Liturgics - 10

The 3rd Chapter, What is the meaning of love of Christianity?

 

“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you also love one another. If you love one another, by this everyone will know that you are my disciples (John 13:34-35).”

 

What kind of personality does God have?

Why did God create humans?

Why did Jesus Christ come to this earth and bear the cross?

What is the biggest sign of the end of the world?

What is the theme of the Bible?

 

What is the greatest commandment of Christianity?

Why is there futility, despair, and suicide in the world?

How can the deep wounds in people's hearts be fundamentally healed?

What is the mark of a Christian?

What is the best of all gifts?

The common answer to all these questions can be found in love.

 

The Bible is a touching love story of God who loved humans, and love is the central theme that runs throughout the Bible (John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 13:13).

 

The God of love created humans on earth with the character of love to share loving fellowship.

Love is the greatest gift. (1 Corinthians 12:31)

Love is the greatest commandment (James 2:8).

Love is the basic spirit of the law. (Matthew 22:37-40)

Love is the final fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:10, Galatians 5:14)

Love is the mark of a true Christian. (John 13:35)

Love is an important element of faith that guarantees the future (1 Corinthians 13:13, Galatians 5:6, 1 Timothy 1:5).

It is a sure sign of new life and salvation (1 John 3:14).

 

You realize the importance of something when you don't have what you need.

If you take love away from humans, what is left?

The best life - love = It would be nothingness.

Just as all human problems and wounds began with a lack of love, love becomes the basis for solving problems and healing wounds.

If you take love away from Christians and the church, what will be left?

Without love, we cannot discuss the gospel, prophecy, charity, theology, or faith (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Revelation 2:4).

 

In this era, we live in a flood of words called love.

But just as living water is scarce during a flood, how many people are experiencing the thirst for love?

How many people live with the heartache and wounds of love due to concerns about not being able to love or being unable to love in the face of the obvious proposition that one must love?

How much is love and justice abused in the world?

 

Christians living in an age where people know about love but cannot speak about it, have a correct understanding of biblical love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13), which is different from worldly love (1 John 2:15-17), and practice the love of Christ to save the world.

 

Let's look at the meaning of biblical love.

 

1. Agape Love of God Father(1John 4:8,16)

 

The source of love is God. When talking about love, it is most important to understand the God of personal love and humans as beings of love. God is a person with the personality of love (1 John 4:8), and the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has been in a loving relationship since eternity (John 16:24). God's love is infinite (Jer. 31:3) and eternal, and its breadth, depth, height, and size are unfathomable (Ephesians 3:19)

 

God's original and unconditional love is called agape love, distinguishing it from man's limited, conditional and relative love. Agape love is a spiritual language and has a powerful life force that transcends human limitations. Agape love is a mysterious word that is difficult to define. The moment we define agape love, love loses its shine, becomes limited and abstract, and loses its power. Love is not a matter of justification or justice, but a matter of how to love. However, religious agape love is different in origin and essence from secular and human love.

 

Worldly love refers to the rational love of Eros, friendship of Phileo, and kinship of Stolke. Because it cannot transcend the realm of the ego, the realm of one's emotions, the realm of prejudice, the realm of means, the realm of desire, the realm of self-interest protection, and the realm of time, it cannot help but be self-centered, conditional, and situational.

1. Agape

2. Eros

3. Phileo

4. Stolke

 

The new biblical principle that can overcome the weaknesses and shortcomings of human love refers to God's love as agape love (1 John 4:8). Agape is the fountain of love, the source of love (1 John 4:16), voluntary love that comes first (1 John 4:19), and unconditional love (1 Thessalonians 2:8). It is a sacrificial love that gives generously (John 3:16), a love that is unchanging until the end (John 13:1), and an unbiased love that covers faults (1 Peter 4:8). This agape love is the source of life and the element of happiness. The God of love wanted an object of love with whom He could share personal love. Thus, unlike other creatures, he poured out his love and sincerity to create humans who can love personally and spiritually as the greatest masterpiece of creation (Genesis 1:27, 2:7). God allowed us to share vertical love with God spiritually and horizontal love fellowship with others personally (Genesis 2:23-25). 

 

In this way, humans were created from the beginning as beings of love who must receive love as the object of God's love and share that love with others. Therefore, human life without love is bound to be meaningless. Angels are more powerful than humans, but they cannot enjoy the happiness of love and marriage. Satan is a being that cannot be loved even if he dies and wakes up. Because of love, humans are the objects of God's love and attention, and because God loves humans, humans are happy. Because of love, we are superior to angels, distinct from beasts, and able to overcome even Satan.

 

Therefore, the power of human existence and the meaning and potential of life is love. Since humans are beings that cannot endure without love, only love makes humans human, valuable, happy, rewarding, and true Christians. Agape love is a privilege available only to those whose souls have been born again and who have received the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Another name for God's agape love is God's grace, which becomes the motivation for all voluntary service and missions (1 Corinthians 15:10, 2 Corinthians 5:14).

 

1) But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1John 4: 8, 16)

2) “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

 

2. Sacrificial Love of Son Jesus (Rom 5:8, 1John 4:10)

 

If you are trying to understand what Christian love is, you must answer the question, “Why did Jesus come to this earth and bear the cross?” Jesus gave the new commandment of love (John 13:34-35) and is the model of love that serves. He became (John 13:1415). He showed and testified to God’s broad, deep, and great agape love through the atonement of the cross (Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:10). Jesus said, “A man gives his life for his friends.” He foretold his sacrificial death for his disciples, saying, “Greater love has no one than this than to renounce it (John 15:13).”

 

He loved people to the end (John 13:1), and before carrying the cross, He prayed, “Let the love with which you loved me remain in them (John 17:26).” And for the ignorant people who were calling for Jesus to be crucified, Jesus offered his final prayer of forgiveness for sinners on the cross, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do (Luke 23:34).” .

 

Apostle Paul said that Jesus not only showed God's agape love but also became a model of true love, saying, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25).” I testified. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 shows 15 characteristics of agape love shown by Jesus on the cross.

 

Just as taking real nutritional supplements takes effect, these characteristics of love appear the moment true love ignites in your heart. The characteristics of this love are the true love that Jesus showed on the cross and can only be understood through the cross. We can overcome all trials and tests through the Lord who loves us (Romans 8:35-39). Because of the love shown on the cross, we can devote ourselves with gratitude and joy (2 Corinthians 5:14). “The love of Christ compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14).”

 

1) But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Rome 5: 8)

 

2) 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.(1John 4: 10)