What is Love?
We use the word love a lot, but do we know what the word "love" means Biblically? When Jesus says, "Love your neighbor." what does that mean?
In America today we use the word love as a noun. For most people it is something that happens to them. We fall in love and we fall out of love--it's out of our control.
In the New Testament the word "love" is most frequently used as a verb. The Bible tells us that love is something we do, no something that happens to us. We are to love our wives. We are to love our neighbors. This does not mean we try to have good feelings about our neighbor. It means we purposefully engage in loving actions toward our neighbor, even if we don't like our neighbor. The Bible doesn't say we must like everyone, but we are to love everyone.
What does it mean to love someone Biblically?
It means to desire the best for that person, and it means that our actions should follow that desire. For example, it might mean we help our neighbor, when they are willing to accept our help. It does mean we pray for them in a positive way.
We are also to love our enemies. This does not mean we give in to our enemies (or give in to sin), but we can still desire the best for our enemies. When is the last time you prayed for Saddam Hussein's salvation? Wouldn't that be the ultimate good for him, and thus the ultimate expression of our love?
In America today we use the word love as a noun. For most people it is something that happens to them. We fall in love and we fall out of love--it's out of our control.
In the New Testament the word "love" is most frequently used as a verb. The Bible tells us that love is something we do, no something that happens to us. We are to love our wives. We are to love our neighbors. This does not mean we try to have good feelings about our neighbor. It means we purposefully engage in loving actions toward our neighbor, even if we don't like our neighbor. The Bible doesn't say we must like everyone, but we are to love everyone.
What does it mean to love someone Biblically?
It means to desire the best for that person, and it means that our actions should follow that desire. For example, it might mean we help our neighbor, when they are willing to accept our help. It does mean we pray for them in a positive way.
We are also to love our enemies. This does not mean we give in to our enemies (or give in to sin), but we can still desire the best for our enemies. When is the last time you prayed for Saddam Hussein's salvation? Wouldn't that be the ultimate good for him, and thus the ultimate expression of our love?
posted by BrickBalloon
Read This Post In Our: Christianity in America Blog Archive
2 Comments:
"Feelings are a great gift, but they're treacherous if that's what we live for. They drive us back into ourselves, you see. What I want. What I feel. What I need. A man and a woman pass beyond just feelings at some point, don't they? That's when they start to know true love. The love of one another. The joy in another's existence. The wonderful ways that the other person is not like you, nor you like them." - Father Joe
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