THE REVELATION OF GOD'S LOVE
OUTLINE
1. GOD'S LOVE TOWARDS US
2. OUR LOVE TOWARDS GOD:
3. OUR LOVE TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER
4. QUALITIES OF TRUE LOVE
5. WE MUST LOVE OUR ENEMIES
6. THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD NOT LOVE
7. THE HOLY SPIRIT FILLS OUR HEARTS WITH THE LOVE OF GOD
THE MESSAGE
1. GOD'S LOVE TOWARDS US - UNDERSTANDING THE 4 DIMENSIONS OF THE LOVE OF GOD
We must understand breadth and lenght and height and depth of the love of Christ. God loves us so much that He gave his only
Son to save us. God loved us even before we loved him. Even when we we still sinners , Christ died for us . We deserved the
wrath of God for all the sins we had committed against God, but because of the great love of God we were saved through the
sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. We must live our life on earth through our faith in the Son of God who loved us and
gave Himself for us. We must receive the revelation of the love of God in our hearts. We must understand the love of God when
He chastens us and disciplines us. We must be willing to sacrifice anything that the Lord requires of us.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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EPHESIANS 3:14-19
For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
JOHN 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life.
1 JOHN 4:8-10
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
JOHN 15:9
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
JOHN 16:27
No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
ROMANS 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
EPHESIANS 2:3-5
All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.
Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
TITUS 3:3-7
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in
malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of
rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
EPHESIANS 1:3-6
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual
blessing in Christ.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love
he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
2 CORINTHIANS 13:11
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.
And the God of love and peace will be with you.
GALATIANS 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
REVELATION 1:4-6
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to
come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To
him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
REVELATION 3:9
I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them
come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
HEBREWS 12:6
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
MARK 10:20-22
“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you
will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
A.) THE BREADTH OF GOD'S LOVE
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The love of God is so broad and wide that He wants everyone to be saved. He will never drive away anyone who comes to Him.
His love is so wide that He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. The Lord has no pleasure in the death of
the wicked. He wants everyone to repent of their sins and come to Him. There is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who
repents than ninety nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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JOHN 6:37
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
PSALM 103:12
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
1 TIMOTHY 2:3-5
This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
2 PETER 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone
to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
EZEKIEL 18 : 23 , 32
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from
their ways and live?
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
EZEKIEL 33:11
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather
that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
LUKE 15:1-10
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this parable:
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go
after the lost sheep until he finds it?
And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine
righteous persons who do not need to repent.
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until
she finds it?
And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
B.) THE LENGTH OF GOD'S LOVE
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The love of God is so long that it lasts forever. It is an eternal love. The Lord Jesus loved his disciples till the very
end. The love of man may change and turn into hatred. But the love of God remains the same and lasts for all eternity.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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JEREMIAH 31:3
The LORD appeared to us in the past,saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing
kindness.
JOHN 13:1
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.
Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
HEBREWS 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
MATTHEW 28:20
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
2 THESSALONIANS 2:16
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good
hope,
GENESIS 31: 2 , 5
And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.
He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been
with me.
2 SAMUEL 13: 1-2 , 15
In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.
Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him
to do anything to her.
Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and
get out!”
MATTHEW 10:21
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to
death.
LUKE 21:16
You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.
C.) THE DEPTH OF GOD'S LOVE
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The love of God is so deep that He would go to any extent to save the lost. The Lord Jesus even went down to the lower
earthly regions to speak to the disobedient spirits who were imprisoned in the days of Noah. God's love reaches even to the
most depraved sinner in the depths of degradation . He calls even those who sins are red like scarlet and crimson to come to
Him and be cleansed from all their sins.The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all unrighteousness. The woman caught in adultery
, the Samaritan woman who had five husbands and was living with one who was not her husband , the prodigal son, Zacheus the
dishonest tax collector , all of them experienced the depth of God's love in their lives.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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EPHESIANS 4: 8-10
This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?
He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
1 PETER 3:18-20
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the
body but made alive in the Spirit.
After being made alive,he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—
to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it
only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
HEBREWS 7:25
Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
ISAIAH 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
1 JOHN 1:7-9
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son,
purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
MATTHEW 8:1-3
When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.
A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his
leprosy.
JOHN 8:1-11
but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group
and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write
on the ground with his finger.
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first
to throw a stone at her.”
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman
still standing there.
Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
LUKE 19 : 1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house
today.”
So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I
have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
LUKE 15: 11-32
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.
The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth
in wild living.
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to
death!
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with
compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on
his feet.
Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never
gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
JOHN 4 : 1-42
Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—
although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples.
So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Now he had to go through Samaria.
So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”
(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not
associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he
would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?
Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his
livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of
water welling up to eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
“I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband.
The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite
true.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in
Jerusalem.
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they
are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?”
or “Why are you talking with her?”
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,
“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”
They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are
ripe for harvest.
Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad
together.
Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.
I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their
labor.”
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.
And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know
that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
D.) THE HEIGHT OF GOD'S LOVE
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The love of God is as high as the heavens are above the earth. The Lord Jesus ,though He was God himself , yet from such a
great height , because of His great love for us, He chose to reach so low to take the form of a servant in human likeness and
even give his life on the cross ,in order to save us. Though he was rich , he became poor in order to make us rich. The
height of God's love elevates us to the status of becoming his children and makes us to be seated with Christ in the heavenly
places.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 JOHN 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The
reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
EPHESIANS 2:4-6
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in
Christ Jesus.
PSALMS 103:11
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
ISAIAH 55:9
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
2 CORINTHIANS 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you
through his poverty might become rich.
2. OUR LOVE TOWARDS GOD
A.) THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT - WE MUST LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART AND SOUL AND MIND
We must repond to the love of God by loving God with all our heart and soul and mind. We demonstrate our love for God by
obeying His commandments and by living not selfishly for ourselves , but by living for the One who died for us. The Lord
wants us to serve Him out of a heart of love for Him. We should not allow the trials and tribulations of life to seperate us
from the love of God.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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MATTHEW 22:36-38
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
This is the first and greatest commandment.
MARK 12:29-30
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
LUKE 10:25-28
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your
mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
B.) WE SHOW OUR LOVE TOWARDS GOD BY OBEYING HIS COMMANDMENTS AND LIVING FOR HIM
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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JOHN 15:10
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
JOHN 14: 15 , 21 ,23, 24
“If you love me, keep my commands.
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too
will love them and show myself to them.”
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our
home with them.
Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who
sent me.
1 JOHN 5:1-3
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.
This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
1 JOHN 2:5
But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:
2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-15
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.
C.) WE MUST LOVE GOD BEFORE WE SERVE HIM
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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REVELATION 2:1-4
"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and
walks among the seven golden lampstands:
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested
those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
JOHN 21:15-17
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes,
Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said,
"Take care of my sheep."
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time,
"Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
D.) WHEN WE ARE ROOTED IN THE LOVE OF GOD , NOTHING CAN SEPERATE US FROM HIS LOVE. ONLY THOSE WHO ENDURE TILL THE END SHALL
BE SAVED.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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ROMANS 8:35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or
sword?
As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any
powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
MATTHEW 24:12-13
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
E.) THE LORD HAS GREAT BLESSINGS FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM . ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 CORINTHIANS 2:9
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love
him"
ROMANS 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2 TIMOTHY 4:8
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that
day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
JAMES 1:12
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that
the Lord has promised to those who love him.
JAMES 2:5
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and
to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
F.) WE MUST KEEP GROWING IN THE LOVE OF GOD
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
****************************
PHILIPPIANS 1:9
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
1 THESSALONIANS 5:8
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a
helmet.
2 THESSALONIANS 3:5
May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
1 TIMOTHY 1:14
The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
1 TIMOTHY 6:11
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
2 TIMOTHY 1:13
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
LUKE 7:40-47
Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,and the other fifty.
Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any
water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little
loves little.”
1 PETER 1:8
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an
inexpressible and glorious joy,
1 CORINTHIANS 16:22
If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord
3. OUR LOVE TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER
A.) THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT - LOVE ONE ANOTHER
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
****************************
MATTHEW 22:39-40
And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
MARK 12:31-34
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.
To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as
yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no
one dared ask him any more questions.
MATTHEW 19:16-19
Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the
commandments.”
“Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you
shall not give false testimony,
honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
JOHN 15:17
This is my command: Love each other.
1 JOHN 3:23-24
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the
Spirit he gave us.
2 JOHN 1:5
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one
another.
B.) ALL THE COMMANDMENTS ARE CONTAINED IN THE ONE COMMANDMENT TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
****************************
ROMANS 13:9-10
The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment
there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
GALATIANS 5:14
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
JAMES 2:8
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
C.) THE NEW COMMANDMENT OF CHRIST - LOVE OTHERS AS CHRIST LOVED US
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
****************************
JOHN 13: 34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
JOHN 15: 12-13
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
1 JOHN 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers
and sisters.
1 JOHN 4:11
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
EPHESIANS 5:1-2
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children
and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
EPHESIANS 5: 25 , 29
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—
D.) WE MUST GROW IN OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
****************************
JOHN 17:21
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may
believe that you have sent me.
1 THESSALONIANS 3:12
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
2 THESSALONIANS 1:3
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and
the love all of you have for one another is increasing.
COLOSSIANS 1:3-4
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in
Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—
1 CORINTHIANS 16:14
Do everything in love.
HEBREWS 10:24
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
HEBREWS 13:1
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.
GALATIANS 5:13
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one
another humbly in love.
1 PETER 2:17
Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
2 PETER 1:5-8
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
COLOSSIANS 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:9
Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each
other.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-13
Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who
admonish you.
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
COLOSSIANS 2:2
My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete
understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,
PHILIPPIANS 2:1-2
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in
the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
EPHESIANS 1:15
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people,
PHILEMON 1:5
because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:1
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.
TITUS 2:3-5
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to
teach what is good.
Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will
malign the word of God.
COLOSSIANS 3:19
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
PHILEMON 1:7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
HEBREWS 6:10
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to
help them.
JUDE 1:20-21
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
E.) GOD IS LOVE AND ALL THOSE WHO KNOW GOD SHOULD LOVE ONE ANOTHER. WHEN OUR LOVE IS COMPLETE WE WOULD HAVE NO FEAR TO FACE
THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
****************************
1 JOHN 2:10
Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.
1 JOHN 3:10-15
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right
is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own
actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.
Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
1 JOHN 4:7-21
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we
are like him.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not
made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us.
If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has
seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
4. QUALITIES OF TRUE LOVE
True love is most important in our spiritual life. Without love all our spiritual activities will be in vain. Love is patient
and kind. Love does not envy or boast. Love is not proud or selfish or easily angered. Love protects and trusts and hopes.
True love will make us willing to lay down our lives for others. Love will make us help those in need. Love will make us
forgive others and cover their shortcomings. Love will remove fear from our hearts.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
****************************
1 CORINTHIANS 13:1-7
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
JOHN 15:13
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
1 JOHN 3:17-18
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be
in that person?
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 JOHN 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not
made perfect in love.
1 PETER 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
ROMANS 14:14-15
I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something
as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.
If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating
destroy someone for whom Christ died.
1 PETER 1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another
deeply, from the heart.
ROMANS 12:9-10
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
1 TIMOTHY 1 :5
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
EPHESIANS 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
2 TIMOTHY 2:22
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of
a pure heart.
2 CORINTHIANS 6:6
in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
2 CORINTHIANS 8:8
I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.
2 CORINTHIANS 8:24
Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.
EPHESIANS 6:24
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
2 TIMOTHY 3:10
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,
TITUS 1:8
Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
TITUS 2:22
Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 JOHN 1:1
The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
REVELATION 12:11
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
5. WE MUST LOVE OUR ENEMIES .
We must love our enemies and those who hate us and persecute us. We must bless those who curse us and pray for those who
mistreat us. We must forgive those who have hurt us and harmed us.We must not repay evil for evil. Instead we must overcome
evil with good.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
****************************
MATTHEW 5:43-48
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
LUKE 6:27-36
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking
your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.
And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,'
expecting to be repaid in full.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be
great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
LUKE 23:34
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots
ACTS 7:59-60
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
1 PETER 3:8-9
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called
so that you may inherit a blessing.
EPHESIANS 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
1 PETER 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
ROMANS 12:14-21
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.Do not be
conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will
repay,” says the Lord.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will
heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
6. SINFUL LOVE - THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD NOT LOVE
We should not love anybody including our family more than Jesus. We should not love money or worldy possessions.We should not
be selfish people who love ourselves and not care about anyone else. We should not love the praise and honour of men. We
should not do good with the motive of earthly name and fame. We should not love prominence before men.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
**************************
MATTHEW 10:37
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than
me is not worthy of me.
JOHN 12:25
Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
LUKE 14:26-27
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own
life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
1 TIMOTHY 6:6-10
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into
ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced
themselves with many griefs.
1 JOHN 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but
from the world.
The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
2 TIMOTHY 3:2-4
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful,
unholy,
without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—
2 TIMOTHY 4:10
for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus
to Dalmatia.
2 PETER 2:15
They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.
MATTHEW 6:24
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise
the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
LUKE 16:13-14
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise
the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.
MATTHEW 6:1-5
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from
your Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets,
to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners
to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
MATTHEW 23:6
they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with
respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
MARK 12:38-40
As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted
with respect in the marketplaces,
and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.
LUKE 11:42-43
“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect
justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
“Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the
marketplaces.
LUKE 20:46-47
“Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the
marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
JOHN 12:43
for they loved human praise more than praise from God.
JOHN 5:42-44
but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.
I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.
How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
3 JOHN 9
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us.
7. THE HOLY SPIRIT FILLS OUR HEARTS WITH THE LOVE OF GOD
***********************************************************************************
The Holy Spirit pours out the love of God into our hearts. We cannot practise such a great love in our fleshly human
strength. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work deeply in our hearts , the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives would be
love. The Holy Spirit purifies our hearts and enables to love one another fervently with a pure heart.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
**************************
ROMANS 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given
us.
GALATIANS 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
2 TIMOTHY 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
1 PETER 1:22
Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another
fervently with a pure heart,
