Love Series #11 - Part 2

Now let’s continue on in verse 16: "Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting [eternal life]." That’s something. "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen" (I Tim. 1:11-17, KJV). So love covers our sins.

5) Love protects us. Let’s go to II Thessalonians 3:3 for just a minute since we’re right here: "But the Lord is faithful, Who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil." Love will keep you from evil. "And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ" (II Thes. 3:3-5, KJV). Now this should actually read "into the endurance of Christ," so that you have the same endurance as Christ does.

Now since we’re here in Thessalonians let’s go to I Thessalonians 4:9: "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." Now that’s something, isn’t it, that God is going to teach us. What is the Holy Spirit called? "And when the Holy Spirit comes", it will what – teach you all things. The Holy Spirit will teach us that we know. That’s why when you’re going about doing something and all of a sudden, have you had this happen – a thought comes and you really understand something for the first time? It’s kind of like a light comes on – ding. That’s the Holy Spirit teaching you. That’s the Holy Spirit connecting it. That’s the Holy Spirit working in your mind to bring you that understanding. Now it goes right along with the next one:

6) The Holy Spirit inspires us. That’s why we get excited about this, it’s the Holy Spirit that inspires us. Let’s go to II Timothy 2. It inspires us, it gives us strength, it gives us confidence. And again we’re going to see this with faith – faith and love working together. Verse 5: "…When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." So we do have to stir up the Holy Spirit within us. Yes, we do, and we can. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." So that is tremendous, brethren. We don’t have to take a back seat to anybody, anywhere. We don’t need to be boastful and vain and arrogant, but because of the love of God we can have the strength of God, the faith of God, the power of God, the preaching the way it needs to be. Now let’s come over here to verse 13: "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 1:5-7, 13, KJV). So there again faith and love, faith and love, faith and love and hope all working together, and that’s to inspire us.

7) We are to walk in love, which means as a way of life. This is the challenge. Now let’s go to Ephesians 5, and here is a really profound Scripture. This is also a life-long project, but this is pretty profound. Verse 1: "Be ye therefore followers of God…" Now the Greek means "to imitate God." Now that’s a tall order, isn’t it? Imitate God? Remember what Jesus said? He said that you are to become as perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. That can only be done with the love and Spirit of God. To imitate God – is that not a life-long challenge? It sure is. "…As dear children [be imitators of God]; and walk in love…" In other words the path in which you are walking is in love and it’s going to present a lot of challenges. And I’ll guarantee you that one of the first things that’s going to happen is you’re going to have situations confront you that are unloving, that in fact may be downright disastrous and nasty and mean. Now then how’s that for a challenge? So you can walk in love: "…as Christ has also loved us..." Boy these are some tremendous goals to aim for, aren’t they? And brethren, you know what is so wonderful? We can do it with Christ in us and the Holy Spirit and the love of God, we can do that. God would not ask us to do something we cannot do. And if it’s something that we cannot do He’ll give us the strength to do it. But you see, as human beings we always have to have these lifetime goals, but that’s what He’s giving us – lifetime goals.

Now if you understand what I mean – I’ll use the example of television: Fifty-four channels and nothing on. And all the channel surfing for hours brings what? Nothing. There’s no challenge, there’s no interest. Now how would it be if life were like channel surfing and there was nothing on? That’s why God gives us these goals because they’re profound to reach out. We’re going to be the very children of God composed of the same substance as God. We’re going to see Him as He is. That’s a tremendous lifelong thing to keep looking to. For to: "…walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." Here’s how part of it is to walk in love and walk with God and imitate God. "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." It just isn’t going to be. Is not God taking care of it and judging it right this day today for those very things? Yes, He is. May they all repent. Verse 6: "Let no man deceive you with vain words…" (Eph. 5:1-6, KJV). Don’t let someone come around with persuasive sounding arguments as if these things are really something. Be well rooted and grounded in the love of God and the Word of God and these things won’t deceive you. You’ll know and see what they are, and what the result of it’s going to be. So we’re to follow God.

8) Love passes all human knowledge. The love of God passes all human knowledge – that’s why it is available to everyone that has the Holy Spirit of God. It’s not counted on whether you’re educated; it’s not counted of who your parents were; it’s counted because of God’s Spirit and God’s knowledge. Now let’s pick it up here in Ephesians 3:17. This is how it’s going to be. This is why the love of God is so important for us: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith…" Now notice we’re going to have faith and love again. "…That ye, being rooted and grounded in love [the very anchors of your foundation in Christ], may be able to comprehend with all saints…" So this ties in with some of the other points that we’ve had that it gives us understanding of God’s plan. "…What is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height [full lifetime challenge]; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge [greater than any education you can get in this world], that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God" (Eph 3:17-19, KJV). That’s what the love of God is going to do for you.

9) The love of God perfects you. Let’s just go across the page to Chapter 4. And here’s the reason for the ministry whether they be apostles or prophets, or evangelists and pastors and teachers: "…For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come into the unity of the faith…" What is it that brings the unity of the faith? It’s the Spirit of God – not a name, not association, not even doctrine – but the Spirit of God, the love of God. You can have some doctrine but not have the love of God. Have we all experienced that? Did that produce unity? No, it produced disunity, didn’t it? Yes. "…Come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ…" There it is again. That’s what love is going to do for us: "…that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men [Does that sound like some of your experience in the church recently?], and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive…" And the Greek there means "to the systematizing of the error." I just read some of that to you here before church. They’ve systematized the error. It’s called in the parlance of theology "systematic theology."

Verse 15: "…but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from Whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part…" Everyone in the body of Christ has something that he or she can do – everyone. And that’s how the Christian Biblical Church of God has grown, brethren, because the brethren love the brethren and they’re out there helping them. I try and do what I can, but I can do nothing without what God gives me to do and without what God gives the brethren to do because it’s every joint supplies. Now I’m sure there are other people in other churches trying to do what they can do. May we all, with God’s Spirit, come to the unity of the faith in the time that God wants us to. But it will happen. "…According to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love" (Eph. 4:12-16, KJV). So that’s something. Perfects the saints.

10) Now love helps us overcome. Let’s go to Romans 8. Love helps us to overcome. And with all of this it’s overcoming with understanding. And I’ll tell you, the best way to get hindsight real quickly is when you have a problem, repent of it as quickly as you can, then God will give you hindsight to understand it. He will. Now let’s pick it up here in verse 28: "And we know…" Now this takes time; this takes experience; this takes living – we know: "…that all things work together for good…" Now sometimes they don’t look like they are. I know I’ve seen a lot of things and I could not figure out how on earth this is going to work for good, but in the final analysis it will. "…All things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." They’ll all work out. If you love God go to Him, ask for His help, ask for His Spirit. It will work out. Yes, it will.

Not only that, let’s come over here to verse 35. This is very important. Love is going to help us to overcome everything. Now let’s think about some of these things as we’re reading these verses. Now verse 35: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Or you could put in there, "what shall separate us from the love of God," not only you but what. "…Shall tribulation…" We’ve all had our difficulties and trials, haven’t we? "…Or distress…" Have you been under stress lately? Yes. "…Or persecution…" I don’t think any of us have really, really, really been persecuted, I mean truly. "…Or famine…" None of us are hungry. We have no scarceness of bread. This is famine. "…Or nakedness…" Why, we can go home, throw open the closet and there’s so much there you don’t know what to do with it. You know there are times that Dolores will buy something and she won’t wear it for a while, and then she’ll put it on and I’ll say, "Oh that’s new." And she’ll say, "No, I’ve had this for x amount of time." And I’ll say, "Well, I haven’t seen it. When have you worn this?" And once in a while I’ll get it out of her that even though she’s had it all this time this is the first time she’s worn it. Other times I just miss the boat entirely. You know, stupid men never pay attention. You know how that is. [Laughter] We’re not naked. I know you don’t have as many shoes as Imelda Marcos but you probably have so many in your closet they get in the way, right?

"…Nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long…" Listen, believe me, there isn’t any of us going to be a martyr unless we love God more than our own lives, more than anything else. "…We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors [which means, overcomers] through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded…" Now here’s that word again. We’ll have to make sure we understand what that is – persuaded or convinced, either one: "…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 creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:28, 35-39, KJV). That’s how we overcome, brethren. That’s something, isn’t it.

Now many times we’ve had the cart but we haven’t had the horse. We haven’t understood it and we’ve told everybody to get their carts out there and get them straightened up and make sure they go. You find out it doesn’t work because you have to have love first. It’ll work.

Now it’s the same way within the church. Let’s go to Colossians 2. How is the church going to run? How’s the church going to be effective? What is the most inspiring and uplifting thing that can be with church. Now "church" I mean when we come together and we assemble together. God wants it to be centered on Christ and Him that it is going to be a wonderful and a joyous experience for all of us. That’s why in our experience we’ve all had to come to ground zero and build again on the foundation of Christ so that we really understand and get the true perspective.

Colossians 2:1: "For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love…" That’s how it needs to be – knit together. Now what do you do when you knit? You work, right? You plan, right? You have a pattern, correct? And you knit. God does for us that our hearts are knit together in love: "…and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:1-3, KJV). Then he goes on to say don’t let any man deceive you with enticing words.

Now let’s go to Philippians 2, we’ll see the same thing here. And this is how a church needs to be run. That’s why we need to shed all the baggage from the past, put it all aside, retain all of that which is good. We need to do that. That doesn’t mean throw away what we really understand, but all the baggage.

Let’s pick it up here in verse 27 of Chapter 1, just a few verses up from the beginning of Chapter 2: "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent…" Now what is he saying? He says, "This is for mature responsibility. You are responsible." And in this age I have never seen anything like it. I mean it is something else. No one is responsible for his actions. It’s either him, or her, or the bureaucracy, or the law, or the policeman, or my friend, or my aunt, or my uncle, or someone oppressed me when I was a kid. No, my father shouted at me before I was born and I was born with a complex. I’m not responsible. Stupidity. That’s not the way it should be. He’s saying be constant in Christ all the time: "…that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel…" Again we have faith preceding love, don’t we? "…And in nothing [be] terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of [their] perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake…" (Phil. 1:27-29, KJV). That’s what the whole church of God is going through right now to suffer for His sake because they have been deficient and neglecting, in fact in some cases yea even disdainful of the love and grace of God, and God is not going to tolerate that because the whole gospel is based on the grace and love of God.

Now continuing Chapter 2, verse 1: "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies…" Now "bowels" means mercies and compassion from the very innermost part of your being. Not just something, you know, "Hi, how are you. Oh, it’s wonderful to see you," and in your mind you think, "I just wish they’d get away from here, I hate that person." No, none of that kind of stuff.

"…Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded…" This is what Christ wants us to have – the mind of Christ. "…Having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." And that means be minding the one thing, which is the Kingdom of God and the calling of God. That’s what that means. "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem [the] other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…"

Then he emphasizes, after he tells about Christ and what He did (I’ll cover that at a later date here, but let’s come to verse 12), he emphasizes something concerning our own responsibility. He says: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." And "to will" means to have the desire. God is working it in you. "Do all things without murmurings and disputings…" (Phil 2:1-5, 12-14, KJV).

Now let’s come to Galatians 5. We’re going to cover a couple of Scriptures which have been so misapplied. Have you ever heard this: that if you’re loving your neighbor you have fulfilled the law and you don’t need to keep the Sabbath or holy days or any of those other things. Does that sound a little familiar to you from Protestant theology? Let’s look at a couple of these verses now and let’s understand them, because they throw this out just sort of just like a wet cold fish out on the table – "Now what do you have to say about that?"

Verse 13: "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." So therefore, if you do that you have nothing else that you have to do. That’s the conclusion. That is not correct. This means: For all the law is summarized, or the full expression behind the law is summarized, in one word or one saying, "You shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Is it talking about any of the commandments toward God? No. It’s talking about neighbor to neighbor, brother to brother. It is not discussing the laws toward God. Is it discussing idolatry? No. Is it discussing taking the name of God in vain? No. Is it discussing having other gods before you? No. It’s talking about love to neighbor.

And verse 15: "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." So he’s saying, "Now look, this is the way that you’re going to overcome the difficulties between each other. It has nothing to do with the commandments toward God." That’s handled in other places. So don’t ever let them come and throw that old wet fish on the table and say, "Blea. That’s all we have to do." It doesn’t mean that at all. You have to read all the verses. Verse 16: "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:13-16, KJV).

Now let’s go to Romans 13 because here’s another one they turn to. And they go to Romans 13 and they say, "See, see, it doesn’t say the Sabbath. See, see, it doesn’t say the Sabbath, therefore you don’t have to keep it." Not true, it’s not talking about the Sabbath. Let’s pick it up here in verse 8: "Owe no man any thing [Oh, that would be so nice, wouldn’t it?], but to love one another: for he that loveth [the one who’s loving] another hath fulfilled the law." Now tie in that Matthew 22:37-41. What is the first and great commandment? You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your mind, all your soul, and all your being. So love is the fulfilling of the law. Now then when it comes to neighbors is what he’s talking about here, correct?

"For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill…" Now it doesn’t say honor your father and mother does it? So therefore no children have to honor their father and mother, correct, because it doesn’t say it here, right? See, learn to take their logic and turn it right back on them and make them eat it. Of course that’s a stupid statement. It’s meant to be.

With your neighbor (love your neighbor as yourself) you don’t commit adultery, you do not kill, you do not steal, you do not bear false witness, you do not covet, "…and if there be any other commandment [for loving your neighbor], it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:8-10, KJV). In other words it is the highest attainment and fulfillment of the law because the law was designed to bring you to the love of God that you would think of the things for your neighbor that you would do for your neighbor because you love God and love your neighbor. So therefore these Scriptures have nothing whatsoever to do with the first five commandments, do they? Remember, it doesn’t say honor father and mother.

Now let’s look at some, because there’s some that have to do with family relations, which are also very important. Let’s go to Ephesians 5. Now I want you to understand something very important concerning the Bible, which is this: it is not a marriage counseling, psychological textbook. As a matter of fact there are very few places in here which really talk about marriage, are there not? Yes, why is that? Because if you have the love of God things are going to work so much better in your marriage, correct? Yes. Yes, they will.

Let’s pick it up here in Ephesians 5:20: "…Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." Now there are certain things that if someone comes up to me and says… My wife has talked to me about a lot of things a lot of the time. And if it’s correct and true that’s fine. It doesn’t mean you’re letting women rule, but you love and understand each other and that’s the way it needs to be.

Now verse 22: "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." Now this is what needs to be in a marriage. No marriage is going to be successful where there are partners. It won’t work. Man is the head – God made it that way by creation and it cannot be changed. When it’s topsy-turvy and upside down, does it work? It may for a while. What has to happen? Well, the husband has to become Mr. Wimplesoftnoodle and run and hide in a corner. And then his wife is mad because "You are a spineless creature." "Well, you’ve driven me to it," see. You can’t change what God has set up. It won’t work. You are to submit unto your husbands as unto the Lord. Are we all to submit to Christ? Yes, without a doubt.

"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the Saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives…" And I’ll guarantee that each one of us – husbands and wives – are going to make that a challenging thing. Everyone of us, we have something that grates the other one the wrong way. If you don’t, thank God, praise God, work together, don’t let anything happen that way because you see, all human nature is the same. This is the way that God has said we should get it straightened out – love your wives even when they’re snitty, even when they do things that you know they shouldn’t, even when they provoke you. Now that’s a hard one. Next time your wife really provokes you into something see if you can still have that love. You try it. That’s a challenge. Didn’t I say that love is a lifelong challenge? There’s one of them – your wife.

"…Even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself [up] for it…" Whew, how far do we have to go in this? To the nth degree, do we not? Yes. "…That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought [ought means duty bound by command of God] men to love their wives as their own bodies." And isn’t it true that all of you women and all of you wives will say so, "Aren’t men cowards when they get sick?" Yes. Well, that’s scriptural. Yes, we are. And I know all of you who have had children say, "Well, you’ve never had to bear children." Yes. Try that, that’s painful. Yeah, when we get sick we like to take care of ourselves and baby ourselves and all this sort of thing.

"So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: for we are members of His body…" Now this is a profound verse here, brethren, and the first time I read that I could not understand it because are we not to be in the Kingdom of God spiritually? Yes. So then why does it say this: "…we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones"? Now what does that mean? Well, I think it means this: "of His flesh" through the crucifixion; and "of His bones" the same way that the bone was taken from the rib of Adam to make Eve that the church is formed from the innermost part of Christ. That’s why it’s His flesh and His bone. Bones through the very crucifixion – He died for us. He’s talking about it, right – not loving your life unto death? Yes.

"For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband" (Eph. 5:20-33, KJV). And I Peter 3 says that a meek and a quiet spirit is of a great price.

Now then he talks a little bit about family relations, Chapter 6 and verse 1: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise…" That’s why the public schools, the first thing they do is: "Don’t obey your parents. Obey your social worker. Don’t honor your father and your mother, you will honor this socialist system that we have." So therefore what is the result of it? Murder is the number one killer of teenagers. Auto wrecks is number two, suicide is number three. And I’ll have to admit that in today’s world all who are parents, you’ve got a great challenge. And that’s why a lot of them, the parents that I know of have gone to home schooling. They’ve just had it up to way over their head with this school system. You cannot combat or turn back eight hours of teaching at school with an hour at home after school and an hour at home before they go to school, plus their own carnal nature and human nature mixed in it with the music and entertainment and all of that. It is tough. And I understand that, but we have to do the best we can under the circumstances if we can. And I think if you let your children know that, and let them know that they’re responsible. You know, ultimately it is true their own free choice they’re going to have to exercise. And ultimately it is true God is going to judge them for what they do. Now if we can reach out and help some of the children that way then that will be fine.

Then he goes on and he says: "…That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:1-4, KJV). And I will have to say to children: do not provoke your parents to wrath either. We can add that as a subsidiary commandment because a lot of them do. It’s in human nature to see how much you can get away with. Why don’t you turn human nature around and see how much you can do to do what is right and be responsible that how much you can get away with so that you can provoke people or do whatever you want to.

Now there’s one other thing that love will do. And I saved this for last because it has to do with correction. Let’s go to Hebrews 12. None of us like correction. None of us like difficulties. And all this that we’re going through, you see… Let me just mention here very quickly: The easiest way to receive correction is to love God with all your heart, and mind, and soul, and being so He can reveal to you your faults so you can repent. The next easiest way is then in studying God’s Word you take it to heart and you change. The next easiest way, and becomes more difficult, is someone to tell you. Then the most difficult way is to let the circumstances and other people correct you. That is tough.

Now let’s pick it up here Hebrews 12:5: "And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him [listen, learn, pay attention, don’t give up and faint]: for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth [notice the "eth" on every one of these] every son whom He [is receiving] receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God [is dealing] dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure…" And lots of times we thought it wasn’t fair. See, "fair" is a communist idea. Justice comes from God. "…But He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward [great 100% hindsight] it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. 12:5-11, KJV).

So the love of God does all of these things for us so that we can be the very children of God. That’s why love is the greatest.

Love of God # 11

Scriptural References

1. II Thessalonians 2:10-11 21) Ephesians 5:1-6

2. Matthew 24:12 22) Ephesians 3:17-19

3. I Corinthians 13:13 23) Ephesians 4:12-16

4. Romans 1:17 25) Romans 8:28, 35-39

5. Galatians 5:6 26) Colossians 2:1-3

6. Hebrews 11:1 27) Philippians 1:27-29

7. I Thessalonians 1:3 28) Philippians 2:1-5, 12-14

8. Romans 4:21-25 29) Galatians 5:13-16

9. Romans 5:1-11 30) Romans 13:8-10

10. I Corinthians 2:9-10 31) Matthew 22:37-41

11. I Corinthians 8:1-3 32) Ephesians 5:20-33

12. Colossians 1:8-10 33) Ephesians 6:1-4

13. Ephesians 1:15-23 34) Hebrews 12:5-11

14. Ephesians 1:3-9

15. I Thessalonians 3:12-13

16. Titus 3:3-7

17. I Timothy 1:11-17

18. II Thessalonians 3:3-5

19. I Thessalonians 4:9

20. II Timothy 1:5-7, 13