What is Love?

Are you ready for spring? We’ve seen enough winter haven’t we?  Think about the new life we see at spring time. It reminds me of the fact that Jesus died but is alive forevermore.  As we see the earth come back to life, we can see our own life in Jesus Christ.  As we think about Jesus we see his love.  So, what is love? It’s an inner emotion that initiates and maintains a relationship with God and with each other.

I Corinthians: 13:1 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth”

Two thousand years ago Jesus came. It was nothing new to the Father. Through the blood of Jesus we’ll live with him forever. It was an act of love initiated by God when he sent his son. Jesus said that no one took his life for he freely laid it down. Even in the garden he said “let us go forth” and when told they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth he replied “I am He.” He didn’t wait until we got good enough. Luke 19:10 says he came to seek and save the lost.

What is love?  I John 4:8 says “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”  It’s simple. God is love. We deserved hell, but love looked farther than the day of crucifixion. He loved us, and I John 4:19 says “we love him, because he first loved us.”  I John 3:1 says “behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” Though this love we can be called his children and love him in return.

We say we love God, but we don’t always show it. How do we know we love God? Jesus said if we keep his commandments we love him. Keeping them is not too hard because God has never asked us to do anything we can’t do.  John 14:14 puts it simply: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” This commandment is given in several places in the scripture and is followed by “love one another.” If we say we love God but don’t love others, Jesus said we are fooling ourselves. The Bible says we’re lying. Not only did he say to love our brothers and sisters in the Lord but also our enemies. It’s easy to love those who love us, but we have to put our flesh aside and love everyone—that’s just the way it is. If we have trouble with that, we need to remember how Jesus loved us.

None of us are perfect, but beginning in I Corinthians 13:4 we’re told a lot about love. It suffers long, is kind, does not envy, is not puffed up….and the list goes on. This is what love does.

When Jesus is with us we can do all this. Love others. Love Jesus. We’ll see perfect love when he returns for us and we see him face to face.

Brother Tim Surber brought the message.