The Relationship Between Faith And Love Series

PURSUING THE LOVE OF GOD Part 4

Series: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH & LOVE.

I. Introductory Remarks.

The Christian life is to be a life of victory in all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Even though there are many obstacles and trials that come our way that try to prevent us from walking in victory, we can experience the victory that God has ordained for us as recorded in 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. This is where faith comes in. We must walk by faith to experience the fullness of victory in all of the areas that pertain unto our life.

Through faith we have access to the spiritual inheritance God wants us to walk in for our marriages, our families, our job and everything else that pertains to our lives. No wonder it says in Hebrews that without faith we cannot please God. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

II. Faith Works Through Love.

In this teaching however, I want to talk about the relationship between faith and love. Faith works and operates by love. This is one of the most important principles in the release of our faith. Without this principle or quality working in our lives we will never know what it is to have our faith released effectively. This quality is found in the Book of Galatians and is called love, this is the reason why we must pursue love. Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

1. The Relationship Between Faith & Love.

For Paul, the controlling principle of life is faith expressed in love, as in the life of Christ. The essence of Christianity is not legalism, but a personal relationship to Jesus Christ which is characterized by faith and love. The Christian faith comprises of three basic things:

a. An encounter with the love of the Father as revealed through the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus.

b. The transforming power of that love in the believer to produce conformity and empowerment.

c. The third thing the Christian faith comprise of is an expression of that love by faith through you to the world.

We see this connection between faith and love time and time again in the Writings of Paul.

a. Ephesians 1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints...

b. Ephesians 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love...

c. Colossians 1:4....since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;

d. 1 Thessalonians 1:3...remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father...

e. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

f. 1 Corinthians 13:2 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.

111. Characteristics Of Love

When you think of love, What comes to your mind? The marks of love are found here in 1 Corinthians 13. These are the characteristics that release the faith in our lives so that we are able to receive what God has for us.

VERSE 4:

a. Love suffers long.

b. Love is kind.

c. Love does not envy others.

d. Love is not prideful, lifting up self.

VERSE 5:

a. Love does not behave unseemly (bad conduct towards others).

b. Love does not seek for itself (is not selfish).

c. Love is not easily provoked (made angry).

d. Love does not think evil of others or think of evil in general.

VERSE 6:

a. Love does not rejoice in iniquity (does not take pleasure in doing wrong or hearing wrong about others).

b. Love rejoices in truth (not lies and gossip).

VERSE 7:

a. Love bears all things (even hard things).

b. Love believes all things (believes in others).

c. Love hopeth all things (does not give up hope in God or others, despite the circumstances).

d. Love endures all things.

VERSE 8:

Love never fails (regardless of the circumstances).

Some of the things mentioned here are as follows:

? longsuffering

? kindness

? lack of envy

? is not provoked