Is Perfect Love Possible?
I Corinthians 13:1-7
Matthew 22:37-38
What does Jesus mean when he said: “Be perfect, therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect?”
Matthew 5:48
To answer this question are going to look at three different aspects of God’s love.
1. Understanding God’s Love.
2. God’s love is lived out in our relationships.
3. God gives us His love to share with others.
I. Understanding God’s Love.
To correctly understand God’ love requires that we have an adequate view of God. If God’s love is conditional we’re all in trouble.
In 2006 a sociologist at Baylor University released a study done by the Gallup organization that identified four views people had of God.
31.4 % believe in an “Authoritarian God”. God is angry at humanity’s sins.
23 % believe in a “Benevolent God” who is forgiving and accepting of anyone who repents.
16% believe in a “Critical God” who his judgment eye on the world, but he’s not gong to intervene, either to punish or comfort
24.4 % believe in a “Distant God” who is more of a “cosmic force that launched the world then left it spinning on its own.”
We need to understand that God’s love is unconditional. Jesus accepts us just as we are.
William Barkley tells the story of a young boy who is seated by his dad in worship and attempting to stay awake. As he is nodding off, out of the corner of his eye he sees his father abruptly raise his arm. He braced himself thinking his father was going to hit him. To his pleasant surprise his father put his arm around him, drew him close and looked down and winked at him. The boy said, “I say my father in a different light that day and went to sleep in his arms.”
It’s just like God to wrap His arms round us to protect us. God’s love reaches out to us to forgive us and put our feet on the path of righteousness. “God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)
We don’t love God out of fear. We love God because He first loved us. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. He who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” (I John 4:18-19)
Because God is Love He cannot act contrary to love. We cannot afford to give up on God’s love. To give up on love leads to hate.
There are three terms for love in the Greek New Testament:
• Storge - __________________ This word is used to express family affection and love.
• Philla - ____________________ - is Friendship and personal brotherly love.
• Agape __________________ - Spiritual love and selfless, unconditional love. This is the Greek word for love used in I Corinthians 13:1-3.
Jesus taught in Matthew 5:48 that perfect love is possible. “Be...perfect even as your Father.... in heaven isperfect.” Perfect love is living like Jesus lived. Perfect love is giving forgiveness without demanding or expecting anything in return.
The scriptures do not teach sinless perfection. As long as we are in our human body we are imperfect in wisdom, imperfect in knowledge, imperfect in judgment, but we can be perfect in love. We can love God with all our heart, mind and soul and our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus said this is the greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-38
The Apostle John challenges us to live like Jesus without compromise in a world of compromise. “As we live in God, our loved grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the Day of Judgment, but we can face him with confidence, because we are like Christ here in this world.” I John 4:17
To understand God’s love is to listen to what the Apostle Paul says about love in I Corinthians: “God is patient, God is kind, God never gives up, God’s love lasts forever.”
We sometimes sing: “The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell, It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell; The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled And pardoned from his sin.”
“Could we with ink the ocean fill And were the skies of parchment made, We’re every stalk on earth a quill And every scribe by trade, To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry, Nor could the scroll contain the whole To stretched from sky to sky.”
“O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forever more endure – The saints’ and angels song.” Frederick M Lehman
I Corinthians 13 teach that God is love and it also teaches that Love is lived out in our relationships.
II. Love is Lived Out in Relationships
I Corinthians 13:3b – 7 “…If I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever. Love is patent and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, it is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
Love is patient and kind. Sometimes we need to be careful what we say and learn to think on our feet to say positive things about people. The story is told about a 6’ 10 “ Texan who walked up to the counter at McDonalds, slammed down his big fist and said to the girl behind the counter, “I want half a Big Mac.” She said, “What?” He said again, “I want half a Big Mac and I want it now!”
Not being sure what to do, she said, “Excuse me for a minute.” And she headed back to her manager without realizing that the man was following right behind her.
She got back to the manager and said, “There’s a big klutz out there who is dumber than lead and he has ordered half a Big Mac.” And just then she suddenly realized the 6’ 10” Texan was standing right behind her. She quickly added: “And this gentleman wants the other half.”
The proving ground for love is lived out in our home and family. A fundamental truth concerning love is that “Love has boundaries.”
Love does not let our children get away with anything they want to do. True love sets limits and boundaries because as parents we know what is best for our children.
Love does not give our children everything they want. Our children don’t need more gifts; they need more of our time. Love takes time. Love takes time to listen.
Love does not allow children to be in control of the family with temper tantrums and constant whining. Love means giving guidance and discipline to shape children so they will honor and respect authority.
Paul is saying in I Corinthians 13 that if doesn’t matter how successful you are in life. It doesn’t matter how many degrees you have earned, or awards you have received, the size of your home, or the kind of car your drive. It you don’t love in your actions, if your don’t posses love in your life, then all that other stuff doesn’t matter because what matters most to God is love.
You can do some amazing things, but if you don’t love, those things are worthless from God’s perspective.
The Bible is an instruction book on relationships. Love is patient and kind, not self-seeking and keeps no records of wrongs. Christian love overcomes differences. Rather than being judgmental love encourages and builds others up. True Christian love accentuates the positive and does not focus on finding fault with others.
Love is much more than a feeling. Love is a commitment. Pop songs talk about love as a feeling. “I can’t help falling in love with you.” “You’ve lost that loving feeling.” “I love you. Please tell me your name.”
In the comic strip Peanuts, Linus says to Charlie Brown, “She was so cute. I used to see her in Sunday school every week. I would to just sit there and stare at her, and sometimes she’d smile at me. Now I hear she has switched to another church.” Charlie Brown responded, “That’ll change your theology in a hurry!”
Love is a commitment; We can choose to love. Love is a choice.
Agape, spiritual love is lived out in our relationships. We love as Jesus loved.
God loves us unconditionally.
Love is lived out in our relationships
We are commanded to share God’s love with others.
III. Share God’s Love with Others
With God’s love in his heart the Apostle Paul shouts out to all who will listen: “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” II Corinthians 5:14-15
Do you have a faith and love worth sharing? Does the love of Jesus in your heart compel and motivate you to tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ?
The Psalmist struggled with opening his mouth and talking about God when surrounded by unbelievers and people lacking faith in God.
Psalm 39:1-5 NLT, “I said to myself, ‘I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will curb my tongue when the ungodly are round me.’ But as I stood there in silence – not even speaking of good things – the turmoil within me grew to the bursting point. My thoughts grew hot within me and began to burn, igniting a fire of words. Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away. My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath.”
For some of us it makes extra motivation to get us to open our mouths and tell of God’s love and good news of salvation.
#A fisherman drew suspicion when he went out fishing and came in every day with a large catch when other fishermen were catching nothing. They said the fish weren’t even biting.
One day while the man was getting ready to get in his boat and go fishing the game warden asked him if he would go along on his fishing trip. The man agreed and he motored out to his favorite spot secluded on the lake. He reached under his seat and pulled out a stick of dynamite, lit it and threw it into the water. After an explosion he ran his motor boat to pick up many fish.
The game warden told the man that what he was doing was illegal and he was under arrest. The fisherman quietly reached under the seat, lit another stick of dynamite to the game warden said, “Are you gong to sit there or are you going to fish?”
The early church in Acts experienced an explosive outreach in growth and dynamic love. The deep love the early Christians had for Jesus compelled them to witness.
When you live out the love of Jesus in your life and words your life serves as a transforming influence to those around you.
Hugh Martin in his book The Parables of the Gospels tells about a rough cultured man who became fascinated with a beautiful, expensive vase in a shop window. He bought it, took it home and placed it on the mantel of his cluttered room. The vase became a kind of judgment on its surroundings. So the man cleaned up the room to make it worthy of the vase. Then he noticed the curtains looked dingy so he replaced them. That made the chairs that had stuffing coming out look bad so he bought new furniture. That made the walls look dingy so he painted and papered them. Soon the whole room was transformed.
When you put Jesus on the mantle of your heart He will begin to gradually transform every nook and cranny of your life. Your life will shine for the light of God’s love and transform your very surroundings.
An outstanding Christian once said, “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
Perfect Love is “Loving God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourselves.” Matthew 22:37-38
Love is lived out in your relationships. Agape love loves others with no strings attached. Spiritual love is unconditional love lived out in the power of the Holy Spirit.
When God’s love fills your heart you are compelled to share the love of Jesus with others.
