Dec 14th The Love of Paul
In the 1st two wks learned that Love in its deepest form was 1st mentioned in Gen 22:2 This is the 1st mention of love AHEB Perfect love. It is a verb. Derives from YHWY is relational extended to us We show God love by obedience to His will. Love is 100% relational btwn human beings & GOD. God showed OT Israel love through grace patience provision favor, then showed the world love in NT by sending his Son Jesus to save not to condemn from the slavery to the kingdom of darkness. GR word Agape. Jesus as the article of love showed God the Father love by obedience. Doing what the Father says and saying what he said to say. Jesus paid the debt of sin as the sacrificial lamb of God by dying on the altar that is the cross. Resurrected 3 days later then ascended 40 days later on Pentecost. But he did not leave his followers alone. No love was extended by Jesus by sending Holy Spirit. The presence of God inside us to guide counsel instruct & bring change from within to desire godliness & not wretchedness. Further to empower us in the spiritual gifts to do the will of God. So the article of love God gave the world was his Son, his Son left us His Spirit. This Spirit is only given to the church, is the identifying trait of the church to act in love on behalf of God to the world. This touched the life of the author of most of the NT Apostle Paul who sealed with the Spirit of God. Paul has a lot to say about love. Not just AGAPE but the other forms of love listed in that are not the highest form of love. Let’s go through a little of what Paul says in Biblical order to learn what AGAPE love is to Paul.
(Romans 5:5) For Paul, the love of God is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
PRAY
This verse details the continued act by God through the ages to show his love. We see that not only does Holy Spirit in the functionality of molding & shaping us into the image of God but serves as the receipt of the spiritual transaction that Jesus has paid for our lives. We belong to God through Jesus Christ. This receipt proves the faithfulness of God we will never be separated from the love of God –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. (Romans 8:39)
Here we can see that there is nothing that will deter God from loving us as long as we are in Christ Jesus. Some once saved always saved folks called Calvinists like to use this verse but they are misled in their context. The key here is God is tied to you through his son. That means you have to remain in his Son. If you walk away from his Son this verse has no power. His Son cut a blood covenant to accept you no matter how mess up we can be, but if you walk away and break your covenant with Him he does not force himself on you. This means he will hear you and provide for you throughout life and the promises in the word of God are yours because of what Jesus did for us. And he knew you would through his foreknowledge to choose him through your free will.
(Ephesians 1:4-5). having been chosen before the beginning of the world to be holy and blameless to adoption in sonship in Jesus
It is this same love Paul calls us to be humble, gentle and patient bearing with another (Ephesians 4:2)
Further Paul says we show love by following the example given to us Ephesians 5:1-2 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 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.
SO the love of God, the love of Jesus is a repeated pattern and we are called to repeat it. Grace Mercy Justice yet hard boundaries. Maximum freedom with minimal yet essential boundaries. This is how God loved mankind. The essential added portion with the Messiah is the sacrificial aspect. Jesus loved at the cost of himself. Paul points this out and the context is waling in the way of love
Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
The vast majority of the population has a big problem with the second half of that. This age says follow the self. Paul is saying “unfollow yourself!” God has a bigger purpose in his love for us. Remember follow Gods example God delivered through Jesus there was a spiritual price to pay and Jesus paid it but he also brought delivery in the physical. He extended that to us in spiritual gifts. With a charitable heart. But we must contend with this.
1 Cor 13:1-3 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. 2 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. 3 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.
Paul is saying the same love that you are called to operate in The same love that gifted you Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit are meant to operate in the same love. These are to effect the lives of those around you. That in the same love that brought deliverance can work through you to bring healing & rebuke the power of darkness. God’s love is our operating system. So many of us are not recognizing that & that is why we are dysfunctional. Paul called it out
1 Corinthians 16:14 Do everything in love.
