Saturday, June 30, 2007

LOVE--LAW--FAITH


LOVE: Luke 6:27-36 -- the power of love
Mathew 7:12 and Galatians 5:14 -- the quality of love
Romans 13:8-10 -- love is a debt to my neighbor
love is an attitude towards my neighbor
1 Timothy 1:4-11 -- the heart of love [good conscience, pure heart, unfeigned faith]: the vain jangling of the law [having turned from love]: the righteous use of the law [for the lawless and disobedient]
1 Thessalonians 4:9/10 -- love taught to us by GOD -- needs to increase more and more
1 Thessalonians 3:12/13 -- increase in love >>> blamelessness -- accomplished by GOD


LAW: Galatians 3:19-29 -- "the schoolmaster" NOT, 'the life giver', which brings us to CHRIST
so we could be justified by faith>>>making us children of GOD and seed of Abraham -- which was promised by GOD (see Divine Nature).
Romans 7:10-14 -- the magnifier
Hebrews 7:16 -- it's carnal

FAITH: 1 Timothy 1:4 "...godly edifying" is in faith - If you want to build someone up teach them, admonish them to believe - trust - have faith in___. We do not build a brother up by throwing law at them .... we do build a brother up demonstrating faith in our own lives and by loving them .... and that is not a 'tough love' as todays man likes to say .... love is gentle and kind, it bears and endures everything, it believes all things and it thinks no evil, concerns itself with your concerns is not self centered, (1 Cor. 13):: hardly sounds like tough love to me, rather sounds compassionate, giving, understanding, selfless.
In this text in Timothy we see a direct correlation between love, that purely and simply trusts, -- and, "godly edifying", which is found in faith (and not law). He states that the love of 1 Tim.1:5 is the rest of the commandment, which actually starts by saying what not to teach, and what to teach.

WHAT NOT TO TEACH;
no other doctrine
no fables
no endless genealogies

This generates questions, not godly edifying
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WHAT TO TEACH:
love: out of a pure heart;
from a good conscience;
from faith unfeigned
This generates godly edifying
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Those who have turned from this commandment of 1 Timothy
are those who desire to be teachers of the law; and they do not understand what they are teaching and whereof they teach. They are vainly jangling on and on .... about what? They know not! This is in direct conflict of the principle of LOVING someone to their edification - to the building up of them. It may sound corney the way I stated it but simply put if I'm teaching law and not love and faith I am vainly rambling on and on about what I know not and where it came from I do not understand.

Perhaps a few definitions of words used thus far:

1. "unfeigned" = 'undissembled', ie. sincere; 'it's not not sincere'
(a double negative emphasizing the sincerity of the faith)
not tainted with doubt and hypocrisy.

2. "lawfully": to parcel out according to or in agreement with the law (list of rules):
I.E. using the law the way it was intended to be used not in way or the way it was NOT intended.

This poses a seriously important principle, which is, the law has an intended use and an unintended use. HOW ARE YOU AND I USING IT? and WHAT IS THAT INTENDED USE?

3. righteous man: "equitable" (in character or in act);
by implication, holy (either absolute holiness, or relative holiness)
"innocent"; example 2 Chronicles 19:2/3 , I mean no harm - no ill - only fairness
This is the heart and this is the character of love. cf. Psalm 7:10

The law is not intended for this person>>>the righteous man. If you or I or anyone else imposes law on a man whose heart intends that which is equitable to all, that is to say, a righteous heart, then the law is being used by you or I unlawfully. This principle cannot go unnoticed nor unheeded, for to use the law unlawfully is to destroy innocents - to destroy the which harbors no guile. Remember the definition of righteous? "innocent" [holy, either absolute holiness or relative holiness]. It is the intent of the heart where innocents is found and it is there one must look for righteousness else one will discern evil and weal the law against it, when in fact there is no evil there at all. It is about the pure intent of the heart verses the impure satisfying of the carnal mind. The law was intended for; the lawless, disobedient ('unruly'), ungodly, sinners,unholy,and profane, murderers of fathers and of mothers, man-slayers, whore-mongers, those that defile themselves with mankind, men-stealers (kidnappers), perjured persons, and anything contrary to sound doctrine: All these in need of JESUS CHRIST; when a person accepts JESUS as LORD and Savior then the Spirit comes into the heart and begins conforming the heart to the image of CHRIST: Hence, the filling/fruit of the Spirit (being, love joy, peace, gentleness, etc. Gal.5), sanctification, atonement/justification; all these oppose the preceding list of law 'needers', and all these need not the law any longer, hence all these regenerated persons live not by law but by love/faith.
In affect and actuality, the filling of the Spirit >>> the fruit of the Spirit which is in part love, and love fulfills the law. None of this will take place without the faith in JESUS CHRIST, and His propitiation (1 John 1) on my behalf, and the continued faith (belief) in what GOD says - This therefore by affect makes me righteous and fills me with the love of and love for the LORD GOD and my neighbor. Love for the LORD GOD our Father spawns the love for neighbor (1John 4/5) which works no ill towards my neighbor (romans 13) and thereby the fulfillment of the law takes place of it's own accord - the very nature of love - and I am in no need of law.: Law which was given as a schoolmaster to lead me to CHRIST (Galatians 3) I need no longer the schoolmaster (which was there at the cross - (Colossians 2 and Ephesians
2) - NOW I CAN LOVE.

Let us examine 1 Thesselonians 3:11/12
1. "...the LORD make you" .... not we make ourselves
2. "make me abound" .... not a little but abundance - lots of
3. abound in love ... what abounds in me? LOVE
TO WHAT END? WHY?
1. He may establish....He establishes - not me
2. establish my heart...It is a case of the heart - What's in my heart?
3. unblameable in holiness....it's holiness in my heart .
It is GOD establishing my heart
with a love that abounds for Him and others,
and the end result is a heart that is holy -
innocent and pure in heart BUT not necessarily in flesh
(the carnal mind - see Romans 8).

IT"S IN THE HEART
IT"S LOVE

and
IT"S WHAT MAKES ME HOLY ---
NOT LAW!!

AND HE,
GOD, the LORD, our FATHER

is the one who puts it there!!!

Love in the heart - in abundance - brings about holiness in the heart
and,
"out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" - Matthew 12
and
as a man "thinks in his heart, so is he" - Proverbs 23

NOTE: it is all about the heart...It's love in the heart....It's holiness in the heart...It's the work of GOD in the heart... It' as a man thinks in the heart... It's the issues of life in the heart... and it is the heart that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17) --- HERE IN THE HEART IS WHERE THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE TAKES PLACE _ IT IS NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD THAT WE ARE FIGHTING ---

1 Thessolonians 4:9/10 --- GOD teaches us to love
This is quite self explanatory and needs no expounding. It says what it says. It means what it says. It is simple and concise. THEN, there ought not be any room for debate nor neglect here -- GOD teaches His people to love, and encourages, admonishes, beseeches us to increasing that love --- IE. bigger hearts for others - loving more and more our brothers and sisters in the LORD,,, our neighbors. Reaching beyond our own little community.
NOTE: >>The 1st and great commandment is to love the LORD our GOD with all our hearts' minds' souls' and strength; the 2nd is like unto it "Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang everything (law and prophets). The Word of God hangs on love. But we see that love is not of us but of GOD - It's His doing - He loves and teaches us to do likewise.
So what does all this academic knowledge tell me? It tells me that love is something GOD produces in my heart. It is not the result of me exercising my will to dominate my carnal being (my outward appearance) and conforming it to some law. It is a fruit (or the fruit) of the Spirit in me. The issues of life are in the heart not the flesh. To achieve holiness must be through the heart by love and that is not my doing. I must trust the LORD GOD to bring it about in me.
(Job 23). Israel made the sacrifices but their heart was "far from" GOD and He did not accept that. If it is not from the heart it is NOT! And He alone knows the heart, and He only can change it. (Jeremiah 17: Psalm 139: Deuteronomy 30)

The method and means to holiness IS love in the heart for and by GOD.
1st Timothy 1:4-11...1st Thessalonians 3:12&13...1st Thessalonians 4:9&10
Love fulfills the law...Romans 13

The method and means to knowing the depth and height and breadth and length of GOD, is love
for Him. Ephesians 3.. Love passes knowledge


Without love a person,
is nothing,
profits nothing,
and is a harsh sound to the ear.
1 Corinthians 13
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GOD is love.
1 John 4
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GOD, via the Holy Spirit, sheds love in our hearts
Romans 5
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Love is the fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5
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Love is not a respecter of persons
James 2
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Love works no ill toward it's neighbor
Romans 13
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Love is the greatest thing abiding in this world
1 Corinthians 13

Some characteristics of love:
a. does good to those who hate me...Luke 6
b. blesses them that curse me...Matthew 5
c. prays for them that despietfully use me...Matthew 5
d. when one hits me on the cheek I turn to them the other cheek
...Luke 6
e. he that steals my things is offered more of my things...Luke 6 :25-
f. he that asks from me gets from me...Luke 6:25-

I would say that although verses 20-26 preclude and seem to speak of something different then verses 27-36 they are not excluded from the train of thought - that is to say that love extends beyond my circle of friend, associations and acceptance, to those who would be my enemies (by their choice, by their personal convictions and beliefs). But does, in fact, 20-26 go with 27-36?? Well, there is the statement "But I say unto you which hear...", which connects these two sets of verses, that's an indication they do.
SO, let's look at what is stated by our LORD previous to His admonition of verses 27-36.
GOD pronounces woes to two distinctly different groups of people;

BLESSINGS******** vs.********* WOES
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the poor ___________________the rich
the hungry now ________________the full
the sorrowful now ______________the laughing
the hated ____________________the well spoken of
the reproached
the outcast for Jesus' sake

So this is you or I - we're poor, hungry,sorrowful,hated,reproached, cast out; and what does He say we ought concern ourself with in the face of this circumstance of life? LOVE, and do we love? our enemy? - those who are rich, full, laughing,well spoken of, casting us out, reproaching us? [Love has no boundary - it is no respecter of persons (James). Real love, true love, agape' love, covers all sin, sees no evil, thinks no evil, does not differentiate one person from another - the lovely and the unlovely alike are recipient to the act of 'love unconditional'.]
AND
WHAT OR WHOM CAN BE THAT?
WHO CAN LOVE SUCH A WAY as GOD who commended His love to us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5)?
How can, I by the nature of my heart, be this?
If I consider the characteristics of love in 1st Corinthians 13; which are,
long-suffering, kind, not envious (even of those who are rich, laughing, full, and well spoken of), does not promote itself, is not arrogant, does not behave unseemly, does not seek it's own, not easily provoked (even when reproached and unjustly cast aside), thinks no evil (how tough is that? -- we are prone to judge others behavior, motives, and thoughts), does not rejoice in iniquity (again, we are prone to judge the heart, it's condition and motives, in our brother and/or neighbor), does rejoice in the truth, bears all things (even the reproaches and misuse of others to our person; even the rejection and threatening by others toward us), believes all things (sounds like I trust and am not suspicious of you), hopes all things ( always knows it will be better), endures all things (does it ever give up???), Never Fails (NEVER is a BIG word and a l o n g time). HOW in the world - How on GOD'S green earth can I possibly be that??
How can I possibly conform myself to that kind of a person???? How can I possibly treat others, from my heart, as I would that they treat me (Matthew 7)? - How will this, on which the law and the prophets hang (Matthew 7, and Galatians 5), be me? How will this love (which fulfills the law-Romans 13) be in my heart for GOD and my neighbor? (Matthew22)
The thing that comes first to my mind in regards to the texts of scripture afore mentioned is that there is a direct connection between love, and, the law and the prophets. The law & prophets "hang" on love. The word hang used here is the same word found in Acts28:4 when the "venomous beast", or viper, hung on the Apostle Paul's hand. The viper had come "out of the heat" of the fire and latched onto Paul's hand and hung there. The law and the prophets hang on love; with their jaws they have bitten unto love and hang there only to fall to the ground if love is removed. The viper is just a snake slithering around on the ground with no threat, no aggression, no noticeable behavior until it latches onto someone with it's venomous teeth; then it becomes a force to reckon with. It is a beast with a very pointed and direct interaction with it's victim. Love is the strength of the law and the prophets: They have no meaning, no power, no substance without love, (1 Corinthians 13).
"Love is the fulfilling of the law" according to Romans 13:8-10: In fact, the statements made there include the statement that 'any and all commandment' "are briefly comprehended in this one saying, namely, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself." The fulfilling of the law is not accomplished by trying to fulfill the law: It is accomplished by love. The law is all summed up in one word, love.
The word 'comprehend' comes from a word which means "to make a point", "to strike on the head". In other words to put it in todays slang, "you hit the nail on the head" or "you nailed it". When I talk about fulfilling the law and I say I love my neighbor just like I love myself, I have hit the nail on the head; I have stated the law in it's entirety. If I could love, unconditionally, my neighbor the law would be fulfilled - the whole law. It is loving your neighbor as you love yourself - it is doing to my neighbor the way I would like my neighbor to do me.
When GOD says in Luke 6
"...pray for them that despitefully use you.",
"...do good to them that hate you.",
"...bless them that curse you.",
He is saying, love them; do to them the way you want them to do to you
. This is what the law and the prophets are about. It's all about how we treat one another. It's all about what is in my heart regarding GOD and regarding my neighbor: No matter what He or my neighbor does to me I still love them. THIS IS NOT love that becomes real by me following the 'rules of love', or a formula, or a check list of things love does and does not do. This is a love that is in me, which by it's very nature acts such and such away - it is the way love acts. That is why GOD states "love is the fulfilling of the law"; because IT (LOVE) fulfills not I. He does not say 'If I love I fulfill the law' - love is doing the fulfilling.
AND GOD IS LOVE, and THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE. GOD filling me up with Himself, fills me up with His love and hence through me loves you (I.E. my neighbor). His nature living inside my heart, living through me, expressing Himself through me. I do not do the loving and expressing; rather You, my heavenly Father, loves through me; I'm merely the vessel you do it in, through, and/or with me.

This concludes this first essay on love, law, and faith; Much much more is to be seen in GOD'S Word regarding love and we shall see that as this blog continues to grow, FOUNDATIONAL (located on the ...MISSION'S web site), is completed, and THE BIG PICTURE, which is a thorough study of the Word - cover to cover - and which FOUNDATIONAL introduces, is published on line. So keep coming back. and remember, this is my heart put on paper as GOD through His Spirit (using the Word) has taught me of Himself and I in turn sharing it with you in a form that hopefully challenges and stimulates you to study His Word for yourself.














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