Introduction: The primary meaning of the word "love" in Scripture is a "purposeful commitment to sacrificial action for another." In the Bible it is a fact that loving God is equated with obeying His Word. The two are inseparable.
In our day, most define love as some type of feeling. We "fall in love," or two people meet and it is "love at first sight." But the world's love is a selfish matter. If you are attractive to me, be nice to me, meet my needs and love me I in return will "love" you. The world's love is based on getting something from some else. The world does not give love where is does not benefit themselves. If you do not please me then I have no love for you. Thus for the world love must be earned by making someone else feel good.
Powerful emotions may accompany love, but it is the commitment of the will that holds true biblical love steadfast and unchanging. Emotions may change, but a commitment to love in a biblical manner endures and is the hallmark of a disciple of Christ. Sadly, the opposite is also true.
Emotions will vary, but a commitment which has its basis in biblical love will not be affected by the whelm of emotion or of one's circumstances.
Our example of true love is shown in God's love for the sinner. Romans 5:8 says ". . .commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The lost sinner living in rebellion and sin is still loved by the Lord. He loved us enough to die for us and pay our sin debt while we were sinning against Him. This shows that true biblical love is a matter of will....not of emotion. God choose to love us and His love was not based on our meriting it in any way.
1 John 4:8 tells us that ". . . God is love."
The Apostle Paul's discourse in 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, addresses the true righteousness of those who profess Jesus Christ.
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth. . . " (1 Cor. 13:4-8a)
God is telling us that "charity" which is true biblical "love" does not fail. Relationships based on emotion fail, but those based on the tenants of true biblical love NEVER fail.
Let us define love so we will know what it is truly. When we used the word love it will brings different meanings to different people. Our King James Bibles often translate the word "agape" as "charity." I recently heard a pastor in his message made the statement with a critical tone, "I never understood why the King James translators us "charity" instead of just "love." Let me explain why. The Bible expresses three different kinds of love.
1. "Agapao" This word is a verb used to describe God's divine love. The noun is "apape." Example is John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) This is the action of totally being committed to the well being of others without regard for their worthiness even unto death. That love was demonstrated by Jesus when He suffered and died for our sins. We, as Christians, are show that unselfish love to others.
2. "Phileo" This word translated "love" refers to fervent love for another person. Jesus when challenging Peter in John 21:15-17 asked do you agape me more than the other disciples. Peter replied, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love (phileo) thee" This was his response four times to Jesus' questions. Peter never used the word "agapeo" in response to Jesus' questions.
3. "Eros" This is a noun and refers to sexual love.
The King James translators used the English word "charity" because one cannot mistake the kind of love being mentioned. Note the definition of the word "charity" which shows the wisdom of the translators. Apapeo love is charity.
1: benevolent goodwill toward or love of humanity.
2a : generosity and helpfulness especially toward the needy or suffering; also : aid given to those in need.
b : an institution engaged in relief of the poor.
c : public provision for the relief of the needy.
(Merriam Webster Dictionary, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charity)
In our text verse John gives a straight forward test of true conversion. He begins by saying, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
In verse 10 God tells us that those that live in unrighteousness are noted also in that they do not love their brother.
Verse 11, refers to the text of this message when Jesus said the second greatest commandment was to love one's neighbor as themselves.
In verse 12 is uses Cain as an example. Cain killed his brother because his on works were evil and his brother's works righteous. Cain had no love for his brother, and the basis of his hatred for his brother was that his brother did right and it incited him to murder.
In verse 13, John offers comfort to the true child of God who are the object of scorn, ridicule and the unloving abuses. He in verse 14, offers assurance to those who are hurting under the unloving attacks of the worldly.
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." This verse plainly states the change that occurs when a person receives Christ. Because the Spirit of God is in them...they are able to without condition love others. This is evidence of true salvation when a person's love for others becomes unselfish.
Verse 16, states the greatest manifestation of the love the world can know....that Christ laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." He concludes with Verse 18.
Today many churches promote a "feel good" religion. It is meant to appeal to emotions. This has had the effect of turning people on to emotion and feeling instead of true spiritual biblical love and commitment. Many today are motivated by emotion rather than being motivated by a commitment to the Lord.
The Bible says we are to grow by the knowledge of the Word of God, not by religious experiences or feelings. Never in any of the Epistles does the New Testament tell us to seek emotional experiences and be guided by feelings. This is an important truth that is being ignored.
The reason so many are in false doctrine and weak in faith and service to God, and are immature... is because they do not honestly know what the Bible teaches about Biblical love and commitment to Christ or they know and refuse to life in love as the Lord instructs. Their relationship with the Lord is based on how they feel rather than on the promises of God's Word. The same is true in their relationships in their marriages, with their children, family and friends. They evaluate their relationship based on the selfish idea that others should make them feel good and if they do not they are not loved or have the right to withhold love towards others. ILLUS: When I first came to Tremonton, Utah I met a woman who was offended because I would not allow contemporary So-Called Christian Music in our church. She told me in glowing terms how she listened to a Christian Rock Station and the song so helped her get through the day. My friend....think for a moment about what she was saying? She got through the day by hearing a commercial singer, repeating phrases over and over to a strong rhythmic beat and that this helped her spiritually. By the way...the Buddhists, Oriental mystics and many other pagan religious do the same thing. The use music with a strong rhythmic beat to whip the people often into a frenzy.
This message is not about music and certainly music has a part our lives. God gave us music and mentions it numerous times in His word, but He limits the type of music we listen too.
"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:19-20)
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16)
Please note both verses use the adjective, "spiritual" which limits the kind of music God is saying He approves. In fact lost people also find great pleasure in listening to hard ungodly rock music that has the same beat and rhythm. But my friend....does God tell us to be comforted and get through the day by being emotionally charged up or are we to live moment by moment following and trusting in the principles of God's word?
People can actually become "music junkies" having to have music playing all day. However, the true healing comfort to get us through life's trials can only come from God and through His word speaks to us spiritual in the small quiet voice in our souls.
God says, Psalms 27:1 "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
Read with me 2 Corinthians 4:8-21. What a wonderful passage this is. Did you notice what verse 13 says, "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed." Our faith, our hope, our love is based in ONE thing...the Word of God.
This is a long introduction, but let us now look then at the Meaning of Biblical Love:
I. ALL OF GODS'S DIRECTIVES FOR LIVING ARE BASED ON LOVING GOD AND LOVING OTHERS IN A BIBLICAL MANNER.
A. Jesus said, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment." (Mark 12:30)
B. Jesus' second commandment:
"And the second, like it, is this: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:31)
This truth is found also in God's instructions to Israel "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:18) The Hebrew word is "raheb", but it means to have affection for one's brother or friend. Its parallel in the New Testament is "phileo.
C. Note that Jesus said this was a commandment. A Christian will never truly love their neighbor until they first learn to love God. Love is a part of the natural result of loving God is you love your neighbor. When God saves us we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit who gives us the new nature of God which can now truly unselfishly love.
1. Biblical love is defined by God in His Grace. Grace is "unmerited favor."
2. It is further defined in the word "agape" that is translated in to the English word "love." The word expresses the highest form of love which is the love of God for mankind. This love is one that is freely given because one wills to give it. It is not based on any merit of the individual.
3. True biblical love can only be known by the actions that it prompts. It is not the love of complacency or affection, that is not drawn out by any excellency in it objects (Vines. p382).
ILLUS: If you ask most any church member or profession Christian if they loved the Lord, they would say....certainly! Yet, the faithfulness and obedience of the individual to the Lord shows if their love for God truly exists or is simply rhetoric.
4. Perfect love is seen the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Garden of Gethsemane Christ agonized over what he would be enduring within hours as He suffered for the sins of all the world. Yet, he said "Not my will, but thine be done." Only a pure love could suffer for the world, fully knowing that most of the world would reject Christ's sacrifice for them. Love produces action...and if love is present it will be seen.
5. True love will produce sacrifice for the one who is loved. That is why today, some many live uncommitted lives. They are hot one minute and ice cold the next. True biblical love produces stability in one's life.
ILLUS: I was talking with a good friend who pastors a church in North Carolina. As we ended the conversation he said, "Brother Cooper would you pray with me about my church." He then said he had been at the church for almost twenty years. The church was doing well financially and in attendance ..but he said we are the epitome of the Laodicean church. His church was neither hot or cold....basically was only existing doing little or nothing for the Lord. Folks there is a lack of biblical love in that church. Their faith in that church which resulted in losing their biblical love, commitment and the attitude of sacrificial living for Christ.
6. Love is not the kind of motivation that is whipped up in an emotional message by articulate preacher. Yes, many churches live from week to week getting having to be pumped up by emotional messages each week. That kind of preaching never lasts much past the door of the church. It does not build faith in God in the people. By the time folks get home its over and its back to apathy and being complacent.
It may be fun to sing catchy choruses, to wave one's arms around in the air and sway to the beat of the music and be charged up emotionally....but that does not produce any lasting spiritual benefit in the life of the participant. It does not produce faith or love of God. When the trial of life comes, and they surely will come upon us all, emotions do not bring comfort. You may turn on you cassette player and listen for a while to anthemic music (a religious chant), and have your spirits emotionally lifted, but the problem of dealing with it is not solved.
ILLUS: During the time I was beginning our church planting work in Tremonton, Utah I visited a husband and wife who attended a short time, but complained they did not like our church singing traditional hymns and not including contemporary "Christian" rock music. She explained to me what a great blessing this particular "Christian" rock singer's music was to her. She said when she got up that morning, somewhat emotionally depressed, she began listening to her favorite CCM rock singer and she said it picked up her spirits. I asked her if listening to some CCM singer, singing rock music is where God's word says we are to get our strength and comfort? "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me." (Psalms 119:50) The word "quickened" means to make alive. (Also see Psalm 119:76,82; 2 Thess. 2:17) This couple in the past few years has "church hopped" at least five or six times and some of the churches they attended used CCM in their services. They cannot seem to be satisfied even with the contemporary highly emotional churches.
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