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Spirituality

True Love Must Be Reciprocated

By: Brian G. Chilton

Recently, I was talking to a friend of mine who was infatuated with a person who did not necessarily share the same sentiments. In fact, it was not certain what the other person really desired in their relationship. I will not mention anything more about this situation out of respect to those involved. This situation has cause me to do a lot of thinking about love, what it is, and what it entails. It seems to me that for true love to be genuine it must be reciprocated. That is, it must be accepted by both individuals in the relationship. We can learn a lot about love from God’s triune relationship.

I. Love is reciprocated in the Triune relationship.

When attempting to explain the triune nature of God, Norman Geisler uses the example of the genuine spirit of love to explain this difficult theological concept. Geisler’s illustration is not original to him, rather he took it from Augustine of Hippo. The following is Geisler’s depiction of love in the triune relationship of God:

“Augustine suggested an illustration of how God is both three and one at the same time. The Bible informs us that “God is love” (1 John 4:16). Love involves a lover, a beloved, and a spirit of love between lover and loved. The Father might be likened to the Lover; the Son to the One loved, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love. Yet love does not exist unless these three are united as one. This illustration has the advantage of being personal, since it involves love, a characteristic that flows only from persons.”^[1]

Seeing that God is love (1 Jn. 4:16), the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a demonstration of perfect love in its purest form. Love is not force. Love is accepted and flows from person to person. There is a lover—one initiating the love, a beloved—the one receiving the love from the lover, and the spirit of love—a mutual received love between both parties. In the case of the triune relationship, this love is mutually given and received by all three members of the Godhead. We can learn a lot about love from God.

II. Love is reciprocated in human relationships.

Read more: https://bellatorchristi.com/2018/04/30/true-love-must-be-reciprocated/

3 Steps To Show Someone You Love Them

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/133664315/posts/818

All We Need Is Love

1 John 4:21

And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

I love this simple truth. Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. This is sucha simple truth – yet it is such a huge command. If we say we love God – but do not show love toward others – we are lying – because God is love and if we are His children we will love others. The verse just before today’s verse says it this way – 1 John 4:20 – Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

So today – the simple truth and simple challenge is this – love one another.

Luke 6:31 – Do to others as you would have them do to you.

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

Ephesians 4:2 – Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Colossians 3:14 – And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

1 John 3:16–18 – ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

I could go on and on with passages about love. Let us go forth this day and this week and the rest of this is year – and love more! All we need is love!

Just something for us to think about today as we go on our way.

Comment: https://raymcdonald.wordpress.com/2018/04/23/all-we-need-is-love-2/

What was Jesus one commandment?

https://godinterest.com/2018/04/15/what-was-jesus-one-commandment/

Love Is Hard

By leeduigon

The two great commandments, we were reminded every week in church, are to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. God we cannot see, and our neighbor is a pain in the butt.

Only God knows how hard it is for us to keep those commandments. And don’t even try to count the times we fail.

So we pray–to God whom we cannot see, for the power to love persons whom we don’t really want to love. It’s easier, even, to ask God to love them and to bless them, than it is to ask for the grace that would enable us to do that.

It’s a good thing He understands us so well.

That’s why He sent us His Son to be our savior. He knew we couldn’t do it on our own. By works of the flesh no one shall be saved.

Jesus Christ, who did all those things that we are not able to do–He is our righteousness and our salvation.

And our sanctification, too (I Corinthians 1:30). So that, in time, we can at least do better.

Comment at: https://leeduigon.com/2018/04/15/love-is-hard/