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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: LOVE (11/18/21)
A Lifestyle of Love

Love is more than just a four letter word. It is more than an emotion or strong feeling. Love is an action driven forward by our hearts. We show love toward one another by the way we act and treat other people and things. God is the highest and most prime example of love. God is love in its purest and most plentiful form. “His mercies are new every morning,” (Lamentations 3: 22-23). His love for his creation is renewed each day. His love will never fail (1Corinthians 13: 8). His love will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). His love is eternal for all believers. To love is to be greater. Christ is greater than he that is in the world (1 John 4: 4). With Christ as our Savior, we are also greater than he who is in the world. Jesus came so that we can have a life of love. He came so we could have an abundant life (John 10:10). An abundant life is a life full with an overflow of the fruits of the spirit which include love, joy, and peace. “Love covers a multitude of sins,” (1 Peter 4:8). Jesus’ love for us by laying down his own life covered our multitude of sins. When our fellow man wrongs us, we must forgive and cover them in love, because Godly love is full of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. We must not become bitter and hard when someone hurts us. We must love our enemies and not just our fellow Christian brothers and sisters (Matthew 5:44). To love is more important than knowledge of what our God requires of us. “For knowledge puffed up, but love edifieth,” (I Corinthians 8:1). The two greatest commandments that Jesus left behind for us to live by are founded in love. “Jesus said unto them, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind,” (Matthew 22:37). “This is the first and great commandment,” (Matthew 22:38). “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself,” (Matthew 22:39). “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,” (Matthew 22:40).

We must not be full of pride as Christians, condemning other Christians who may have a different understanding of the scriptures than we do. For God desires that all mankind be saved and come to repentance not just a specific group of people. First of all, love is not judgmental. Jesus demonstrated his love by going “about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every diseases among the people,” (Matthew 9: 35). Jesus spent the last three years of his adult life helping and doing good toward others. Jesus came to “seek and to save that which was lost,” (Luke 19:10). Jesus ate with sinners and publicans (Matthew 9:10). Love is not judgmental. We must love others like Jesus loved others. In Matthew chapter nine, verse 13, Jesus said he would have mercy rather than sacrifice. Mercy and forgiveness are two characteristics of Godly love. Mercy means to withhold punishment. When we forgive we withhold punishment and administer grace toward our fellow man. We give them kindness, patience, peace and long suffering, even if they don’t truly deserve it. In Ephesians chapter four verse 29, the Bible tells us to “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Kindness is a characteristic of true Godly love. The bible tells us in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 32, “And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you.” 1st Corinthians chapter 13 describes the characteristics of love. “Love suffereth long and is kind; love envieth not itself,” is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself un seemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoketh, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, Love never fails:” (1Corinthians 13: 4-8). If we are modeling these characteristics of love, we are truly walking in love with God and with people as the Lord commanded us to do before anything else.
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This article has been read 318 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Sue Botte 
11/27/21
Good Bible study information.

Thank you.
Philippa Geaney
11/30/21
Wow-what a feast. A banquet. I could live forever on what you and the Father have supplied.
C D Swanson 
11/30/21
Amen!
Beautifully expressed.
Blessings~
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
12/01/21
You definitely wrote on topic. In the first paragraph alone, you mentioned the word love over20 times. A great portion of your piece is just straight Scripture. It's great to quote Scripture, but you need to expand on it. Show us what it means to you. Give some examples of when you felt God's love. Since you're only allowed so few words, perhaps pick just one verse and expand on that verse. You've selected some great verses for the topic and definitely have a clear message. I can tell you want to share God's love with others.