Weekly Bible Study
Love is not just a word or a
concept
Love is not just a feeling or an emotion
Love is not a physical action or an experience
and ...
Love is not only an attribute or characteristic of God!
No!
Love is all of that
and much more!
Love is God Himself!
He that loveth not
knoweth not God; for God is love.
--- 1 John 4:8
Therefore ...
... unless you know love ...
... unless you know how to love ...
then the Bible says ...
... you don't know God!
| Love ... is the foundation...! |
God is love
and love is what motivates Gods actions
Gods actions towards
man
and
Gods actions on behalf of man
Love is the foundation
of our relationship with God
Therefore ...
... we need to know who Love is ...
... and we need to know what Love does
For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life.
--- John 3:16
God gave His best and
He gave His all
Love did everything to restore man to Himself
Love did everything to restore the relationship between Him and
man
In fact
Love gave Himself for man
And walk in love, as
Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us,
an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling
aroma.
--- Eph. 5:2
| Love ... goes all the way! |
Love not only reached out to
man ...
Love not only restored man
But ...
Love cleanses and heals ...
And ...
Love holds nothing against man
And above all things
have fervent love for one another,
for "love will cover a multitude of
sins."
--- 1 Peter
4:8
Love reaches out to man
And we
have known and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God
in him.
--- 1 John
4:16
and
Love not only gave His all to man ...
Love Himself came to live in man!
God not only wants to reveal
Himself as God to man
God wants to reveal Himself as God in man
In other words
God wants to meet our every need
God wants to show Himself strong on our behalf
Love wants to continue to give Himself for us
as God said to the Apostle Paul
"My grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in
weakness."
--- 2 Cor.
12:9
What is at the root of our
weakness
... FEAR
Satans most powerful weapon
fear!
How does satan use that weapon?
He tries to get our attention off of God ... and onto the
problem!
but
God wants us to get our attention on Love
So ...
How do we stand against fear?
How do we have victory over fear?
by looking to Love ...
... by putting our trust and our hope in Him!
And hope maketh not
ashamed;
because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
--- Rom. 5:5
What does the presence of God
mean in your life?
What is the presence of God going to do in your life?
What is Love going to do in your life?
What can Love change in your life?
For God has not given
us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
--- 2 Tim. 1:7
How does God do that?
As you allow Love to abide in you
As you allow Love to be your strength
Love will restore you
Love will remove every trace of sin in your life
Love will become your provision
and
Love will be your sufficiency
as His
divine power has given to us all things
that pertain to life and godliness,
--- 2 Peter
1:3
For His grace is
sufficient for you
(2 Cor. 12:9)
Are you under pressure?
Is the devil putting pressure on you?
with thoughts of
sickness
lack
loss
loneliness
financial pressure
Is the devil putting fear on
you?
Is the devil pressurizing you into allowing cares to overwhelm
you?
as he did to the Apostle Paul
besides the
other things, what comes upon me daily:
my deep concern for all the churches.
--- 2 Cor.
11:28
Then remember what God said to
the Apostle Paul when he was under pressure
"My
grace is sufficient for you,
for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
--- 2 Cor.
12:9
How do you get out of that
place of pressure?
How do you get into that place of sufficiency in God?
... by submitting yourself to Love!
Therefore
submit to God.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to
you.
--- James
4:7-8
What do you do when you draw
close to God?
You get to that place
where God becomes real to you
where His promises become as real as your problems
to where
Love becomes more real than your problems
You get to that place
where you start trusting God to take care of your needs
by simply
casting
all your care upon Him, for He cares for
you.
--- 1 Peter
5:7
Upon Whom is it that you are
casting you cares?
Upon Whom is it that you are casting your problems, your
pressure?
Upon Love Himself
... upon the One who has already given Himself for you!
And what happens when you do that?
Love steps in and takes control
Love has been
perfected among us in this:
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment;
because as He is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casts out fear,
because fear involves torment.
But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
We love Him because He first loved us.
--- 1 John
4:17-19