain repetitious bad habit, but persevere; you will break completely free from it. The Word of God never fails. Remember, Galatians 5:14 says to love others as you love yourself! If you can't love yourself, you can't love others. Sometimes we are harder on ourselves than we realize. Forgive yourself and go on with God.
So now, what is love? It is the fuel that makes the vehicle of faith operate. Staying out of offenses is the key to the ignition. Remember to "give none and take none." Love is power! Love covers a multitude of sins!
What is love? Get into I Corinthians 13 and learn it.
"But the greatest of these is love." Don't leave home without it!
Tanya Young
Ordained Minister with Kingsway Fellowship International
Board of Directors, Trumpet Voices Ministry International
Worship Leader, Home Church
Wife, Mother, and a Warrior in the Kingdom