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- Feb 9, 2004
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The Ultimate Gift - July 28, 2007
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
What is love? Ask 100 people and you'll get 100 different examples. You will probably get at least 10-20 definitions - affection, devotion, attraction, caring, etc; Countless songs, books, movies, poems, writings, and any other form of human communication address love. Of course there are different kinds of love: the love between 2 people that are attracted to each other as partners, the love of families, the love of people, places, things and activities that we deem important in life. All these definitions and examples describe love as a feeling, but the verse above describes love as an object. According to the Bible, love has characteristics. Think about who or what you love. How many of these characteristics fit the love you experience? Chances are, you haven't experienced all of the above with any relationship. Husbands and wives, parents and children, any 2 people or group have experienced a breakdown in one or more of these many times. You may get impatient with your spouse as you wait for them to get ready to go out. You may, in the heat of an argument bring up something that your parent or child did years ago that still hurts. And, how many times is our love conditional?
But there is one situation where love meets all these criteria, and more. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16.) God doesn't just love those who love him - he loves the whole world! Everlasting life awaits those who believe in His Son. He's reaching out to all of us, promising the ultimate gift to those who love him back. Will you?
Contributed by Frank Noto [email protected]
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
What is love? Ask 100 people and you'll get 100 different examples. You will probably get at least 10-20 definitions - affection, devotion, attraction, caring, etc; Countless songs, books, movies, poems, writings, and any other form of human communication address love. Of course there are different kinds of love: the love between 2 people that are attracted to each other as partners, the love of families, the love of people, places, things and activities that we deem important in life. All these definitions and examples describe love as a feeling, but the verse above describes love as an object. According to the Bible, love has characteristics. Think about who or what you love. How many of these characteristics fit the love you experience? Chances are, you haven't experienced all of the above with any relationship. Husbands and wives, parents and children, any 2 people or group have experienced a breakdown in one or more of these many times. You may get impatient with your spouse as you wait for them to get ready to go out. You may, in the heat of an argument bring up something that your parent or child did years ago that still hurts. And, how many times is our love conditional?
But there is one situation where love meets all these criteria, and more. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16.) God doesn't just love those who love him - he loves the whole world! Everlasting life awaits those who believe in His Son. He's reaching out to all of us, promising the ultimate gift to those who love him back. Will you?
Contributed by Frank Noto [email protected]
