The Loving Church
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Love Is Patient and Kind
A Place for You
"My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."
The Bible tells us again and again that we should love one another. Love is like the glue that holds us all together. The apostle John wrote, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7).
The Bible's definitive chapter on love, 1 Corinthians 13, is, in fact, the most comprehensive description of love in all of Scripture. Paul shines love through a prism, so to speak. We see many of its colors and hues, so we can more easily understand love and apply it in a practical way. Each ray gives a different facet of God's agape love.
The Bible does not focus so much on what love is, but on what love does and does not do. The love of God that we are to demonstrate toward one another is not merely feeling or emotion. Nor is it abstract or passive. It is active. It engages. It works. It moves. God's love does not merely feel patient; it is patient. God's love does not simply have kind feelings; it does kind things. Love is fully love only when it is active: "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18).
At the same time, the Bible tells us the goal of the Christian is to be conformed to the image of Christ (see Philippians 3:10). This is what God wants you to strive for. This is what He wants you to aim toward—that the love He speaks of will work its way into your life.
PS: Please pray for us this week as we take the Harvest Crusades to Christchurch, New Zealand, to share the gospel with thousands of people! For the latest news on the Christchurch Harvest Crusade, sign up to receive e-mail updates by clicking here.
The Bible's definitive chapter on love, 1 Corinthians 13, is, in fact, the most comprehensive description of love in all of Scripture. Paul shines love through a prism, so to speak. We see many of its colors and hues, so we can more easily understand love and apply it in a practical way. Each ray gives a different facet of God's agape love.
The Bible does not focus so much on what love is, but on what love does and does not do. The love of God that we are to demonstrate toward one another is not merely feeling or emotion. Nor is it abstract or passive. It is active. It engages. It works. It moves. God's love does not merely feel patient; it is patient. God's love does not simply have kind feelings; it does kind things. Love is fully love only when it is active: "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18).
At the same time, the Bible tells us the goal of the Christian is to be conformed to the image of Christ (see Philippians 3:10). This is what God wants you to strive for. This is what He wants you to aim toward—that the love He speaks of will work its way into your life.
PS: Please pray for us this week as we take the Harvest Crusades to Christchurch, New Zealand, to share the gospel with thousands of people! For the latest news on the Christchurch Harvest Crusade, sign up to receive e-mail updates by clicking here.
TODAY'S RADIO PROGRAM: "The Worst Possible Sin — I"
Copyright © 2006 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights
reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced
in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas
Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000
Love Is Patient and Kind
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