THERE’S NO MORE STRUGGLING IN DEFINING LOVE

THERE’S NO MORE STRUGGLING IN DEFINING LOVE: FOR GOD IS LOVE! 

“Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and every one that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that LOVETH not KNOWETH not God; FOR GOD IS LOVE . . . 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. GOD IS LOVE; and he that dwelleth in LOVE dwelleth in God, and God in HIM . . .” 1 John 4:7-21. 

I ‘m graciously and gracefully glad to remind you of our New Creation way of doing life and living godly in Christ Jesus stead. Amen – It’s the hallmark pathway called LOVE. And LOVE is God’s beautiful gift given to us all, to share and express life towards Him and mankind, without sentiments, prejudice and dissimulation, – it’s irrespective of gender, culture, status, colour, tongue or religion. For LOVING is giving, and GIVING is of God – for God so LOVE that He GAVE. Love is of God. He who loves, knows God. God is the embodiment of LOVE; For LOVE is God personified in the grace. [1 John 4:8, 16 (1-21); 1 Corinthians 13:1-13]. For Love God gave – the genuine love of God is in the giving. Giving is not necessarily love, but loving in the grace involves giving like God gave us our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ; and whoever does not love is not of God in Christ Jesus’ stead. 

“For God SO LOVED the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES in Him should NOT PERISH but have EVERLASTING LIFE. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” John 3:16-18/NKJV. 

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW God, for GOD IS LOVE . . . 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and HATES his brother, he is a liar; for he who DOES NOT LOVE his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” 1 John 4:7-21/NKJV. 

“. . . 13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who DOES NOT LOVE his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever HATES his brother is a MURDERER, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him . . .” 1 John 3:1-24/NKJV 

Love is the most excellent way to covet and express spiritual gifts that gives the enabling to live and do life in every way in Christ Jesus stead. Love is the only way to express God and His goodness to others and to yourself. And as gracious and graceful FAITH is in the EFFECTUAL WALK with God, it takes LOVE as the lubricant to make FAITH functional to ensure and assure of the fellowship with God and man. Love enables faith to WORK and WALK in all likelihood of doing LIFE and GODLY LIVING. 

“But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you A MORE EXCELLENT WAY” 1 Corinthians 12:31. 

“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE . . .13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by LOVE SERVE one another” Galatians 5:6, 13. 

Are you for any reason struggling in defining the genuineness of this kind of God’s LOVE – I encourage you to just have it settled now that – God Is LOVE. Meaning, God is the DEFINITION of Love, which is shed abroad in our hearts and thoughts by the blessed Holy Spirit of grace that is given to us as our enabler. Amen. [Galatians 5:6, 13; Romans 5:5, 8, 1 John 4:8, 16; 1 Corinthians 12:31]. 

May you live experiencing and expressing the blessed LOVE called AGAPE – God’s kind of LOVE, the unconditional LOVE that’s POWERED by the indwelling Holy Spirit. [Romans 5:5]. 

SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN CONTEXT: 

“Beloved, let us LOVE one another: for LOVE is of God; and everyone that LOVETH is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that LOVETH not KNOWETH not God; FOR GOD IS LOVE . . . 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. GOD IS LOVE; and he that dwelleth in LOVE dwelleth in God, and God in HIM . . .” 1 John 4:7-21. 

“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, BUT HAVE NOT LOVE, it profits me nothing . . . 13 And now ABIDE faith, hope, LOVE, these three; BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE” 1 Corinthians13:1-13. 

“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the LOVE of God is shed abroad in our HEARTS by the Holy Ghost which is GIVEN unto us . . .8 But God commendeth his LOVE toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:5, 8. 

“This is my commandment, That ye LOVE one another, as I have LOVED you. 13 Greater LOVE hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” John 15:12-14. 

“A NEW commandment I give unto you, That ye LOVE one another; as I have LOVED you, that ye also LOVE one another. 35 By this shall all men KNOW that ye ARE my DISCIPLES, if ye have LOVE one to another” John 13:34-35. 

“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but FAITH WHICH WORKETH BY LOVE . . .13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by LOVE serve one another” Galatians 5:6, 13. 

SUMMARY: 

The message emphasises that God is Love (1 John 4:8, 16), and this love is the hallmark of the new creation way of life in Christ Jesus. Love is God’s beautiful gift to us, enabling us to live and express life towards Him and mankind without prejudice, dissimulation, or sentiment. 

Key Points 

• God is Love; Love is of God (1 John 4:8, 16). 

• Loving is giving, and giving is of God (John 3:16). 

• Giving is not necessarily love, but loving involves giving like God gave us Jesus. 

• Love is the new creation way of doing life and living godly in Christ Jesus (Galatians 5:6, 13). 

• Love is the most excellent way to express spiritual gifts and live godly (1 Corinthians 12:31, 13:1-13). 

• Faith works through love (Galatians 5:6). 

• Love is the lubricant that makes faith functional, ensuring fellowship with God and man. 

• God’s love is unconditional, powered by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). 

Scriptural Emphasis 

References 1 John 4:7-21, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Romans 5:5, 8, John 3:16-18, Galatians 5:6, 13, and John 15:12-14, highlighting God’s love as the defining characteristic of believers. 

Main Takeaways 

• God’s love is the new commandment; love one another as Jesus loved us (John 13:34-35). 

• Love is the greatest; it defines us as Christ’s disciples (1 Corinthians 13:13, John 13:35). 

• May you experience and express God’s agape love, powered by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). 

REV. CHUKIE MORSI