What’s Love Got to Do With It?
This was a secular song awhile back, the world thinks we can do without love, but
the Bible tells us something different. We are told many times in the Bible “the just
shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38).
In II Corinthians 5:7 the Bible says “for we walk by faith and not by sight”. We are
also told that faith without works is dead (James 2:14-17,20,26) “what does it
profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and have not works? If a
brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food. And one of you say to
them, depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give then
not those things which are needful to the body, what does it profit? Even so, faith,
if it has not works is dead, being alone. But will you know, O vain man, that faith
without works is dead? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without
works is dead also.
We are told that faith works by love (I Corinthians 13), verses 1-3 says “though I
speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become
as sounding brass, or a inkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so
that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I
bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,
and have not charity, it profits me nothing”. So that faith without love does not
work. Therefore love is the key that makes it all work (verses 8, 13 says) “charity
never fails, but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail, whether there be
tongues, they shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. And
now abides faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity”.
Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment? In Matthew 22:37-40
“Jesus said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And
the second is like to it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets”. This tells us first that the
commandments are not of the law and have been done away with, and that when
we do these two commandments we have fulfilled all. This sound like what we just
read in chapter 13 of I Corinthians; verses 4-7 shows us what love is, “charity
suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed
up. Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked,
thinks no evil. Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”. Jesus tells us to love our
enemies (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27) in Luke 6:35 it says “but love you your
enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall
be great and you shall be the children of the Highest for He is kind to the
unthankful and to the evil”. When you sow love, you are entering into the sowing
and reaping law (Galatians 6:7-9) “be not deceived, God is not mocked, for
whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall
of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap
life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall
reap, if we faint not”.
Love is a character of God and we being made in His image and likeness should
have that character (I John 3:14-18) “we know that we have passed from death to
life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death.
Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has
eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God because He laid
down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But
whoso has this world’s good, and see his brother have need, and shuts up his
heart of mercy from him, how dwells the love of God in him? My little children, let
us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth”. In I John 4:7-8,16
the Bible says “beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and every one
that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God, for
God is love. And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God
is love, and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him”.
Just like it was God who gave us the measure of faith (Romans 12:3) “God has
dealt to every man the measure of faith”. God also provides the love (Romans 5:
5) “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to
us”.
According to the kingdom of God, love has everything to do with it. This is why the
devil tries so hard to get people off the love walk. Remember where strife is there
is confusion and every evil thing (James 3:16). We overcome evil with good. Your
faith won’t work without love, and without faith it is impossible to please God
(Hebrews 11:6). The devil gets jealous when we please God, and will bring all
kinds of people in our path to get us off the love walk. As we learn this truth, and
meditate on this, it will be harder for the devil to devour us.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 29, 2008
This was a secular song awhile back, the world thinks we can do without love, but
the Bible tells us something different. We are told many times in the Bible “the just
shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38).
In II Corinthians 5:7 the Bible says “for we walk by faith and not by sight”. We are
also told that faith without works is dead (James 2:14-17,20,26) “what does it
profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and have not works? If a
brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food. And one of you say to
them, depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give then
not those things which are needful to the body, what does it profit? Even so, faith,
if it has not works is dead, being alone. But will you know, O vain man, that faith
without works is dead? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without
works is dead also.
We are told that faith works by love (I Corinthians 13), verses 1-3 says “though I
speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become
as sounding brass, or a inkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so
that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I
bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,
and have not charity, it profits me nothing”. So that faith without love does not
work. Therefore love is the key that makes it all work (verses 8, 13 says) “charity
never fails, but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail, whether there be
tongues, they shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. And
now abides faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity”.
Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment? In Matthew 22:37-40
“Jesus said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And
the second is like to it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets”. This tells us first that the
commandments are not of the law and have been done away with, and that when
we do these two commandments we have fulfilled all. This sound like what we just
read in chapter 13 of I Corinthians; verses 4-7 shows us what love is, “charity
suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed
up. Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked,
thinks no evil. Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”. Jesus tells us to love our
enemies (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27) in Luke 6:35 it says “but love you your
enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall
be great and you shall be the children of the Highest for He is kind to the
unthankful and to the evil”. When you sow love, you are entering into the sowing
and reaping law (Galatians 6:7-9) “be not deceived, God is not mocked, for
whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall
of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap
life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall
reap, if we faint not”.
Love is a character of God and we being made in His image and likeness should
have that character (I John 3:14-18) “we know that we have passed from death to
life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death.
Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has
eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God because He laid
down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But
whoso has this world’s good, and see his brother have need, and shuts up his
heart of mercy from him, how dwells the love of God in him? My little children, let
us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth”. In I John 4:7-8,16
the Bible says “beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and every one
that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God, for
God is love. And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God
is love, and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him”.
Just like it was God who gave us the measure of faith (Romans 12:3) “God has
dealt to every man the measure of faith”. God also provides the love (Romans 5:
5) “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to
us”.
According to the kingdom of God, love has everything to do with it. This is why the
devil tries so hard to get people off the love walk. Remember where strife is there
is confusion and every evil thing (James 3:16). We overcome evil with good. Your
faith won’t work without love, and without faith it is impossible to please God
(Hebrews 11:6). The devil gets jealous when we please God, and will bring all
kinds of people in our path to get us off the love walk. As we learn this truth, and
meditate on this, it will be harder for the devil to devour us.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 29, 2008
