“…God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5)
Today in the preaching from God’s Word the true definition of love will be our focus.
Love is a word that has many meaning in our culture. It can be used for one’s lustful desires, infatuation, initial attractions and also many well meaning intentions or feelings a person has toward something or toward people.
But all these meanings and descriptions of love are far removed from God’s standard of love, as He has made known to us in Holy Scripture.
Man’s idea of love is so often governed by what we get, but God’s true definition of love is all about what we give.
I wonder how much of our lives as believers are steered by cultures idea of love rather than Gods? Knowing in word that “God is love” (1Jn 4:8) is to be the standard that we follow, not the cultures. Whether it be in our homes, the workplace, the church, God’s love has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” to be employed and practiced at all times.
Love based on God’s standard is the love that God has commanded us to nurture and practice in our lives – are we doing that?
I like how the author Henry Drummond describes this love and how it should be nurtured and put to work in every facet of our lives.
Love is not a thing of enthusiastic emotion. It is a rich, strong, manly, vigorous expression of the whole round Christian character – the Christ-like nature in its fullest development. And the constituents of this great character are only to be built up by ceaseless practice.