Love Is

When we think of love we often think of our family, friends, spouses, children and things we have and people we encounter in our lives. Being Christians, however, we must look at the world with the loving eyes of God. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world…” We, as God’s children, must love the world as well. We are not to love the ‘sin’ of the world but love the sinner in the world.

1. LOVE IS ESSENTIAL (PRIORITY) VSS. 1-2

• Paul stated that when we speak peace and love to each other without the proper motivation, then we have done it solely for personal gain

• We are warned in the Word about doing things for self

• Luke 18:10-14: “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

• The Pharisee ‘went through the motion’s’ while the Publican did what he did out of the love of God’s forgiveness

• Paul tells us that when can feed the world, pall the bills and cloth the poor; but unless we do it with the love of God in our heart, it is all done for self-gain which in the eyes of God is wrong

• “It is natural to love them that love us, but it is supernatural to love them that hate us.”

2. LOVE IS EXPERIENTIAL-(Practice) VS 3-7

• To experience LOVE is to experience GOD

• Micah 6:8: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

• According to Paul; we must practice our works with love

• We know that works do not save us, they do, however, prove our faithfulness and love for God

• James 1:22: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

• James 2:14-18: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

• Works are done for the glory of God, not self, but when working; we must do so with the love of God in our heart

• “In The Grace of Giving, Stephen Olford tells of a Baptist pastor during the American Revolution, Peter Miller, who lived in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the friendship of George Washington. In Ephrata also lived Michael Wittman, an evil-minded sort who did all he could to oppose and humiliate the pastor. One day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. Peter Miller traveled seventy miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for the life of the traitor. "No, Peter," General Washington said. "I cannot grant you the life of your friend." "My friend!" exclaimed the old preacher. "He’s the bitterest enemy I have." "What?" cried Washington. "You’ve walked seventy miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in different light. I’ll grant your pardon." And he did. Peter Miller took Michael Wittman back home to Ephrata--no longer an enemy but a friend.”

3. LOVE IS EXCEPTIONAL (Prominence)-VS. 8-13

• Matthew 5:45-46: “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?”

• Prominence means: “Conspicuous, distinguished”

• 1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”