THE GIFT OF LOVE

7.

THE GIFT OF LOVE

We have examined the impossible command given to us by Jesus - to love others in the same way that He loves us. This unconditional love of even our enemies is not humanly possible for fallen mankind. It is this very reason that the history of the world is plagued with hatred, horrific wars, and unthinkable massacres.

While I doubt that if you are reading this book, you are contemplating a massacre, I am quite sure that you (and I) struggle with truly loving those that do not love us. Sometimes we struggle with loving those that do love us!

The New Testament is not called the Good News for no good reason! The Good News about God’s commandments, and the new commandment to love as Jesus loves, is all made possible in and through our relationship with Christ.

The best news? Love is a gift! As a matter of fact, the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:13 that love is the greatest of all gifts. That resonates with me because Jesus tells us that the commands to love God and our neighbor are the greatest commandments.

IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT WE ARE GIVEN THE GREATEST GIFT TO FULFILL THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT!

I find the ways of God so absolutely amazing, so completely expressive of His Fatherly love that both requires and provides for His children at the same time. It is a beautiful picture of what earthly parenting should look like as well.

In writing to the Corinthian church, Paul spends a great deal of time teaching them regarding spiritual gifts. We hear that term frequently, but it is doubtful that we have indeed grasped the full impact of what the term spiritual gifts actually means. In 1 Corinthians 12:1, Paul begins to teach on the spiritual gifts. The word “spiritual” in the Greek is “pneumatikos”, pronounced “pnyoo-mat-ik-os’”. In this context pneumatikos means non-carnal or non-human, divinely supernatural, and regenerate.11

The word gift is “charisma”, pronounced “khar’-is-mah”. It means in this context a divine endowment, a free gift, and a favor one receives without any merit.12 The gift given without merit is the very essence of the word grace, or “charis” in the Greek, a beautiful word that means “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, of the merciful kindness of God by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith,

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Retrieved 06/12/22 from https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/ fuseaction/Lexicon.show/ID/G4152/pneumatikos.htm

Retrieved 06/19/22 from https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/

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knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.”13

By now I hope you begin to see the true magnificence of what God the Creator has given us through Jesus Christ is His Son. We are called to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Why? Not because He needs anything from us, but simply, and wondrously because He wants us to be in a love relationship with Him. The God of the universe wants us, not because we have earned a relationship with Him, but because he is offering us charis - grace - the merciful kindness that is the purest of gifts.

Because of the gift of love from the Holy Spirit, we are equipped and empowered to actually walk in love, as Paul instructs the church in Ephesus 5:2, “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” In context, the Greek word for walk is “peripateó”, pronounced “per-ee-pat-eh’-o”, and refers to walking a full circle around.14 Once again, we see the full circle illustrated -God’s love and gift of love to us enables us to fully live in love.

The question then becomes about the gift - receiving the gift of love. How does one receive this gift? Is it given to all believers or just a few? We can answer the questions by asking questions. When we seek God for wisdom, He promises to answer us. Remember that “the Word of God is living and active.” (Hebr. 4:12). So, pray, ask God for wisdom, and dig deep into His Word to answer the questions. Include the Scripture you use in your answers.

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Retrieved 06/19/22 from https://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/ greek/nas/charis.html

PERSONAL APPLICATION

Who is the giver of the gift? Is there a biblical requirement to receive the gift? If so, please describe it.

Would God require you to do something that He does not equip you for? Why or why not?

Is there a difference between receiving and activating a gift of God?

What is your greatest challenge in receiving God’s love for yourself?

What can you do to activate and walk in love?

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-13