Is Love Really the Greatest?

[iLOVE]

When you receive God's love you will know how to love. The grace of God is, "I am going to love you first". Then you will know how to love yourself and other people. If you don't receive that God loves you, you will not be able to love your wife as Christ loved the church until you figure out that God loves you. Only then will you be able to walk in that kind of love.

 

[Spockrates]

No question about it. The ability to believe something we can not see is the gift of God.

Yes, and I think what you said is true. Our love is greater than faith and hope because of these three, only love will last. Well said!

 

[Spockrates]

So it seems, Jethro we now know why love is greater than faith and hope, but is it greatest of all?

 

[Spockrates]

When you receive God's love you will know how to love. The grace of God is, "I am going to love you first". Then you will know how to love yourself and other people. If you don't receive that God loves you, you will not be able to love your wife as Christ loved the church until you figure out that God loves you. Only then will you be able to walk in that kind of love.

Are you saying it is love that discerns how to love?

 

[iLOVE]

Hope produces faith.

Could you please post the scripture on this.

 

[iLOVE]

When you receive God's love you will know how to love. The grace of God is, "I am going to love you first". Then you will know how to love yourself and other people. If you don't receive that God loves you, you will not be able to love your wife as Christ loved the church until you figure out that God loves you. Only then will you be able to walk in that kind of love.

Are you saying it is love that discerns how to love?

Yes, love from God only!

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Hope produces faith.

Could you please post the scripture on this.

With pleasure (I almost did when I made that post).

"...we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel " (Colossians 1:4-5 NIV)

 

[Jethro Bodine]

So it seems, Jethro we now know why love is greater than faith and hope, but is it greatest of all?

It is the end-all of the Christian faith. It's what being in Christ is ALL about. He did not save us to be theological giants. He saved us to be like Him. He saved us to restore his image in us that was lost in Adam and Eve--when mankind started reproducing the image of fallen man.

As Paul said, you can be good at a lot of things but if you do not excel in this matter of love you have settled for much less than God has ordained for man. There is nothing greater for a human to do and be than to do and 'be' the love of God.

 

[iLOVE]

"...we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel " (Colossians 1:4-5 NIV)

Paul is linking the three together...faith, love, and hope (Colossians 1:4-5 NIV). See Romans 5:3-5 NASB what produces hope.

 

[Maedchen]

"Love is, above all, the gift of oneself."
--Jean Anouilh, Ardèle

Jesus died on the cross in order to enable us to live forever.
He said:"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

As we believe that Jesus is God, it can be said that God gave Himself for us. As God is without doubt The Greatest, the giving of Himself was the giving of the Greatest. If the gift of oneself is love (first quote above), then God defined it as the greatest. Hence John 3:16 is a key verse of the bible.

 

[iLOVE]

Paul is linking the three together...faith, love, and hope (Colossians 1:4-5 NIV). See Romans 5:3-5 NASB what produces hope.

It is in there! I looked and couldn't find it, lol. I found the Romans scripture, but not the one in Colossans which states it plainly. I didn't look hard enough!

Where does faith come from? Faith is not something we conjure up on our own, nor is it something we are born with, nor is faith a result of diligence in study or pursuit of the spiritual. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that faith is a gift from God, not because we deserve it, have earned it, or are worthy to have it. It is not from ourselves; it is from God. It is not obtained by our power or our free will. It is simply given to us by God, along with His grace and mercy, according to His holy plan and purpose, and because of that, He gets all the glory.



Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-faith.html#ixzz2g9bH0mEj

 

[farouk]

"Love is, above all, the gift of oneself."
--Jean Anouilh, Ardèle

Jesus died on the cross in order to enable us to live forever.
He said:"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

As we believe that Jesus is God, it can be said that God gave Himself for us. As God is without doubt The Greatest, the giving of Himself was the giving of the Greatest. If the gift of oneself is love (first quote above), then God defined it as the greatest. Hence John 3:16 is a key verse of the bible.

[MENTION=96768]Maedchen[/MENTION]:

(I had to read Anouilh at school, btw; at the time he was agnostic.)

Yes, I agree with the centrality of the message of John 3.16!

Blessings.

 

[Brother Mike]

Yes, I know Paul says love is the greatest, but I'd like to put that idea to the test to see if there is any good reason to think something is greater than love.

Please tell me why you think love is or is not the greatest virtue.

umm.. We obey the Royal law of Love so nothing is going to top this, even the gifts of the Spirit, Nothing.

the second would be Wisdom, before applying faith or asking God for anything (Except Wisdom).

Wisdom is the principle thing, therefore Get wisdom.

Mike.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

"...we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel " (Colossians 1:4-5 NIV)

... See Romans 5:3-5 NASB what produces hope.

The obedience of character is a validation of the hope we have.

"11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end" (Hebrews 6:11 NASB)

Obedience shows that you really do possess the hope that you think/say you do, thus reinforcing that hope.

It's a never-ending cycle: The message of hope produces faith (Colossians 1:4-5). Faith produces the character quality of love (Galatians 5:6). The obedience of love in turn validates and reinforces the hope we profess (Hebrews 6:11, 2 Peter 1:10-11, and Romans 5:3-4 as you pointed out).

 

[Maedchen]

“22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?"

22:37 Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

(Matt. 22:36-40)

It seems as if Jesus was emphasizing love as the greatest virtue.

 

[Spockrates]

So it seems, Jethro we now know why love is greater than faith and hope, but is it greatest of all?

It is the end-all of the Christian faith. It's what being in Christ is ALL about. He did not save us to be theological giants. He saved us to be like Him. He saved us to restore his image in us that was lost in Adam and Eve--when mankind started reproducing the image of fallen man.

As Paul said, you can be good at a lot of things but if you do not excel in this matter of love you have settled for much less than God has ordained for man. There is nothing greater for a human to do and be than to do and 'be' the love of God.

Yes, I agree we should become like God.

<sup class="versenum mid-paragraph">1 </sup>Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children <sup class="versenum">2 </sup>and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

(Ephesians 5)
​

But should we imitate God only in his love? Is there no other way in which we should seek to become like him?

 

[Spockrates]

Do you think God also gives us the faith to believe, or the encouragement to hope?

Absolutely.

Romans 12: 3
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith./(KJV)

Then is the fact that love (i.e., grace) is an energy God himself gives us reason enough to believe love is greater than faith or hope? For we agree God also gives us the faith to believe and the hope to go on. I think you would agree that God's giving us love does not make love greater than faith and hope, which he also gives us.

However, you did say earlier that Jesus said love is the greatest commandment. Should we say, then that this is the reason to believe love is the greatest of these three?

 

[Spockrates]

"Love is, above all, the gift of oneself."
--Jean Anouilh, Ardèle

Jesus died on the cross in order to enable us to live forever.
He said:"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

As we believe that Jesus is God, it can be said that God gave Himself for us. As God is without doubt The Greatest, the giving of Himself was the giving of the Greatest. If the gift of oneself is love (first quote above), then God defined it as the greatest. Hence John 3:16 is a key verse of the bible.

Welcome to the thoughtful discussion, Maedchen.



Are you thinking, then that the greatest thing God can do for us is to love us, and so love itself is the greatest thing we can have for him and express to him and others?

 

[Spockrates]

Yes, I know Paul says love is the greatest, but I'd like to put that idea to the test to see if there is any good reason to think something is greater than love.

Please tell me why you think love is or is not the greatest virtue.

umm.. We obey the Royal law of Love so nothing is going to top this, even the gifts of the Spirit, Nothing.

the second would be Wisdom, before applying faith or asking God for anything (Except Wisdom).

Wisdom is the principle thing, therefore Get wisdom.

Mike.

Wisely said, indeed Mike! Glad you contributed to the discussion. Let's take a closer look at the context of passage you cited from Proverbs:

<sup class="versenum">13 </sup>Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
<sup class="versenum">14 </sup>for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
<sup class="versenum">15 </sup>She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.

(Proverbs 3)


​

Tell me, my wise acquaintance: Do you agree with the wise King Solomon that there is absolutely no thing we desire that compares with wisdom?

 

[Spockrates]

“22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?"

22:37 Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

(Matt. 22:36-40)

It seems as if Jesus was emphasizing love as the greatest virtue.

Yes, it seems love is the greatest thing we can do, but is love the greatest thing we can think?