What Is Love?

[Webers_Home]

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● John 13:35 . . By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you
love one another.

For many of us who grew up in dysfunctional families, broken homes, foster
systems, gangs, and/or orphanages et al; the concept of love doesn't
resonate in our thinking; viz: it just goes in one ear and right out the other
because we quite literally have no points of reference in our minds to aid
comprehending what Christ means by love. We know what Hollywood and
contemporary music mean by love, but we haven't a clue what Christ
means.

This is why the epistles are so valuable-- many of them not only show
Christ's followers how to recognize love when they encounter it; but also
how to exemplify it in their own lives so that those of us who were deprived
of love growing up are not left to figure it out on our own. For example:

● Col 4:6 . . Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt

Grace can be defined as kind, courteous, inclined to good will, generous,
charitable, altruistic, compassionate, sympathetic, thoughtful, cordial,
affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, hospitable, considerate,
and tactful.

One of salt's purposes is to enhance flavor and make otherwise naturally
insipid and/or bad-tasting things palatable, viz: diplomacy; which can be
roughly defined as conversation that makes an effort to maintain peace
rather than provoke conflict and/or annoy people and make them
uncomfortable.
_

 

[Windmillcharge]

It also shows the value of a church of people who are seeking to be obedient to Jesus, in that they will demonstrate in their lives and in there care and support of one another just what love is.

As Jesus said, All men will know that you are my disciples by your love for one another.

 

[Webers_Home]

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● Col 3:15b . . Be thankful.

You know "thank you" is not a dirty word. Christ's people should never take
the attitude that just because somebody is doing their job that they don't
deserve recognition.

One of my favorite romantic comedies is "No Reservations" starring
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart. Prior to filming, Catherine took a
job waiting tables to get a feel for working in a restaurant.

On several occasions, patrons didn't even look up at her nor speak in a
cordial, courteous tone when they ordered. It struck her as remarkable that
some of the people whom she was serving totally took her for granted and
displayed not the slightest inclination to even so much as acknowledge her
as a fellow human being, let alone express their gratitude for her taking care
of them.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

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● Matt 5:7 . . Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Christ wasn't talking about forgiveness in that beatitude. The word for
"merciful" is eleemon (el-eh-ay'-mone) which means: compassionate (as an
adjective). And the word for "mercy" is eleeo (el-eh-eh'-o) which means: to
pity (as a verb).

So then, what Christ says is: if somebody is by nature cruel, hard hearted,
thoughtless, and insensitive; then they will get no sympathy from God.

Webster's defines "cruel" as: (1) disposed to inflict pain or suffering, (2)
devoid of humane feelings, (3) causing or conducive to injury, grief, or pain,
and (4) unrelieved by leniency.

A well-known example of cruelty is North Korea's Kim Jong-Un, a dictator
who squanders billions of dollars on national defense while the growth of
something like than 30 to 40 percent of North Korea's children is stunted by
malnutrition; and adequate health care is available only to a relatively
privileged few. There are actually hospitals in North Korea without electricity,
medications, and anesthetics. Potable water is another scarcity in North
Korea.

But Kim is a red herring because there are cruelties far more common than
his; for example: demeaning comments, thoughtless remarks, carping
criticism, relentless ridicule, bullying, sniping, denigrating labels, hounding,
stalking, grudging, needling, perpetual fault-finding, gossip, slander, social
sabotage, obnoxious behavior, computer hacking, rejoinders, et al.

There are actually kids growing up in homes where their parents never give
them even one atta-boy. As a result, they grow up feeling ugly, unwanted,
stupid, useless, and unnecessary. There are also kids growing up in homes
where mothers never hug them nor bother to take the time to forge a bond
between mother and child. Thus they grow up with reactive attachment
disorder; feeling convinced that no one could possibly ever love them or be
their best friend forever. RAD kids grow up to become adults with some
serious trust issues.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

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● Eph 4:32 . . Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each
other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

(chuckle) that resembles a line from one of Bill And Ted's adventure movies:
"Be excellent to each other"

Within the context of the letter Paul wrote and sent to the Christians residing
in the ancient city of Ephesus; the objects "one another" and "each other"
are exclusive; viz: the comments refer only to one's fellow Bible-believing
Christians rather than the world at large. So if you're unwilling to be kind
and compassionate to outsiders; at least be so with people at church so as
to help prevent church from becoming a hostile worship environment.

The koiné Greek word for "kind" is chrestos (khrase-tos') which means:
employed; viz: useful.

Chrestos is found in only seven places in the New Testament, and without
exception implies being beneficial to others for their own good rather than
using people to benefit your own self.

The word for "compassionate" is eusplagchnos (yoo'-splangkh-nos) which
means: sympathetic.

Webster's defines sympathy as: 1) an affinity, association, or relationship
between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the
other, 2) inclination to think or feel alike: emotional or intellectual accord, 3)
feeling of loyalty: tendency to favor or support, 4) the act, or capacity, of
entering into or sharing the feelings or interests of another, 5) sensitivity,
and 6) heart; as in "have a heart".

The word "forgiving" is charizomai (khar-id'-zom-ahee) which essentially
means: to grant as a favor; viz: gratuitously, i.e. courtesy.

Webster's defines gratuitous as: 1) given unearned or without recompense,
2) not involving a return benefit or compensation or consideration, 3)
costing nothing: free, 4) not called for by the circumstances: unwarranted,
5) complimentary, 6) gratis, and 7) voluntary. In other words; charizomai
seeks no reciprocation; it never says "you owe me one"

Sailors are oft heard to say that the sea is very unforgiving: meaning it
allows no room for error or weakness. Christians ought not be like the sea.
We ought to be the most forgiving people on the planet; and not because we
expect others to reciprocate; but just because we enjoy being gratuitous.
For some Christians though, courtesy is an effort.

Eph 4:31-32 isn't easy. What we're looking at there is not just good
citizenship; no, what we're looking at is something divine in both its nature
and its behavior.

● Phil 2:1-2 . . If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort
of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my
joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of
one mind.

The koiné Greek word for "bowels" is splagchnon (splangkh'-non) which
means: an intestine. Your gut is the very place where you "feel" pity and/or
sympathy for others-- that is; if you're capable of those kinds of feelings;
not everyone is.
_

 

[DoveSpirit05]

1 Corinthians 13....

 

[Webers_Home]

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● Matt 12:9-12 . . And departing from there, he went into their synagogue.
And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they questioned
him, saying: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?-- in order that they might
accuse him.

. . . And he said to them: What man shall there be among you, who shall
have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold
of it, and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep!

I didn't select that passage in order to start a discussion about Sabbath law.
My interest is in the importance that people place upon beasts in comparison
to the importance that Christ places upon human life.

One of the salient characteristics of psychopathy is that people afflicted with
it can form bonds and attachments to animals much easier than bonds and
attachments with people; viz: they're usually capable of feeling affection for
animals, while curiously incapable of feeling an equal amount for humans.
It's not all that unusual to find psychopaths taking better care of their pets
than the families under their own roofs.
_

 

[Anthony D'Arienzo]

Roman's 13:8-10

 

[Webers_Home]

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● Rom 12:7a . . If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well.

"serving well" implies serving conscientiously and whole-heartedly rather
than half-baked, grudging, and/or hit and miss.

One of my brothers has been a construction foreman for decades and one of
his perpetual complaints is that he never knows from one day to the next
whether some of the men he hires on jobs will show up. In other words:
they aren't reliable-- he can't count on them.

What I'm saying is: if you're thinking about becoming helpful in some way,
don't do it unless you're willing to commit to the long haul because people
need to know that they can depend on you to stay the course.
_

 

[John Caldwell]

1 Corinthians 13....

All of our theologies and studies should, if they have an ounce of Christian validity, lead us to this. Without love we are worthless because without love we are without Christ.

 

[farouk]

All of our theologies and studies should, if they have an ounce of Christian validity, lead us to this. Without love we are worthless because without love we are without Christ.

Strong theme in John's Gospel and John's First Epistle, also (especially the Divine perspective).

 

[Webers_Home]

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● Rom 12:8a . . If your gift is to encourage others, then do so.

You know who really benefits from encouragement in a big way? Little kids.
Thoughtless grown-ups can break a growing child's fragile spirit by criticizing
them all the time and never once giving them an "atta boy" or a single vote
of confidence.

A fitting word spoken at just the right moment can really beef up
somebody's resolve to meet life head on. If you're good at that sort of thing,
then watch for opportunities among your fellow Christians to do so. It has to
be honest though because flattery is all the same as treachery.

● Prov 29:5 . .Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.
_

 

[TheWind]

.
● John 13:35 . . By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you
love one another.

For many of us who grew up in dysfunctional families, broken homes, foster
systems, gangs, and/or orphanages et al; the concept of love doesn't
resonate in our thinking; viz: it just goes in one ear and right out the other
because we quite literally have no points of reference in our minds to aid
comprehending what Christ means by love. We know what Hollywood and
contemporary music mean by love, but we haven't a clue what Christ
means.

This is why the epistles are so valuable-- many of them not only show
Christ's followers how to recognize love when they encounter it; but also
how to exemplify it in their own lives so that those of us who were deprived
of love growing up are not left to figure it out on our own. For example:

● Col 4:6 . . Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt

Grace can be defined as kind, courteous, inclined to good will, generous,
charitable, altruistic, compassionate, sympathetic, thoughtful, cordial,
affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, hospitable, considerate,
and tactful.



One of salt's purposes is to enhance flavor and make otherwise naturally
insipid and/or bad-tasting things palatable, viz: diplomacy; which can be
roughly defined as conversation that makes an effort to maintain peace
rather than provoke conflict and/or annoy people and make them
uncomfortable.
_

The Spirit of God is love.


Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not THE SPIRIT OF GOD, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

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 THE SPIRIT OF GOD, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not THE SPIRIT OF GOD, it profiteth me nothing.

THE SPIRIT OF GOD suffereth long, and is kind; THE SPIRIT OF GOD envieth not; THE SPIRIT OF GOD vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

THE SPIRIT OF GOD never faileth:

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● John 13:35 . . By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you
love one another.

For many of us who grew up in dysfunctional families, broken homes, foster
systems, gangs, and/or orphanages et al; the concept of love doesn't
resonate in our thinking; viz: it just goes in one ear and right out the other
because we quite literally have no points of reference in our minds to aid
comprehending what Christ means by love. We know what Hollywood and
contemporary music mean by love, but we haven't a clue what Christ
means.

This is why the epistles are so valuable-- many of them not only show
Christ's followers how to recognize love when they encounter it; but also
how to exemplify it in their own lives so that those of us who were deprived
of love growing up are not left to figure it out on our own. For example:

● Col 4:6 . . Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt

Grace can be defined as kind, courteous, inclined to good will, generous,
charitable, altruistic, compassionate, sympathetic, thoughtful, cordial,
affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, hospitable, considerate,
and tactful.

One of salt's purposes is to enhance flavor and make otherwise naturally
insipid and/or bad-tasting things palatable, viz: diplomacy; which can be
roughly defined as conversation that makes an effort to maintain peace
rather than provoke conflict and/or annoy people and make them
uncomfortable.
_

This is love:

Leviticus 19:17 King James Version (KJV)
17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise(WAY) rebuke(CORRECT) thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

 

[Webers_Home]

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Internet forums have given many of Christ's obscure followers a convenient
venue for sharing their time-won knowledge and experience with a
worldwide audience. For the world's sake, I highly recommend making an
effort to compose legible posts; neatly arranged, sensible, and tidy.

Shouting with oversize bold letters, scribbly italics, lack of adequate
paragraphing, twitter spelling, unnecessary emogies, horrible grammar, and
a confusing mixture of fonts, sizes, and colors, makes for tiresome clutter
and annoying graffiti that leave a bad impression.

I rather suspect that some people regard forums as a canvas for painting
their comments instead of composing them. Well; that might be okay for
outsiders, they can be as messy as they want because it doesn't matter. But
for those of us who honestly believe ourselves to be representing God's son;
it's unacceptable.

● Phil 1:27 . . Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of
Christ.

Some people's posts resemble the obnoxious placards of worked-up
protesters and political activists; yelling, shrieking, and sometimes even
spraying spittle.

They are beyond reason and objectivity in their desperation to be taken
seriously. Apparently they assume that if only they shout loud enough, and
make themselves annoying enough, maybe they'll get their point across and
somebody will finally listen.

Well; I'm not in the habit of accommodating Christians that yell, shriek, and
spray spittle; so to speak. They're an embarrassment to Christ.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

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● Rom 12:8b . . If you have money, share it generously.

Generously is quite the opposite of sparingly.

Jesus once compared a widow's contributions to those of the wealthy. The
small amount she gave counted more than the larger amounts contributed
by the wealthy because her donation pretty much cleaned her out; while the
wealthy's contributions scarcely made a dent in their prosperity. (Mark
12:41-44)

I don't think Rom 12:8b is commanding Christ's followers to ruin
themselves, rather, to avoid being miserly.

“Christmas is a poor excuse every 25th of December to pick a man's
pockets.” Scrooge / A Christmas Carol / Charles Dickens

Ol' Scrooge is known the world over as the king of tightwads. He's an
extreme example, to be sure; most people aren't that grasping, but I think
quite a few are maybe a bit too frugal.
_

 

[VictoryinJesus]

.
● John 13:35 . . By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you
love one another.

For many of us who grew up in dysfunctional families, broken homes, foster
systems, gangs, and/or orphanages et al; the concept of love doesn't
resonate in our thinking; viz: it just goes in one ear and right out the other
because we quite literally have no points of reference in our minds to aid
comprehending what Christ means by love. We know what Hollywood and
contemporary music mean by love, but we haven't a clue what Christ
means.

This is why the epistles are so valuable-- many of them not only show
Christ's followers how to recognize love when they encounter it; but also
how to exemplify it in their own lives so that those of us who were deprived
of love growing up are not left to figure it out on our own. For example:

● Col 4:6 . . Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt

Grace can be defined as kind, courteous, inclined to good will, generous,
charitable, altruistic, compassionate, sympathetic, thoughtful, cordial,
affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, hospitable, considerate,
and tactful.

One of salt's purposes is to enhance flavor and make otherwise naturally
insipid and/or bad-tasting things palatable, viz: diplomacy; which can be
roughly defined as conversation that makes an effort to maintain peace
rather than provoke conflict and/or annoy people and make them
uncomfortable.
_

What is Love? God. Period. He said to take the low seat, to learn of Him and find rest for your souls. Jesus Christ, God lowered in the flesh put a great boulder, a great talent too heavy for any other to lift between His shoulders and lifted up...by the power of God and His might and His Spirit what was impossible for man alone...He stood upright with the weight of the world’s sin bearing between His shoulders. The strength of God...is indescribable. Many will tell you the Spirit is in the high seat over the flesh...but what if lower is higher? the Spirit of God comes underneath the weight of sin and death and begins to lift up those without the power to do so. Hebrews 13:12-14 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. [13] Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. [14] For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Taking the low seat is not exalted over all others but in coming underneath alongside Him (there is no continuing city but we seek one to come)and bearing His image in lifting the weak to stand. flesh is weak...the Spirit is willing.

 

[Webers_Home]

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● Rom 12:8 . . If you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

That would probably correspond to incidents like the one depicted in the
parable of the man attacked by road agents in Luke 10:30-36. In that
instance, a passerby had the skills and the wherewithal to provide care for a
total stranger in need.

Personally, I'm not much at first aid and/or emergency medical services. But
what we're getting at here is that should you find yourself in circumstances
where you can be of genuine, effective assistance; don't lend a hand
grudging. It ought to make Christians happy to be of assistance instead of
getting irritated and grumpy about an unexpected inconvenience.

A solo Pacific Crest Trail hiker named Cheryl Strayed, in her book "WILD",
recounts an evening wherein she was very low on funds and having no luck
locating a suitable place in the woods to set up her tent before it got really
dark. Cheryl found her way into a fee campground and set up at the extreme
end of the facility where she thought no one would mind; but later that night
the caretakers came by and, in a not-so-friendly tone, insisted that she
either pay the $12 fee or break camp and leave.

The "Christian" thing to do would have been to take Cheryl's I.O.U. and loan
her the fee instead of forcing a woman to wander out into the pitch black
forest all alone at night. The PCT is dangerous enough in daytime, but night
is much worse, even with a strong camper's headlamp.

NOTE: The law is the law and rules are rules, that's true but according to
Jesus' teachings; there are instances when human need-- e.g. health,
safety, and welfare --come first. His hard-hearted, strictly by-the-book
religious opponents just couldn't get that through their thick skulls. (cf. Ex
1:15-21)
_

 

[Webers_Home]

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● Rom 12:9a . . Don't just pretend that you love others.

Webster's defines "pretense" as fiction, make-believe, and/or simulation.
Ironically, pretense is foundational to ordinary civility and common courtesy.
But when it comes to love; Christians should never put on a front. In other
words: don't lead someone on to believe you care about them when in
reality you don't. That's not only dishonest; it's cruel.

I once asked a rather incompetent Sunday school teacher, in so many
words, whether feelings play a role in Christianity. He said that feelings are
emotions and therefore insignificant. Well; I have to disagree.

● Col 3:12 . . Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels
of mercies

The koiné Greek word for "bowels" in that passage is splagchnon (splangkh'
non) which basically refers to one's intestines; i.e. the tummy; which says to
me that bowels of mercies are emotions rather than just good manners.

In other words: real love isn't a non emotional academic concept; it contains
things like pity, sympathy, empathy, compassion, thoughtfulness, and
sensitivity. Real love is easily mimicked, but not all that easy to feel;
especially by people who, by nature, are more monster than human.
_

 

[justbyfaith]

re:OP...

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer every man.

I think that salt has that convicting aspect that offsets the leniency of grace.

It is both a preserving agent; it produces thirst; and if rubbed into a wound it will not only heal but will also cause irritation.

If a large amount is put into the mouth it will produce a distasteful flavour.

But the right amount will season food so that it tastes better.

 

[Webers_Home]

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● Rom 12:10a . . Love each other with genuine affection

Real affection is easy to imitate, but not so easy to duplicate. Going through
the motions is just not the same as feeling the feelings.

There are people in this world who, by nature, are affection-challenged.
They can't even feel anything for their own children, let alone other people.
For them, parenting is a nightmare rather than a dream come true. Their
children are a burden rather than a blessing. Children ruin those parents'
lives instead of brightening them up and making their lives more worth the
living.

However, affection-challenged people aren't entirely hopeless because
Christianity isn't a do-it-yourself religion; it's a supernatural religion.

● Rom 8:11 . . If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in
you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies through His spirit, who lives in you.

Some might argue that verse is talking about the future. Well; their
argument is okay as far as it goes, but doesn't go far enough. It's futile to
resurrect a mortal body because it would be still be mortal; i.e. vulnerable to
disease, aging, and death. No, the "life" that Rom 8:11 is talking about is a
benefit package defined as the fruit of the Spirit; spoken of in Gal 5:19-25.
One of the benefits in that package is love.

A heads up to affection-challenged people: The fruit of the Spirit is
inconvenient. It will make you a better human being, but it will also make
you pretty uncomfortable at times too because love gets into your heart and
makes you sensitive, compassionate, and empathetic . . . for real.

People who've never felt those kinds of feelings before would be
overwhelmed were love to come upon them in full power. Fortunately the
fruit of the Spirit doesn't come on people all at once; instead, the fruit sort
of grows on people a little at a time; sort of like gradually bringing a frog up
to the boiling point by starting him out in cold water.

Of course the process is lethal to the frog; but I'm only using the doomed
amphibian as an analogy rather than a reality. The fruit of the Spirit is life
rather than death. So the fruit gradually brings people up from a cold dead
heart to a warm living heart.

NOTE: The fruit of the Spirit isn't a particularly Christian thing. It was
predicted for the Jews many, many years prior to the New Testament in
Ezekiel 36:24-27.
_