NEWS Why Love?
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
- St. Paul
Why love?
It's a simple question with a profound answer. The answer to this simple question is contained in one of Paul's prayers to the Ephesians:
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:17-19
Paul's prayer is that we are rooted and established in love so we can comprehend the love of Christ. Once a proud and powerful Pharisee - a keeper of Mosaic law - Paul could only truly see Christ once the eyes of his heart were opened and his heart was transformed by the Holy Spirit. As a former religious leader - one who knew Judaic law inside and out - Paul fully understood that without a transformed heart full of love, it was impossible to comprehend the love of Christ.
Paul's experience shows, and his prayer to the Ephesians testify, that the only way to comprehend the love of Christ is if we are rooted and grounded in love - not in religion. Paul was religious, but couldn't see Christ until he lost his religion. By being rooted and grounded in love, Paul says we have an understanding that surpasses knowledge. Understanding that surpasses knowledge is wisdom. Love is the gateway to wisdom. Love is the gateway to Christ. To be wise is to see Christ as love - true and pure love.
Paul's first letter to the Corinthians has one of the most profound statements in the Bible. He states, simply but powerfully:
If I have not love, I am nothing. -1 Corinthians 13:2
Paul told the Corinthians that we can have all knowledge - knowledge that reveals incredible mysteries, but if we have not love, we are big zeroes. We can have a faith that moves mountains - moves mountains! - but if we have not love, we are nothing. We can call ourselves Christians, go to church every Sunday, identify ourselves with some man-made church denomination, do good works in Jesus' name and all kinds of activities and things for Him, sing His praises night and day, but if we have not love, it all goes down as a big zero. Nothing!
As Disciples of Christ, our goal is quite simple although extremely difficult in practice: To go to the cross daily and be reduced to love. All that is not love must be crucified. Why must this be so? Because God is love.
As John so eloquently stated:
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. - 1 John 4:7-8
Without love, we cannot travel the narrow path with the Lord. If we have not love, it is impossible to find, let alone walk, the narrow path.
Love is the fulfillment of the law - it transcends Mosaic law. As Paul told the Romans:
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. - Romans 13:8-10
All the commandments, said Paul, are summed up in one rule: Love. Everyone who loves has been born of God, said John. Love one another, as I have loved you, said Jesus.
Seeing God requires a pure heart. A pue heart is a heart filled with love and nothing else. That is why we must all be reduced to love.
As the Lord stated:
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.- Matthew 5:8
Let us pray that we are all rooted in grounded in love so that we may truly comprehend the love of Christ and that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
amen.
agape,
steve
- St. Paul
Why love?
It's a simple question with a profound answer. The answer to this simple question is contained in one of Paul's prayers to the Ephesians:
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:17-19
Paul's prayer is that we are rooted and established in love so we can comprehend the love of Christ. Once a proud and powerful Pharisee - a keeper of Mosaic law - Paul could only truly see Christ once the eyes of his heart were opened and his heart was transformed by the Holy Spirit. As a former religious leader - one who knew Judaic law inside and out - Paul fully understood that without a transformed heart full of love, it was impossible to comprehend the love of Christ.
Paul's experience shows, and his prayer to the Ephesians testify, that the only way to comprehend the love of Christ is if we are rooted and grounded in love - not in religion. Paul was religious, but couldn't see Christ until he lost his religion. By being rooted and grounded in love, Paul says we have an understanding that surpasses knowledge. Understanding that surpasses knowledge is wisdom. Love is the gateway to wisdom. Love is the gateway to Christ. To be wise is to see Christ as love - true and pure love.
Paul's first letter to the Corinthians has one of the most profound statements in the Bible. He states, simply but powerfully:
If I have not love, I am nothing. -1 Corinthians 13:2
Paul told the Corinthians that we can have all knowledge - knowledge that reveals incredible mysteries, but if we have not love, we are big zeroes. We can have a faith that moves mountains - moves mountains! - but if we have not love, we are nothing. We can call ourselves Christians, go to church every Sunday, identify ourselves with some man-made church denomination, do good works in Jesus' name and all kinds of activities and things for Him, sing His praises night and day, but if we have not love, it all goes down as a big zero. Nothing!
As Disciples of Christ, our goal is quite simple although extremely difficult in practice: To go to the cross daily and be reduced to love. All that is not love must be crucified. Why must this be so? Because God is love.
As John so eloquently stated:
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. - 1 John 4:7-8
Without love, we cannot travel the narrow path with the Lord. If we have not love, it is impossible to find, let alone walk, the narrow path.
Love is the fulfillment of the law - it transcends Mosaic law. As Paul told the Romans:
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. - Romans 13:8-10
All the commandments, said Paul, are summed up in one rule: Love. Everyone who loves has been born of God, said John. Love one another, as I have loved you, said Jesus.
Seeing God requires a pure heart. A pue heart is a heart filled with love and nothing else. That is why we must all be reduced to love.
As the Lord stated:
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.- Matthew 5:8
Let us pray that we are all rooted in grounded in love so that we may truly comprehend the love of Christ and that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
amen.
agape,
steve
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