A Love Like Gods Series

Love is The Way

A Love Like God’s

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

13 If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.

1st Corinthians 12, 13, 14 has to do with Spiritual gifts.

12-Gods endowment of the gifts

13-Gods power

14-Instructions for the use of gifts

The only way to use the gifts is to use them in the love of God.

The church at Corinth founded by Paul did not fall short in any of the gifts. They were however lacking in love. They were the most carnal church.

Greek words having to do with love

“Philia”-love, friendship, affection for others, based on emotions

“Agape”-absorption of every part of our being into one great passion(agony) not based on emotion.

Agape love-by the act of love, chooses it’s object, regardless of the condition of the object

It goes on loving continually. It is a love of complete self denial, never thinking of itself.

It is God’s choice to love us-Agape Love-Unconditional

Agape love is used when the will is involved rather than emotions. You make the choice to love.

When we experience unconditional love…we live in the light of God’s love, we have hope. Life is about learning how to love. His love for you is unconditional.

James Van Tholen in his book “Where All Hope Lies”

Writes: From the human perspective, when you compare (God ) to the other gods of the other religions in the world, you have to say our God is really sort of odd. He uses the most common of people, people that aren’t any different from any of us here; he comes in the most common of ways, when by his Spirit an anonymous young woman is found to be with child. And the strangest thing is that he comes at all…he’s not the Above-Us-God, too holy to come down. This God’s love is so immense that he wants to come down. And he has proven his love by the fact that he did come down and touch our ground.”

Stop talking about God’s love, stop studying about God’s love, just get out there and do Christianity. (Douglas Gresham stepson of C.S. Lewis)

Love is the only word used in the Bible without any qualification or explanation.

“God is Love”

All of the traits of love are the same traits as God in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Max Lucado: "If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen."...

Love is the 1 thing that is indestructible. Love is not Dependant on the worthiness of the one it loves(Family, children, regardless of situation you love, husbands/wives)

When you become a Christian, Agape love is born in you. It may take time to mature and develop, but it is there. You can overcome the rift between you and family or your enemies.

Description of Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Premise of Love

13 If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.

Without love you can be irritating. What good is it to give prophecy if you cant love?

What good is it to be a great preacher without love? No matter what you sacrifice it’s nothing without love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Prerogative of Love

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. 6 It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.