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The Definition of Love – Longsuffering

Love is an aspect of God’s nature which is manifested in seeking the best for the one loved. This attribute of His nature was shown to the disciples in the person of Jesus and shared with all those who believed their message so that even today we see the love of God manifested through the Church. This character is not from humans and in all actuality before God showed us love humans did not know what it was. At best our quality of love only seeks the best for the one loving – we sacrifice for something we want, not for the benefit of another. Now that the world has seen God’s quality of love through the Church, today the world has decided it can show this type of love without God. However, since the world can only mimic what is sees from Christians, for it does not know God, it perverts the love of God into that of human love and tries to claim it is at the very least as good of a love, if not better – for it is all inclusive. Sadly, many assemblies today have accepted this worldly love in place of God’s love. But allowing someone to continue doing things that are harmful to themselves is not love at all. Since we have a lot of “fake” love today, it is important for us to know what classifies as the love of God. That is, we need to know the real thing so that we can easily identify when it is being expressed by a Christian and when an unbeliever, or carnal Christian, is trying to mimic it with a human quality of love.

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 we are […]

The Definition of Love – Longsuffering2023-12-14T08:36:55-08:00

The Definition of Love – Seeking to Usurp the Love of God

If with the tongues of men and angels I speak, but do not have love, I become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy and I perceive all mysteries and know all things, and I have all faith so that to move a mountain, but do not have love I am nothing. And if I give all my goods and if I give my body in order to be burned, but do not have love, it profits nothing – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

As Christians, we are instructed to love one another as Christ loved us. Our commandment is to love the brethren and when we are loving we will not violate any law. However, there is also a love related to the world system that often gets mixed into the true love we are to show towards those of the Church.

A new commandment I give to you, in order that you should love one another just as I have loved you, in order that also you should love one another – John 13:34

I recently encountered an example of this worldly type of love in a story of a barber that goes down to the local park in his city each week, bringing his own power and supplies, to offer free haircuts to the homeless. Now at first this may seem like a wonderful thing to do. Even perhaps an expression of love. But is it God’s quality of love, or a human love that is seeking to usurp the love of God?

The love of God seeks the best for the one loved. Is offering a benefit to those who refuse to work an expression of God’s love or human […]

The Definition of Love – Seeking to Usurp the Love of God2023-12-14T08:37:21-08:00

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – Teaching

Another aspect of experiencing the Holy Spirit is through how He teaches us.

And you, the anointing that you received from Him abides in you and you do not have need in order that someone should teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true and is not a lie, even just as He teaches you abide in Him. – 1 John 2:27

Abiding is a term that is used to describe how we occupy a space and is typically used of a place you are very comfortable in. Abiding in Christ involves feeling at ease with who we are in Christ, which encompasses every aspect of our salvation and the new relationship we now have with God.

In John 15, Jesus revealed the new type of relationship we, those of the church, would have with Him and God by using a vine and branches to explain how we would be in Him and He would be in us and this relationship requires us to rely on Him for all good fruit that we produce, or rather that is produces in us.

I am the vine and My Father is the vinedresser – John 15:1

I am the vine and you are the branches, the one abiding in me, and I in him, this one bears much fruit because apart from Me you are not able to do anything – John 15:5

John is not saying that we do not need someone to teach us, as Christ gave gives to the Church for the purpose of teaching us and bringing us into a oneness of faith so that we are not tossed around by every teaching of men using […]

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – Teaching2023-12-14T08:39:05-08:00

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – Walking

I say, all of you walk by [the] Spirit and you will not bring to maturity the desires of the flesh – Galatians 5:16

Walking is a term used to describe how we generally manage our lives. Prior to being saved we walked according to the age of this world, which is a malignantly evil period. We had a lifestyle that was controlled by the futility of the mind.

in which once all of you walked according to the age of this world, according to the head of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of the disobedience – Ephesians 2:2

Therefore, I say and testify in the Lord, you are to no longer walk according to also the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their minds, Ephesians 4:17

Now we are God’s children and are to walk in the light. This is a lifestyle that rejects the works of the flesh and seeks to fulfil the desires of the Spirit so that we are fellowshipping with God.

If perhaps we should say that we are having fellowship with Him and we are walking in the darkness, we are lying and are not doing the truth. – 1 John 1:6

But if perhaps we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son keeps on cleaning us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7

We have a walk that is through faith, not through sight. This means we base our lifestyle upon the promise that God has given to us.

For we walk through faith, not through sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7

God […]

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – Walking2023-12-14T08:40:44-08:00

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – Leading

Now that we understand that the Holy Spirit communicates His desires to us through the desires we get to do what is right and obey God’s desirous will in our lives, we can start to follow those desires and be led by Him.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God – Romans 8:14

As part of our salvation, our bounds have been marked off to the placement of sons. This means we are in a special place of privilege that is not under governor or tutors – not under law. Being a son has nothing to do with the sex of a person, this is referring to a position of maturity.

having marked off our bounds to the placement of sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself according to the good pleasure of His desirous will – Ephesians 1:5

Now I say, up until as long a time as the heir is an inarticulate babbler, he differs nothing from a slave, being lord of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the placement by the Father – Galatians 4:1-2

As sons we are then led by the Holy Spirit, not by law.

And since you are led by the Spirit you are not under law – Galatians 5:18

The righteous live out from faith, not by law. Law is not out from faith. Living out the life we have in Christ is not done by pseudo obeying the Ten Commandments, it is done by walking in faith.

for God’s righteousness is revealed in it out from faith into faith. Just as it is written, the […]

Experiencing the Holy Spirit – Leading2023-12-14T08:41:17-08:00
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