God’s Love Shed Abroad in Our Hearts

RECENTLY: I just read this on a wall-mounted picture in a local business …. “Kindness is the key to love.” Is that true? No. Kindness is certainly an attribute of love yet not the key to love. “God is love” and so knowing God is what is the key to love and what will cause “the love of God” to be in us. “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:5) The Bible tells us that “love is of God.” (1 John 4:7)

The only way to know true love is to know God via the Son of His love – Jesus Christ – who in the greatest act of love ever, came and died for us, sinners.

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39

Here are 2 more passages that clearly reveal that the LORD loves His people immensely:

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” Psalms 139:17-18

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3:1-2

Yes we are to love one another as Christ teaches in the Golden Rule and yet such is only possible by way of God’s love working in us.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8

Until He saves us, because of the conscience He made us with, we attempt in vain to do what is right without Him and such simply does not work. If we are relegated to our own “love”, that’s shallow at best, right? Yet, after being born again, the infinite love of Him who “is love” is in us and will be manifested by the cross life. This of course is limited only by the individual believers obedience to seek and therefore be full of Christ and not self.

“he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Love to the brethren is the proof we are in Christ. Talk is cheap.

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. IF we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” 1 John 4:11-12 

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:15

Living in God’s Love

Do you desire to be full of Christ – to be overflowing with God’s love, shining it to all? God only rewards and fills those who seek Him diligently.

“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.  2 Corinthians 4:10-12

Christ’s kingdom only operates by the cross principle. Only those who choose to live “crucified with Christ” will be used of God. Jesus told us that only those who choose to deny self and “take up his cross daily” instead of lifting up self, will follow Him.

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Luke 9:23-24

Christ’s kingdom life and love only work through the operation of the cross. As God’s love was poured out on the cross of Christ, so, as we consent to the death of self, the life of Christ reigns in us, and the supply of God’s love flows fully and freely in and through our lives.

“He first loved us” and when we choose to love the LORD who displayed the ultimate love on the cross of Calvary, His love will dwell in us (1 John 4:19).

QUESTION:

“If we are to love the people in the world then what exactly does this verse mean to you ….just asking. To me it means not to love what the world does or anything in this world but to show love by speaking truth to them and being good to them. Not agreeing with them but doing good for them. Is that correct?”

REPLY:

Yes …. Loving the people of the world is completely different than loving the ways of the ways of the world (Romans 12:2). James is speaking the divine truth and that is a most poignant example of love. Prov 12:17 … The Word IS the judgment of GOD not man (James 1:20).

Deliverance from All Fear 

WHEN God’s love fills our hearts in an abiding, oneness relationship with Christ and the Father, all fear is vanquished! (John 15, 17; 1 John 4:16-18) The following passage is one this disciple would vigorously encourage the reader to prayerfully camp on.

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:16-18

God Is Love 1 John 4:7-21

7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 

8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 

9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 

10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 

11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 

12  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 

13  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 

14  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 

15  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 

16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 

17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

19  We love him, because he first loved us. 

20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 

21  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” 

The love of God works through the cross – Christ’s cross – not only 2,000 years ago but daily in our lives. Pouring prayerfully over 2 Corinthians 4:10-12 is of great benefit to the disciple of Christ. In the most monumental display of love ever, Jesus chose to come and die for us rather than live without us. May this divine love strike us today and forever dwell in us as we lay aside our own lives to facilitate the divine life.

“The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth (exhibited) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Romans 5:6-9

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