LEARNING DAILY

 

1 Corinthians 13:13, There are three things that will endure – faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these is love. (NLT)

 

Of faith, hope and love, love is the greatest.  Volumes can be written defining what love is and the Greek meanings for love and how the word is used.  For example, love meant one thing to me when I was a dating teenager.  That definition seemed to change after several years of being married.  It really changed after I gave my life to the Savior.

 

 The Bible gives us many verses that help give meaning to this word. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). “Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8). “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:18-19). In Jeremiah God spoke through the prophet to tell us, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” (Jeremiah 31:3). He was talking about His people Israel; but I believe this can be applied to all He calls to worship Him! We are told in Romans 5:8 that, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  And one more. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

 

Love is not just an attribute of God; it is who He is. He is the source of love, a perfect love. The word has done everything it can to distort God’s love to mean what He never intended it to mean – that happened when sin entered the world. Understand that when one becomes a Believer, he will love because he is born out of God’s love. As Believers, you and I can not only love one another but we can love the unlovable and those who try to destroy us. Isn’t that the response you and I are to reflect to others when we are saved by God’s love?

 

God’s love is an unconditional love.  He loves us not for what we do since we cannot earn love.  It is different from what we experience with each other because His love is not based on feelings. His love comes because He is love not because we try to please Him.

 

This is a wonderful time of the year; we sing about it! We must remember that God’s greatest gift to us, reflecting His love, for each of us, was His Son.  Jesus Christ was born that He would demonstrate the love of the Father.  John 15:9-10 encourages us to abide in His love and by keeping His commandments we will abide in His love.  What greater gift can you and I give to another than to love them as God loves us. We have received God’s free gift of love and that should empower us love others.

 

God’s love is the greatest of all!