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Love
By Andy Zoppelt
Love is the true sign of a person being a Christian
and the means for the following:
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Maturing the saints.
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The building up of the body of Christ.
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It provides the opportunity and the atmosphere
for which the saints can function and properly minister to one
another.
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It provides the world with a true witness of the
love of God and a viable and visible demonstration of His Character.
Without Love, the church is a wondering audience
without opportunity and function. The institutional system of church
will find no purpose void of intimate relationships with one another.
Whatever hinders Love, hinders God and the purpose of His kingdom. A
real warning to all, "Do not get between God and His body." If we
draft the body in our image, after our likeness, and after the
traditions of men… we are against Him.
Eph 4:15, 16, " but, speaking the truth in love,
may grow up in all things into Him who is the
head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit
together by what every joint supplies, according to the
effective working by which every part does its share,
causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself
in love."
Col 3:14-17, "But above all these things
put on love, which is the bond of perfection (the
perfect bond). And let (because love wants to be in
peace) the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you
were called in one body (not denominationalism); and be
thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom, (you, not the clergy) teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through Him."
Heb 10:24, "And let us (Not the
pastor) consider one another in order to stir up love
and good works,"
This institutional way of doing church is hindering
and replacing (antichrist) the work of Christ's body. The
institutional function does not given any place for these experiences
and interactions among the saints. They have replaced the body of
Christ for denominationalism, programs and buildings. They have
replaced the importance and function of the body with a one person
function. Do you think the word of God is important and relevant for
us today? Do you think we need to follow Him or man's traditions? Can
we be experiencing the great falling away? Is the lack of Love our
judge in this generation? My heart is broken for His body. The walls
have been destroyed, the temple has been burned, my heart is in
anguish for His bride. Can we hear the cry of the bridegroom for His
bride? Even so, come Lord Jesus.
The importance and place of Love.
Love certainly has conditions and results.
John 14:21, "He who has My
commandments and keeps them (Condition), it is he who
loves Me. And he who loves Me (condition) will be loved by My
Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (result)."
Will we be loved by the Father if we don't love
Jesus and keep His commandments? No!!!
1 John 3:10, "In this the children of God and the
children of the devil are manifest: (How?) Whoever does not
practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not
love his brother."
John 13:34, 35, "…that you love one
another; as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this all will know that you are My
disciples,(How?) if (condition) you have love
for one another."
John 15:9-13, ""As the Father loved Me, I also have
loved you; abide in My love. If
(condition) you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love,
just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide
in His love. These things I have spoken to you (why?), that My joy may
remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater
love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his
friends."
We scarcely know one another, let alone love one
another. Why doesn't that send conviction through our spirit?
Rom 8:28, " And we know that all things work
together for good to those who love God
(condition), to those who are the called according to His purpose."
Rom 12:9-18, "Let love be without
hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly
affectionate to one another with brotherly
love, in honor giving preference to one another; not
lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing
in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with
those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same
mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on
high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in
your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good
things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends
on you, live peaceably with all men."
Notice the function of the mind: "same mind," not
set on "high things," not "wise in your own opinion."
Eph 3:19, "to know the love of Christ which passes
knowledge;"
Phil 2:2-4, "fulfill my joy (How?) by being
like-minded, having the same love, being of one
accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish
ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not
only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."
"Same Love"? Do we have love for one another and
minister to one another? You may think I am a kook, but you can't deny
the importance of Love and keeping His commandments. If you do deny
Love and hinder its happening, you are against and have replaced His
word. It is absolutely that clear.
Rom 13:8-10, "Owe no one anything except to
love one another, for he who loves another
has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit
adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall
not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any
other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You
shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a
neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
1 Cor 16:14, "Let all that you do be
done with love."
1 Cor 16:22, "If (condition) anyone does not
love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed." We need a
fear and a trembling of His word.
2 Cor 2:4, "For out of much affliction and
anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears,
not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love
which I have so abundantly for you."
Gal 5:6, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision
nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through
love."
Phil 1:9-11, "And this I pray, that your love
may abound still more and more in knowledge and all
discernment, (Why?) that you may approve the things that are
excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense
till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits
of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of
God."
Eph 6:24, "Grace be with all
those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity."
Grace is giving to all those who love
Jesus.
James 4:6 & 1 Peter 5:5, "God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble." God only gives grace to
those who love Him and humble themselves. He does not give grace
unconditionally.
1 Thess 3:12-13, "And may the Lord make you
increase and abound (How?) in love to one another and to
all, just as we do to you, (Why?) so that He may establish (not
the pastor) your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and
Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His
(denominational?) saints."
1 Peter 1:22-23, "Since you have purified your
souls (How?) in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love
of the brethren, love one another (audience vs body
function) fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of
corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of
God which lives and abides forever,"
1 Peter 4:8, "And above all things have fervent
love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of
sins.'"
1 John 2:5-6, "But whoever keeps His word, truly
the love of God is perfected in him. By this (truth & love) we know
that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself
also to walk just as He walked."
1 John 3:10-11, "Whoever does not practice
righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his
brother. For this is the message that you heard from the
beginning, that we should love one another,"
1 John 3:14-19, "We know that we have passed from
death to life (How?), because we love the brethren. He who does not
love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is
a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in
him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And
we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But
whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and
shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
(it can't!!!) My little children, let us not love in word or in
tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know
that we are of the truth (because of the love we experience in our
hearts for our brother), and shall assure our hearts before Him."
1 John 4:7-12, "Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of
God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for
God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that
God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might
live through Him (In His presence). In this is love, not that we
loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also
ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time.
If (Condition) we love one another, God abides in us
(clearly, if we don't love, God doesn't abide in us), and His love
has been perfected in us."
1 John 4:16-21, "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. 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. If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates
his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom
he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this
commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love
his brother also."
1 John 5:2-5, "By this we know that we love the
children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this
is the love of God, that we keep (abide)His
commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome(to those
who love Him). (Why? Because) For whatever is born of God
overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome
the world--our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who
believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"
2 John 5-6, "This is love, (What?) that we walk
according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you
have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it."
Rev 2:4-5, "Nevertheless I have this against you,
that you have left your first love. Remember therefore
from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works,
or else I will come to you quickly and remove your
lampstand from its place--unless you repent."
Rev 12:11, "And they overcame him by
the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did
not love their lives to the death."
The body of Christ's love (The testimony of the
first church).
1 Thess 3:6, "But now that Timothy has come to us
from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love,"
1 Thess 1:2-3, "We give thanks to God always for
you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without
ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,"
Col 1:7-8, "…Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who
is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to
us your love in the Spirit."
Col 1:3-4, "We give thanks to the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of
your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the
saints;"
1 Thess 1:2-3, "We give thanks to God always for
you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without
ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,"
1 Thess 3:6, "But now that Timothy has come to us
from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love,"
2 Thess 1:3-8, "We are bound to thank God always
for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows
exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all
abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you
among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all
your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is
manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be
counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also
suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with
tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled
rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His
mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not
know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ."
Philemon 4-7, "I thank my God, making mention of
you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which
you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the
saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective
by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in
Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your
love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by
you, brother."
Heb 6:10-11, "For God is not unjust to forget
your work and labor of love which you have shown
toward His name, in that you have ministered to the
saints, and do minister."
3 John 4-6, "I have no greater joy than to hear
that my children walk in truth. Beloved, you do
faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who
have borne witness of your love before the church."
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