Love, What it’s Worth
In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we are told that in Christ we are new
creations. It therefore results in the
fact that we are different than what we once were. However, in our old environment, bodies, and
habits we are tempted and tossed by trials.
Praise God therefore for the work sanctification and the truths of
Romans 8. Along those lines, I want to
discuss the urgent need to rethink our lives and to consider God’s ways as we
should be applying them. (This is the essence of Romans 12)
Additionally to our introduction, 1 John 2:15-17 warns us to
not love the world nor the things in it.
We should keep this in mind, especially when it comes to values,
decision making, and the joy of life. Mathematically, we could say that when we
love God it yields a love for people.
The entire book of first John supports this. It also teaches that if we love people, love
things of the world, and love the experiences of life more than God, it will
yield a wavering love for God.
Love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 gives us great understanding.
As I said a moment ago, because we are new creations, yet
living in the old parameters of the sin nature, temptations, habits, and
influences, we need sanctification. We
have many ingrained presuppositions to the way that we think.
Mathematically, verses 1-3 share that
·
Love is > (greater than) Abilities
·
Abilities-love=worthlessness
It is to our benefit to consider these things. As pride and
motives are often the driving force, rather than love, in our decision
making. We are greatly renewed to
reconsider our motives, actions, and goals in light of the value of love. Think of this, we spend much of our lives
striving, laboring, and preoccupied with achievements, and yet for what
end? What are we really living for?
Real love, in essence, is seeing the glorification of
someone other than ourselves. It is an
active belief that it is just to honor something or someone above our own
interests.
This is why all should love God. All other targets of love are unjust, for God alone is holy. For God to love Himself is not wrong, for He alone is worthy. It is just that God display His glory for glorification of anything or anyone other than the One True Holy God is idolatry. For God to be God He must both display His glory and not compromise it. Jonathan Edwards discussed this whole premise in The End For Which God Created The World.
Lets look at these actions and achievements that the old self strives
for without love
Spiritually Speaking
in heavenly tongues yields a clanging gong or crashing cymbal
Mentally Understanding
prophesy yields nothing
Understanding
mysteries
Faith
to move mountains
Physically Give
away possessions yields
nothing
Sacrifice
Faith
to stand in the fire
The idea of the body being given to be burned is akin to
Daniel’s friends in the fiery furnace.
In Christianity success and betterment is the equivalent of
who you are.
It is measured by your love for others.
Again, we MUST rethink, as new creations, the life we are to
be about.
Consider now, John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have
eternal life.
What kind of love are you living for Him? How should you live accordingly?
