FAITH, HOPE and LOVE

Scripture: 1 Corin.13 Now abideth Faith, Hope, Love, these three, but the greatest of these is LOVE. 

So let’s look first at Love, and essentially the love of GOD, for GOD is LOVE, and therefore all true Love comes from GOD.  Yet we are made in the image of GOD, and therefore we have built into our very nature, the capacity to love. Indeed GOD commands us to love Him. See Deut. 6-5, Matt.22-37/40.  Likewise our neighbour;  but who is our neighbour? 

Jesus shows us that it is not just the person living next door, but the person who is in need.

 There are three Greek words for love, Agape, Philos and Eros and these 3 relate to our spirit, soul and body.  All three were good and holy as they came from GOD.

 Agape love is Divine Love, it is the love with which He loves us, and is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us, Rom.5-5, so that we may love Him with His divine love. It is the love by which we should love one another, for as the Scripture says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, by your love one to another”.

 Philos is the love of the soul, particularly in friendship, and includes the love of art, music, beauty.

the animal creation and all the wonderful works of GOD.  It should fill our hearts with Praise  !

 Eros refers to the natural side of love as between husband and wife, and was given as a bond to make two one, and also for the procreation of children, a very precious and blessed gift.

It is a great pity that, man in his sinful state,  has desecrated and made common, that which was pure and holy.

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