Stepping into the archives for Monday Moments – from the Original Consecrated to God Blog

We all know what love is, right? That overwhelming feeling for someone or something that makes us go crazy! In fact, a lot of people say that love makes you do crazy things. The dictionary has this definition for love: “a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person; a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend; sexual passion or desire.” These are great definitions to be sure, but what does that tell us, really? Is love just a feeling? A passing fancy? I would like to say it is, but it isn’t. Love is our first fruit of the Spirit. It goes a lot deeper than just a passing fancy.

In contrast, we have the word hate. We use this word too lightly a lot of the time. “I hate pizza; I hate music; I hate that team or this team…” The list could go on of things we hate. We even joke about hating people.  We jokingly say, “I hate you,” then smile and laugh at what was just said. But again, are we just looking at this from a beginner’s level? A surface level? The definition of hate is, “to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest; the object of extreme aversion or hostility.” All have to do with a passion or dislike…so are we using this word lightly? In my opinion, yes, we are, myself included. Sadly, even this definition of the word “hate” is too surface.  To gushy, and weak.

To see the true meaning of both words, we have to go deeper. Let’s begin with the world’s favorite… Love!

The word “love” is more complicated to explain than what the dictionary says. In fact, it is even harder to understand what the dictionary says. Love is a life and death matter. God gives a definition for love through His Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 3:16-17 says, “by this we know LOVE, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brother. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” We as believers are to live LOVE by looking out for the best of others, even when it doesn’t suit us. The dictionary defines love as a passion – but the question is: whose passion? Who is the love for? Why do we love at all?

1. We need to have God’s passion – the passion that allowed Christ to die for us (Romans 5:8-9, Ephesians 5:2)
2. Love is not for us; it is a way to show obedience to God – selflessness is love (Romans 7:4, John 15: 12-14)
3. We love because God loved us first. (John 13:34, 1 John 4:10-11)
4. We love so that we may love God to the world (John 13:35)

Why is Love so important, and why is it a Fruit of the Spirit?

1. Love is important for two main reasons
   1. To show God to the world
   2. Because it is what binds us together as believers – Colossians 3:14, “and above all these things put on LOVE, which BINDS everything together in perfect harmony.”
2. Love is a fruit of the Spirit because it emulates the Lord – it is one of His characteristics. And as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.”

How do we love like Christ?

1. Hebrews 13:1 – “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
2. Hebrews 10:23-25 – “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
3. Do not become a stumbling block for your brothers and sisters in Christ! (1 Corinthians 8: 1-13)
4. Looking out for the best of others even when it doesn’t suit you
5. Be kind
6. Be imitators of Christ – who is love (1 John 4:7-21)

Now, in contrast, we have hate. This is a fruit of the flesh. For many reasons, but the main one is that it sprouts from selfishness, and selfness comes from the pit of Hell. Hate is used lightly, and the seriousness of the word has been taken out of it. God says hate is the same as murder in His eyes…

1 John 3:15 says, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

Hate comes from darkness; it thrives in darkness…

1 John 2:10-11 says, “Whoever loves his brother abides in light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 4:20-21, “If anyone says ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother who has seen cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

See, hate is extremely serious and should not be taken lightly at all. I am just as guilty as the next person, because I have taken this word lightly. But it isn’t to be joked about. Yes, it is a passion, but it is a passion of the flesh, not of the Spirit. The devil is a crafty one, because he has sneaked it into our world with such ease that we have hardly noticed.

It is about time we, as believers, draw that line in the sand…no…in the cement, so it can’t be changed easily. We need to make a differentiation of what is from God, and what isn’t. Now, in 1 John 3:15, it says that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. There is hope for those who do not have eternal life, though. In John chapter 3, verse 16, it says that “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son, that whosoever believes in Him will have Eternal Life.” My dear friends, the line that we need to draw is Christ. He is the one who comes into our lives and changes the fruits of the flesh to the Fruits of the Spirit. The question is, are we allowing Him to change our hearts and lives? Are we willing to give up our lives to be His children and eventually live in Heaven with Him and God? Do not be deceived, we need a Savior, and we need a life change. He is the only way we will get it!

---

Your Monday Moment

How do you view the word “love”?

Is there someone in your life who needs the unselfish love like Christ?

How can I be praying for you this week?