Genuine Love!

There are a lot of people who talk about love who don't really know what love is. Individuals may even express it verbally to others while failing to demonstrate it in its truest sense. They might say, "If you love me. . ." simply to persuade someone to do what they selfishly want for themselves. That's not love. Some also think love is merely getting physically intimate with another, but that can take place without there being any love at all! We need to understand love God's Way! Looking at the love of God and how it was demonstrated through the life of Jesus, we should understand genuine love to be characterized by GIVING and considering other's BEST INTERESTS. When we read the characteristics Paul listed in his first letter to the church at Corinth ( 1 Corinthians 13:4-8) we should see how selfless genuine love truly is.

As Paul brought his letter to the church at Ephesus to a close, he stated. . .
"(24) Grace be with all who LOVE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH LOVE INCORRUPTIBLE." ( Ephesians 6:24 ESV)

"INCORRUPTIBLE" love! The Greek word translated "incorruptible" is "aphtharsia". The adjective "aphthartos" ("a", negative) means not liable to corruption or decay in the sense of being incorruptible as is translated in the English Standard Version. This love is a LIVING love. It has LASTING power. It grows rather than fading or decaying away.

Isn't that the kind of love the Lord has for us? Should it not be the kind of love we then have for Him? Should it not also be the kind of love we have for one another as well? No wonder Paul said of this genuine love that it "never ends" (ESV), "never fails" (NKJV) or "but not ever falls" (Greek; in the sense of losing its force). ( 1 Corinthians 13:8) May we continue to maintain such a never ending love.

Have a great day MAKING TRUE LOVE KNOWN!
Carl

See other teEn-MAIL on Love