Connecting The Dots - Week 2 Notes

Connecting The Dots Week 2

“Love”

Key Verse: “We love, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

 

What is Love? What are the characteristics of Love the way God defines it?

 

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

 

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Love is not afraid to get dirty. Real Love is no respecter of position or authority. (Luke 10:26-37)

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Love does not call down into the pit and point to a ladder, Real Love becomes the ladder. (James 2:14-18) (1 John 3:18-22)

 

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Love is no respecter of appearances, it sees through to the heart of the matter, it holds on, and it always stays. (Matthew 15:22-28, John 14:18-19)

 

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Love can be uncomfortable, it is rarely convenient, and will certainly cost us something. (Luke 9:23-24)

 

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Love gets down in the muck, it washes us clean in giving and receiving; ultimately, real Love begets Love. (Philippians 2:5-11)

 

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)

God as “Love”. How does that manifest in our lives?

Coming to know God as Love requires that we see our fallen condition, cry out, and then receive His mercy. However, upon our truly understanding that "God is Love" there is an involuntary response. This imparts to us an equity of redemption in the way we view everyone and everything from that point forward.  

 

 So how does that look to you?

 

 For me it has been in relationship with Jesus and with people; that real sacrificial Love is not just feelings and warm fuzziness, rather it is a daily choice I make to say "Yes I will" or, "No I won't", despite every flaw, the things that irritate me beyond rational thought, and the hum drum of the everyday. It is the preciousness of exclusivity, the “Yes” of daily choosing to love that says “I remember, I will notice the little things that endear and endure.” It is daily by my actions exchanging my will and the desires of my heart for His will and His desires for me.
 

How we Love. The “why” is as important as the “what”.

“For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

The King James Version of the Bible says His love"constrains" us so I looked that word up.

Constrain: Verb

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Severely restrict the scope, extent, or activity of.

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Compel or force (someone) toward a particular course of action.

 

 I had occasion one time to meet and fellowship with two guys straight off the mission field from South Africa. The total abandon they had, the hunger for God and their desire to share the Love of Jesus Christ was palpable. One of them said (paraphrasing), "It's more important for me to Love you than to be right". I initially took issue with that until The Holy Spirit rose up in me and reminded me of something my good friend had shared that also initially had given me pause. "Live without pretending" and "Speak without offending".  

I asked myself and God, how anyone could possibly do both? The following morning in my prayer time both statements became crystal clear as His answer to me; "Love one another, just as I have loved you, so you should love one another" (John 13:34-35). Beginning there, my walk with God in Christ is authentic. Beginning there I understand better why and how to Love like He does.

Discussion: Think of some examples from your own life when God has moved in a similar way. What might you do to bring your “why” and “how” more into alignment with John 13:34-35?