homeier@aero.ARPA (Peter Homeier) (09/04/85)
so wonderful that nothing can be compared to it. It answers
the deepest need and cry of the human heart for acceptance and kindness. It
lowers itself without regard to its own position or importance. It pours
itself out selflessly, wholeheartedly, graciously, doing whatever possible to
help the beloved.
We love, by first accepting the love that God would give to us. "We love Him
because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19) Then as His love flows into us, we
become able to love others with that same love. "... God of all comfort, who
comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who
are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by
God." (2 Cor 1:3-4)
Love is not optional for a Christian. It is the commandment of God, which
subsumes all other commands within itself. "'You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your
strength'. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this:
'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Mark 12:30-31)
In fact, among Christians, we have an additional commandment, that we are to
love each other not just as we love ourselves, but as Christ loved us, and gave
Himself for us, even to die for us. Jesus prayed that we would have this love
for one another in the Garden of Gethsemane, as He was entering His Passion.
But what is it to love one another? Love is a word which is much ill-used in
today's culture, and those errors tend to creep into our minds and deflect
our purpose from the clear straightforward love that Jesus exemplified. First
of all, Christian love does not mean fornication or adultery! These sins of
the flesh have nothing to do with the love of God, indeed they war against God,
and those that love them also hate God to the same degree. This should not be
taken as implying that no one who loves God does these things, but when they do,
they are operating out of their sin nature, out of the old man, and they are
obeying the passions of their flesh and not the law of God. The obedient
Christian, due to a love of God, respects the body as the holy temple of the
Spirit of God.
But even the love that is appropriate between husband and wife is not the same
as the love God calls us to. The love that He wants us to learn is called in
the Greek language, "agape". What this love is like is beautifully described
in 1 Corinthians 13:
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade
itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not
provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the
truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things."
"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is
love."
This is the love that the Father had for us, even while we were still
completely lost in our sins. It is this love that the Father had for us and
demonstrated in sending the Son to us. It is this love that the Son had when
he submitted to being humiliated, beaten, scorned, and slain by crucifixion.
It was a gentle yet powerful love, generous, and ready to act. Indeed, love
will always find a way to express itself in action, naturally, because the
honest concern for the other will find some way to help them, be it as quiet as
prayer.
Love is not very much an emotion. Rather it is more a decision, and an action.
To love your enemy may seem impossible if you are trying to have nice feelings
towards him, but it does become possible if you realize that what God wants you
to do is to forgive him, and if you see something lying by the road that he has
lost, to restore it to him. You love because you decide to love, and that love
shows itself in an action.
Love shows itself in many ways. The best example of a loving person we have is
Jesus himself. Look at how humble He was, to wash the feet of the disciples,
and see how inviting He was, to take Peter, James, and John with Him to the
Mount of Transfiguration!
Above all, love is itself a gift from God. It is He who makes us able to love.
When we were unsaved, we did not love, for we did not have Him living in us
whose very nature is love. All that we did before in the name of love had
other motives at the bottom, motives of seeking approval, of giving in order to
get. But God's love just flows happily, whether or not anyone approves of the
loving, or gives anything in return. His love is unconditional; ours is
conditional until He teaches us His own love. And this teaching can only
occur as we receive His love. This receiving may come during our every-day
experience with trials and difficulties, during worship at church,
during bible study, or during private devotions, quiet time. God
will pour His love into us whenever we are willing to receive it. He loves
us far more than we will ever love Him.
Also, the love of God cannot be earned. There is nothing so wonderful that we
can do for God that will make Him love us any more than He already does.
Similarly, there is nothing so depraved that we can do against God that will
make Him love us any less than He does right now. No matter how many times we
fall back into sin, He is always ready to cheerfully clean us up and set us
straight and get us going again! His love never ends. One of the most
terrible lies of Satan is when a believer stumbles, "God cannot love you now.
You have failed Him. He will now turn away from you and abandon you." This
is a complete falsehood. The Bible says, "I will not leave you nor forsake
you." (Joshua 1:5) And in Romans, Paul writes,
"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities
nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor
any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
In view of such a complete, overwhelming love, what can we do but let our
hearts overflow with the same love back to God, and also to our fellow men,
saved and unsaved, bringing everyone the beauty of the knowledge of God.
--
Peter Homeier ______
Arpanet: homeier@aerospace / o \_/
UUCP: ..!ihnp4!trwrb!trwrba!aero!homeier \___)__/ \
The Aerospace Corporation, M1-080
El Segundo, CA 90245dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) (09/10/85)
In article <415@aero.ARPA> homeier@aero.UUCP (Peter Homeier) writes: >...Love is not very much an emotion. Rather it is more a decision, and an action. Too many Christians are unaware of the emphasis that the meaning of "agape" puts on action rather than emotion. It is a good point, brother, and it is something we all need to remember. One scriptural passage that I feel is particularly appropriate here is Romans 12:9-21, which describes love in terms of results and actions: Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; IN HONOUR PREFERRING ONE ANOTHER; NOT SLOTHFUL IN BUSINESS (OW, that hurt!); fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; REJOICING IN HOPE; PATIENT IN TRIBULATION; CONTINUING INSTANT IN PRAYER; DISTRIBUTING TO THE NECESSITY OF THE SAINTS; GIVEN TO HOSPITALITY. BLESS THEM WHICH PERSECUTE YOU: BLESS, AND CURSE NOT. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. MIND NOT HIGH THINGS, BUT CONDESCEND TO MEN OF LOW ESTATE. Be not wise in your own conceits. RECOMPENSE TO NO MAN EVIL FOR EVIL. PROVIDE THINGS HONEST IN THE SIGHT OF ALL MEN. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, AVENGE NOT YOURSELVES, BUT RATHER GIVE PLACE UNTO WRATH: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. THEREFORE IF THINE ENEMY HUNGER, FEED HIM; IF HE THIRST, GIVE HIM DRINK: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. BE NOT OVERCOME OF EVIL, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD. I have emphasised the portions that deal with "love in action." But I think it is an oversimplification to say, as some teach today, that love is simply "something you do." More correctly, love is "something you do from a Christ-like attitude in your heart." Note the unemphasised portions above, many of which deal with our inner attitude. (Note also that "agape" is not a Greek word made up by 1st century Christians to describe their unique love for one another. "Agape" was in the Greek language long before we Christians got a hold of it, and originally meant "love in action." Some don't like King Jim's version for translating it "charity", but in the true, original meaning of charity, that word is the best translation.) QUESTION TO PONDER: The passage above says to "condescend to men of low estate." Would that include some of the turkeys that post irrelevant things to this newsgroup? :-) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Kirby "There is no great genius without RCA Cylix Communications some touch of madness." - Seneca Memphis, TN ...!ihnp4!akgub!cylixd!dave (The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of RCA Cylix. They may not even reflect my own.)
berman@psuvax1.UUCP (Piotr Berman) (09/16/85)
A sceptical voice on Christian love, in response to Peter Homeier. The quotations are abbreviated. Although I am an atheist, I do not want to be hostile to the message of Peter. However, I would like to point out that I do not see the religion as a reliable basis for love (meant as a general notion as opposed to the one connected with emotional involvement of a sexual kind). > We love, by first accepting the love that God would give to us. > > Love is not optional for a Christian. It is the commandment of God, which > subsumes all other commands within itself. > 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Mark 12:30-31) > > Love is not very much an emotion. Rather it is more a decision, and an action. > To love your enemy may seem impossible if you are trying to have nice feelings > towards him, but it does become possible if you realize that what God wants > you to do is to forgive him, and if you see something lying by the road that > he has lost, to restore it to him. You love because you decide to love, > and that love shows itself in an action. > Here I disagree. Love without emotion is false or, at best, weak. One of necessary emotions is sympathy: the feeling of somebody elses pain. Even when you hit somebody in anger, you should feel his pain as strong as yours. This cannot be a decision, it is rather a matter of experience and emotional maturity. Of course, will and reason may influence our feelings, so we should remember to "mantain" are positive emotion, not to let them weaken and vanish. > But what is it to love one another? Love is a word which is much ill-used in > today's culture, and those errors tend to creep into our minds and deflect > our purpose from the clear straightforward love that Jesus exemplified. First > of all, Christian love does not mean fornication or adultery! These sins of > the flesh have nothing to do with the love of God, indeed they war against > God, and those that love them also hate God to the same degree. This should > not be taken as implying that no one who loves God does these things, but > when they do, > they are operating out of their sin nature, out of the old man, and they are > obeying the passions of their flesh and not the law of God. The obedient > Christian, due to a love of God, respects the body as the holy temple of the > Spirit of God. > Peter is close here to a vision of Damager-God: God gave us flesh together with the passions of the flesh, yet He demands that we abstain from the fulfillment of those passions. I do not regard promiscuity as an advisable conduct, but if any extramarital sex is an act of war against God, then indeed God is in the state of war with the natural human instincts. Indeed, Peter refers here to "their sin nature". Why the nature is sinful? Why our bodies do not belong to ourself, but to the Spirit of God as the holy temple? What else? Smoking, junkfood eating, excessive exercise which may lead to an injury etc., everything risks a damage to this "temple", and as such may mean "war against the God". I do not suggest that you profess the Mischiever-God, introducing taboos for the reasons unknown, but your view on God-human relationship is not atractive. > "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade > itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, > is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices > in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, > endures all things." > Are you serious? Believes all things? Hm. Hopes all things? Hm. The general feeling is that you to love "thy neighbors" you need to be either a hermit monk, or a hipocrite. I would prefer: "Love avoids any harm and tries to help, does not envy, wishes well, is patient". > "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is > love." > > Also, the love of God cannot be earned. There is nothing so wonderful that we > can do for God that will make Him love us any more than He already does. > Similarly, there is nothing so depraved that we can do against God that will > make Him love us any less than He does right now. No matter how many times we > fall back into sin, He is always ready to cheerfully clean us up and set us > straight and get us going again! His love never ends. > I do not undestand! How is it that God suffers our every sin and remains cheerful? What is Gods suffering anyway? At any moment the Almighty suffers 1,000,000,000 sorrows and enjoys 1,000,000,000 good things. With all the mercy which is attributed to Him, He is supposed to judge on the Judgement day. > In view of such a complete, overwhelming love, what can we do but let our > hearts overflow with the same love back to God, and also to our fellow men, > saved and unsaved, bringing everyone the beauty of the knowledge of God. > > -- > Peter Homeier ______ Who is the unsaved one? How do you know? Also, is it sufficient to bring everyone the beaty of the faith? What about more fleshy needs? You even do not mention such a small example like "good did of a day". I claim that ether your notion of love is strictly one-dimentional or you have not express your thought very well. Your kind of love was already professed by slave-hunters, who duly baptized all captured slaves. You devote so much attention to God that you forgot to explain what is "love of thy neighbor" in any other aspect but the speading of Gospel. Piotr Berman
tim@k.cs.cmu.edu.ARPA (Tim Maroney) (09/16/85)
I agree with Piotr Berman. Love in its various ramifications is exalted and praiseworthy, but the term is used in such a vague way by most Christians that it means nothing at all. "Love" cannot be a basis for a moral system, because, as history makes obvious, it is very easy indeed to be filled with hate and say that you are loving. How many pulpit-thumping, hateful bigots speak glibly of how they "just luuuv" the people they castigate? -=- Tim Maroney, Carnegie-Mellon University, Networking ARPA: Tim.Maroney@CMU-CS-K uucp: seismo!cmu-cs-k!tim CompuServe: 74176,1360 audio: shout "Hey, Tim!"