Real Love- Part 1 Series

Worldly love is selfish and politically correct but not good necessarily. It is also anti-Christian. Worldly love has no love or room for God. You see that all the time. You see that on the streets. You see that at festivals. You see that at gatherings of families. You see that at parties. You see that at sports events. Even when someone is watching, let’s say the Olympics; they have this love for their country or the love for their particular team or even a particular player on the team. But that love has no basis of self-sacrifice. Therefore more correctly put, it is nothing more than a selfish, emotional attachment. But the Lord Jesus came to demonstrate, teach and place in us the Love that’s from on high, a love that’s from above. So the love from the world may be selfish, politically correct, anti-Christian has no concern for God, only for oneself, one’s feelings, how one can gain, personal gain, more pleasure. All of this is not God's love; this is human love, worldly love.

Now, the love of the world and the love of humans may be very friendly. That love can have a smile, that love can have a warm handshake, that love can have a hug, that love adjusts to others’ perception of itself. The world's love wants to get along and be accepted, but not necessarily seek the best interest of the other person. The world's love is based on self-gain. And even the world’s love, the human love can be based on fear! Now that is a curious thing. How can love be based on fear? But the world's love, human love can be based on fear. For example, when one sees a neighbor, that one does not necessarily like, they smile and greet them. Sure it’s a good thing to do. But what’s behind the motive for that? It may very well be the same thing in the workplace when you see colleagues or the boss they smile or they give a handshake-the greeting, the salute, they can all be based on the fear element. That is, “If don’t do this, I may have negative repercussions.” So that's not love. That nice gesture that seems to have some affection doesn’t have true love at the base. So God's love is none of these things.

The Lord's love is first of all directed toward Him because that love understands that every good thing comes from above, from God himself. The love that comes from God is also emotional. It’s also very passionate, similar to the world's love. Just at you see someone at a stadium, cheering their favorite team with all the passion or in a political campaign for a particular party or a candidate with all the passion, or a particular union in the workplace with all the passion, God’s love is also very passionate. The difference is the placement of that love and the motive of that love. Where does that love spring from? What is the interest of that love and where is it actually placed? The world's love cares about a man more than God.

Now, notice the different descriptions of the world or human love. It can be strong, it can be emotional, it can be passionate, but it is, in the end, nothing at all. Because there is no self-sacrifice, there is no actual concern for the best interest of the other individual. There is no principle by which that love stands and does not move. It’s very flexible. That love in the world can be motivated by fear, that love in the world is motivated by a love for man or people more than God Himself. The Lord Jesus said this in Matthew chapter 10 verse 37, and we ought to check ourselves as the Lord gives us this Word to see whether our love is unpolluted, whether it is undivided, whether it is the pure love of Jesus Christ. Because there's a vast difference as we are seeing right now between the world’s love and God's love. Human love as we said will go toward man and not God. Matthew 10:37 [King James Version], the Lord Jesus said this, “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.” Now, there is a verse that is quite controversial to many people deep in their hearts. Even though they read these things within their heart, they haven’t come to a conclusion that “I will stand on God's Word and love Him first and foremost.”

When they have confusion about the doctrine of love, the biblical doctrine, and the practical application - the confusion sets in their lives. When the confusion comes in, all kinds of compromise and sin continue to grow within; not only the person but the people upon whom this person places his or her love. It is inevitable. Because God's love is not there, at the very end and ultimately, only death can result. What do we mean? We are familiar with a very oft-quoted scripture in the book of Romans The wages of sin is death. That is, everything that we do that is not pleasing to God when we serve sin, the result is death. It has to be. Similarly, human love ultimately will bring sorrow. This is something that we need to settle in our minds.