2012-12-05 - Biblical Love

The Epistles of John ~ Part 79 ~ 1 John 4

1 John 4:9-10

Verses 9-10: John makes it clear when he speaks of godly love, he is identifying the love of God, lived out on the cross. Christ Himself expressed this when He said,

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

God's love for us defines what love is. And that love was the sacrificial love of Christ on the cross. He loved us so much, He was willing to die for us, so that we would have the opportunity to receive eternal life.

Our own love isn't biblical love. Biblical love is God's love moving through us to one another. Isn't that great? This means we don't have to experience the warm fuzzes for one another, in order to love one another. I keep repeating this, because our culture constantly confuses emotional love, lust, whatever, etc. with mature love. Mature love, or from our perspective, biblical love, is worked out in action, not emotions.

To be continued.

GKragen@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org

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