I'm old enough to remember the TV comedy show called "Love American Style" that ran from 1969 to 1974. And during the years 1971 & 1972 (when I was 10 & 11 yrs old) it was part of the prime time Friday night line up that my parents let us stay up late for.
Between all those Fri. night shows (that included The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family and The Odd Couple) my parents had no clue what we ended up "learning" about relationships and love during those formative years!
But in hindsight they were quaint, I can only imagine what kids are picking up from the TV these days!
Love, when presented in a comedy situation, will focus on the pit falls and errors and difficult situations while providing a contemporary solution at the end of the show. Often the characters were confronted with moral limitations, heartbreak or anger, and struggled with them.
Regardless the problems, at the end of the 30 minute show everyone had big smiles as the credits rolled.
Never was Jesus mentioned though.
With all the trash in our media today, and the vitriolic anger displayed on our streets, I thought a review of how The Bible defines Love was in order.
So what follows is a study of "Love Biblical Style"!
The questions I hope to answer are:
We start with the most famous verse in The Bible regarding love:
- he gave his own life!
Giving is a verb, and God proved it by what he did on the cross for us.
It's so much more than simply a feeling.
In addition to that, we can add some depth to that phrase when we get a clearer picture of who he gave this gift to:
We were not worthy
How many times have we had to apologize for hurting someone we care about, hoping they would forgive us and continue to love us despite how we treated them?
Here is a very popular section in The Bible regarding the definition of love, often recited during a wedding ceremony:
In summary, Biblical love is when we give of OURSELVES to someone who doesn't deserve it. And we don't keep score about how much we sacrificed because it is always a paltry amount compared to how much God gave in proving his love for us.
You know about the 10 Commandments, Love is the fulfillment of them, and it's the only commandment we have from Jesus.
It is our only assignment, our only purpose, the only way we can show to the world the living gospel.
And the vast amount of verses literally make up the entire message of The Bible and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we can say without a doubt:
Between all those Fri. night shows (that included The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family and The Odd Couple) my parents had no clue what we ended up "learning" about relationships and love during those formative years!
But in hindsight they were quaint, I can only imagine what kids are picking up from the TV these days!
Love, when presented in a comedy situation, will focus on the pit falls and errors and difficult situations while providing a contemporary solution at the end of the show. Often the characters were confronted with moral limitations, heartbreak or anger, and struggled with them.
Regardless the problems, at the end of the 30 minute show everyone had big smiles as the credits rolled.
Never was Jesus mentioned though.
With all the trash in our media today, and the vitriolic anger displayed on our streets, I thought a review of how The Bible defines Love was in order.
So what follows is a study of "Love Biblical Style"!
The questions I hope to answer are:
- What is love?
- How can we see God's love in the life of Jesus?
- How can we love?
We start with the most famous verse in The Bible regarding love:
(John 3:16)We can learn a lot from just one part of the first verse: "that he gave his only begotten Son".
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life
(John 15:13)God gave something that was precious to him, something of great value,
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
- he gave his own life!
Giving is a verb, and God proved it by what he did on the cross for us.
It's so much more than simply a feeling.
In addition to that, we can add some depth to that phrase when we get a clearer picture of who he gave this gift to:
(Galations 3:13)
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.
(Romans 3:23)We weren't very lovable! Cursed, sinners, falling way short of the glory of God... and deserving to hang on the tree ourselves for our own crimes against God!
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
We were not worthy
(Romans 5:6-8)So far we can see that love is giving something of value to someone who doesn't deserve it.
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
How many times have we had to apologize for hurting someone we care about, hoping they would forgive us and continue to love us despite how we treated them?
Here is a very popular section in The Bible regarding the definition of love, often recited during a wedding ceremony:
(1Corinthians 13:4-7 NASB)Again, all of the descriptors that make up the definition of love - are VERBS!
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
In summary, Biblical love is when we give of OURSELVES to someone who doesn't deserve it. And we don't keep score about how much we sacrificed because it is always a paltry amount compared to how much God gave in proving his love for us.
You know about the 10 Commandments, Love is the fulfillment of them, and it's the only commandment we have from Jesus.
It is our only assignment, our only purpose, the only way we can show to the world the living gospel.
(Romans 13:10)
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
(Galations 6:2)
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
(Luke 6:27)
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.
(John 13:34,35)There are so many more examples, primarily the beatitude sections in Matthew and Luke.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
And the vast amount of verses literally make up the entire message of The Bible and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we can say without a doubt:
(1Corinthians 13:13 NASB)
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
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