Life through - Love

Many waters cannot quench love,neither can the floods drown it:if a man would give all the substance of his house for love,it will utterly be contemned

LOVE means different things to different people. It is a word that is not strange to different nations,tongues,tribes,cultures etc. Some have embraced the word in its practicality and have reaped the fruits thereof while some due to ignorance have abused the concept of love. I will like to explain what the word means from the Biblical point of view. Love can be defined as a strong feeling of deep affection for somebody or something. It is an investment which must be channeled aright. It is important to know where we channel our love to so that we can reap a good dividend of our investment. I will like to zero in on loving God,our neighbors and the strangest of all;our enemies.

GOD is the first being that instituted the concept of love. He thought of creating a family of spirit beings at the beginning of the age that will have ruler-ship on the face of the earth as He bears the same in heaven. This thought became a reality when He created Adam. God showcased his love for Adam as He had already created all things(light,waters,land to produce vegetation:seed bearing plants and trees that bears fruit with seed in it according to their various kind,Animals in their various forms,kinds,diversities e.g camels,sheep,goat etc) for his pleasure. Even when God found that Adam was lonely despite all the things that was created for him,He still went ahead to form a woman to be a friend and a help-meet for him. It is only love that could make the God of the heavens to fellowship with mere humans at the cool of the day. God is love and love is God. The material essence from which God is made/fabricated is love. For as high as the heavens are above the earth,so great is his steadfast love towards us.

Also,his steadfast love is from everlasting to everlasting running from one generation to another.

Even when man fell due to sin,one would have thought that God would have wiped off the entirety of mankind but love won`t allow him do so.

* For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

* God commanded his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners,Christ died for us.

* Having loved his own who were stricken in sin in the world,He loved them till the end.

* Behold what manner of love has the father bestowed upon us that we should be called his sons:therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew him not.

* Hereby perceive the love of God because He laid down his love for us.

* In this was manifested the love of God towards us,because God sent his only begotten son into the world tht we may live through him.

* God is love in that He manifested his love by sending his only begotten son(Jesus Christ) as a sacrifice for our sins.

So,God`s love towards us has won back eternal life for us. As God`s love is bathing us everyday,He also expects us to love him back in return. For the LORD our GOD is one LORD and thou shall love the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. A love that is not reciprocated/shown back in return is not the God kind of love. To show that He loved us ,HE GAVE(Action). We can`t tell how much we love God by the words of our mouth alone but we can always show that we love him by:

(1). Keeping all his commandments and laws-This was the reason why the psalmist was fond of saying statements like:

* O how I love thy law!it is my meditation day and night.
* I hate vain thoughts but thy law do i love.
* O I love thy commandments above gold yea above fine gold.
* I hate and abhor lying:but thy law do I love.

David showcased his love for God by loving his commandments/laws/instructions/precepts to do and obey them and I believe that was the reason why God called him a man after his own heart.

(2). Praising/worshiping him in the beauty of his holiness-This is another way of showcasing how much we love God. When we praise and worship him in the beauty of his holiness,he is pleased with us. David also walked in the light of this as praising God became part of him and he won God`s heart.

(3). Loving others-We can also prove that we love God by loving others. This will be discussed in full details later.

(4).Serving Him-There is an adage which says"actions speak louder than voice". A love that is shown is more acceptable than a love that is only verbalized. This is the reason why serving him is one of the acceptable ways that we can show that we love him. The bible calls such a service as 'our labour of love". It is not only labour but one which is wrapped up in love. When we show that we love him by doing all the above-mentioned things,He loads us with amazing benefits like:

(1).DELIVERANCE-The LORD delivers those that are in love with him not by the words of their mouth alone but most importantly with their heart.

* Because I cleave to the LORD in love,He will deliver me,He will protect me because I know his name. When I call to him,He will deliver/answer me. He will rescue me and honour me. With long life will He satisfy me and show me his salvation.
* Because he hath set his love upon me,therefore will I deliver him:I will set him on high,because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me and I shall honour him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.

(3).PEACE-In as much as lovers of God enjoy deliverance(plus long life and protection),they also enjoy peace that comes from him alone. For great peace have they that love thy law:nothing shall offend them.

(4).PRESERVATION-God also preserves his lovers from decadence so that they can keep loving him. For the LORD preserves all that love him:but the wicked will He destroy.

(5).GREAT/MIGHTY PLANS-Eyes have not seen,nor ears heard,neither have it entered into the hearts of men,the things which God has prepared for them that love him. What God has in store for his lovers are beyond what one can imagine or fathom.

(6).REWARDS-God is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love which we have showed towards his name,in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister.

Hinderances to the flow pf God`s love from us to him are:(1).Tribulation (2).Persecution (3).Nakedness (4).Peril (5).Famine (6).Cares of this world. These are natural distractions contending for God`s love in our lives but it`s important that we should not allow these because I am persuaded 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 seprate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our LORD.

In as much as it is important to love God because his banner over us is love,we also have to love our neighbours. Our neighbours refer to our family members,friends,class/course mates,colleagues in places of work and people that we associate/interact with on a daily basis. Love is needed among us if we must soar high in everything we do with our neighbours as we cannot succeed in isolation. We can show our love for neighbours by praying for them,lending them a helping hand and sacrificing for them


* For thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself.

* This is the commandment,that we should believe on the name of his son,Jesus Christ and love one another.

* No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another,God dwells in us and his love is perfected in us.

* Hereby perceive the love of God,because He laid down his life for us that we should lay down our lives for the brethren.

* He tht loves his brother abides in light and there is no occassion of stumbling in him.


It has been established that it is important to love God and our neighbours. The third category of people that need the expression of our love are our enemies. It is strange but God commands it. This is what distinguishes us from the old testament believers who believe in loving those that love them only. No matter what you do,who you are and where you are;you have enemies. In School,at home,everywhere;they are present. If we now take it as a responsiblity to hate them then God`s love is not in us because God does not hate. Instead of showing hatred towards them,why not show them love by praying for them,assisting them with all we can and then they will begin to change their attitude towards us. This is what God wants the new testament believers to be;A company of people binded together by God`s love. Stop placing a curse upon them/praying for their death. Rather,pray for them and the hand of the good lord will reach them to change them.


WORDS OF CAUTION.

* Love not the world,neither the things that are in the world because if a man loves the world,the love of the father is not in him. For in this world,we have the lust of the flesh,the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and all THESE are not from the father but of the world. But the world will soon pass away but he that love the God and not the world will abide forever.

* Love not money for the love of money is the root of all evil. Many have coveted after money and they have erred from faith and forgotten God and invited unlimited sorrows into their lives. Money is good but the love of it can send one to an early grave.


Love God,Love your neighbours,Love your enemies,Love not the world and all that is in it and soar high like an eagle to the top where you belong!