What is Love

[seekingtruth]

Nothing is more important then love in our daily lives and in our relationship to God. Yet for most part I believe there are few who understand it (including me). Below I have went through the NT and found every verse I could that gives some insight into what Love is:

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36″Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: ” 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

I doubt that you would find any who love the truth that would not agree that love, more than anything, should characterize our lives and be our motive for everything we do.

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Matthew 24:11-13 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Love is not something guaranteed to us and requires determination not to loose it.

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Luke 6:32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.

Indicates that love is more than just a “feeling”. It also seems to show that it is something beyond, what we as humans, are capable of having to the degree needed.

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Luke 7:47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

To me this says that the more I realize how much I've been forgiven the more I will love and forgive others (I realize it even more every day).

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John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

How did Jesus love us? while we were yet sinners….

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Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

We can only Love the way we are supposed to when we have God's love and we get that by the Holy Spirit.

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Romans 12:9 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

How devoted are we to one another?

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Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Love can do what the flesh cannot

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1 Corinthians 13:1 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

How can you add to this, I don't know about the rest of you but I fall short on the list of attributes for love. It also shows the value of “works”.

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Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

As an outward sign, only love will show our faith.

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Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Sometimes I think we forget that we are not all called to do the same works. Love, is insufficient in our lives, for us to be joined and held together as we should.

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1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

This verse shows that our love can be increased and the Lord is the source.

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1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.

Seem to indicate that we should continually seek to increase our love for others.

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1 Timothy 6:11 [ Paul's Charge to Timothy ] But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Also indicates continual pursuit of love.

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Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Kinda what I'm attempting to do here.

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5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Are these steps God has laid out to help us increase our love?

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1 John 2:4-6 (New Living Translation) 4If someone says, “I belong to God,” but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. 5But those who obey God's word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him. 6Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.

We “know whether or not we live in him” by how we obey God's word, and His commandment is, to love one another  

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1 John 3:15-17 16This 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. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence

“Laying down our lives” in most cases does not mean we have to die in someone elses place, but that our desires are set aside so we can help our brother.

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1 John 4:7-9 7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[a] into the world that we might live through him.

Once again we are told that love comes from God.

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1 John 4:16-18 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

Through the love in our lives, obedience to God is not demanded, but it is desired. And as we live our lives walking in love we have confidence, not that we have followed a list of rules but that our lives have been transformed into the image of His Son.

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2 John 1:4-6 (New Living Translation) 5 And now I want to urge you, dear lady, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we had from the beginning. 6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

My take on this verse is that Love of God is the first commandment and we show our love of God, by our love for one another.

I believe that love is the answer to everything (remember God is love). It is slowly gained through the daily seeking of God and while we may get it in varying amounts in different stages of our life, it is a lifelong pursuit with no shortcuts.

If I'm wrong please tell me how to aquire more love quicker as I'm still far short of where I need to be.

[NickHassan]

Hi ST,
Love includes truth.
Eph 4
” 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:……

 25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:….

 31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

[kenrch]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Sep. 12 2006,21:41)

Hi ST, Love includes truth. Eph 4 ” 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:……  25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:….  31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

Love is everything. Without the LOVE of God this creation wouldn't exist. Unless we have love for one another then we are nothing no matter how much we know the scriptures. You have to have love first before anything otherwise we are nothing but and noise maker.

[NickHassan]

Hi,
This is the patient love of a frustrated apostle with the unruly babies he helped be reborn into Christ.
Gal 4
” 11I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

12Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

13Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

14And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

15Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

16Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

17They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

18But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

19My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

20I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.”

[Proclaimer]

Love is what the Kingdom of God is all about. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom that will never end.
Without love, who would want to live forever?

What does the kingdom of darkness have?

[NickHassan]

Hi t8,
Exactly.
One other thing is that you cannot love someone if you are judging them.
God sent his Son of of love and not to judge men first time.
Jn 3
“16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. “
Matt 7
” 1Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

James 4
” 11Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? “

This is love
1Cor 13
” 4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;”

[seekingtruth]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Sep. 13 2006,22:53)

One other thing is that you cannot love someone if you are judging them.

“thou shalt not judge” has been twisted to mean no matter what I do, you can't say anything to me otherwise your judging. I believe “thou shalt not judge” to mean you cannot judge my motives or my standing with God. But I can, and should, “judge” as I see someone violating the Word of God that they are doing something wrong.

“If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” And of course the law of Christ is love so I should “judge” in this way if I love them.

I know that's not what you were saying Nick, I just felt to make a point of it.

[NickHassan]

Hi ST,
A lot of scripture is written to the type of a court of Law.
There is a judge and witnesses and advocates.

For the world Jesus has been appointed judge.

Jn 5
“22For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”

How amazing for those in him that he is instead for us an advocate.
1Jn 2
” 1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”

[Cubes]

Quote (seekingtruth @ Sep. 13 2006,00:45)

Nothing is more important then love in our daily lives and in our relationship to God. Yet for most part I believe there are few who understand it (including me). Below I have went through the NT and found every verse I could that gives some insight into what Love is: Quote 36″Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: ” 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” I doubt that you would find any who love the truth that would not agree that love, more than anything, should characterize our lives and be our motive for everything we do. Quote Matthew 24:11-13 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Love is not something guaranteed to us and requires determination not to loose it. Quote Luke 6:32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. Indicates that love is more than just a “feeling”. It also seems to show that it is something beyond, what we as humans, are capable of having to the degree needed. Quote Luke 7:47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” To me this says that the more I realize how much I've been forgiven the more I will love and forgive others (I realize it even more every day). Quote John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. How did Jesus love us? while we were yet sinners…. Quote Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. We can only Love the way we are supposed to when we have God's love and we get that by the Holy Spirit. Quote Romans 12:9 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. How devoted are we to one another? Quote Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Love can do what the flesh cannot Quote 1 Corinthians 13:1 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. How can you add to this, I don't know about the rest of you but I fall short on the list of attributes for love. It also shows the value of “works”. Quote Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. As an outward sign, only love will show our faith. Quote Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Sometimes I think we forget that we are not all called to do the same works. Love, is insufficient in our lives, for us to be joined and held together as we should. Quote 1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. This verse shows that our love can be increased and the Lord is the source. Quote 1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. Seem to indicate that we should continually seek to increase our love for others. Quote 1 Timothy 6:11 [ Paul's Charge to Timothy ] But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Also indicates continual pursuit of love. Quote Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Kinda what I'm attempting to do here. Quote 5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Are these steps God has laid out to help us increase our love? Quote 1 John 2:4-6 (New Living Translation) 4If someone says, “I belong to God,” but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. 5But those who obey God's word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him. 6Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did. We “know whether or not we live in him” by how we obey God's word, and His commandment is, to love one another   Quote 1 John 3:15-17 16This 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. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence “Laying down our lives” in most cases does not mean we have to die in someone elses place, but that our desires are set aside so we can help our brother. Quote 1 John 4:7-9 7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[a] into the world that we might live through him. Once again we are told that love comes from God. Quote 1 John 4:16-18 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. Through the love in our lives, obedience to God is not demanded, but it is desired. And as we live our lives walking in love we have confidence, not that we have followed a list of rules but that our lives have been transformed into the image of His Son. Quote 2 John 1:4-6 (New Living Translation) 5 And now I want to urge you, dear lady, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we had from the beginning. 6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. My take on this verse is that Love of God is the first commandment and we show our love of God, by our love for one another. I believe that love is the answer to everything (remember God is love). It is slowly gained through the daily seeking of God and while we may get it in varying amounts in different stages of our life, it is a lifelong pursuit with no shortcuts. If I'm wrong please tell me how to aquire more love quicker as I'm still far short of where I need to be.

A great and timely exhortation, ST.

[seekingtruth]

Thank you Cube,
The great part is it was an exhortation doing the search, the word truly comes alive.

[NickHassan]

Hi ,
Love is a gift and a fruit of the Spirit.

Romans 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
1 Corinthians 13:2
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

[Author]

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