What's new
By:
Filters
Christian Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • Focus on the Family

    Strengthening families through biblical principles.

    Focus on the Family addresses the use of biblical principles in parenting and marriage to strengthen the family.

    Read daily articles from Focus on the Family in the Marriage and Parenting Resources forum.

  • The Gospel of Jesus Christ

    Heard of "The Gospel"? Want to know more?

    There is salvation in no other, for there is not another name under heaven having been given among men, by which it behooves us to be saved."

    Read The Gospel Online.

  • Site Restructuring

    The site is currently undergoing some restructuring, which will take some time. Sorry for the inconvenience if things are a little hard to find right now.

    Please let us know if you find any new problems with the way things work and we will get them fixed. You can always report any problems or difficulty finding something in the Talk With The Staff / Report a site issue forum.

Love as a Commandment

Donations

Total amount
$1,642.00
Goal
$5,080.00
Donate View
R

RichardBurger

Member
Love as a commandment:

I have problems with this. How can a person command another to love someone? Can you command your spouse or children to love you?

If a person loves someone because they are commanded to, do they really love that person or are they just doing something to gain something?
 
because love is more than a mere emotion... part of the problem in today's culture is that love has become nothing but romantic feelings, butterflies, warm fuzzies... this is a modern post-Enlightenment innovation and is has wrecked our culture.... whereas love in the scriptures is much deeper and profound than those passing fleeting emotions... when a husband and woman say "I do" at the altar they are promising to love one another forever... sadly many times they think that this means, as well, that they will continuously experience the initial stages of what it felt like when they first fell in love... but the love that they promise one another ought to be a promise to care for one another, to uphold the other, to support them, to stand by them, even when they "don't feel like it", thusly, we would not have the trouble with so many divorces premised upon the very shallow idea and reason "I just don't love him/her any more"... how selfish! how shallow! .. after all, the love we are supposed to mirror to others is that which commands us to even love our enemies, and we surely do not feel like ever doing that! And we are to reflect the love of the Savior who loves His Bride, loved her while she was totally unlovable, when she did not and does not deserve it. So too, I am to love my wife... not just "when I feel like it"... but forever, this kind of love can only be found in Christ and loving others this way can only be possible by extending the very same kind of love we as Christians have been given.

blessings,
ken
 
The loving your enemies part was always difficult for me.
It's hard, looking at some of the people who do horrible things to little children, for example.
How can we ever love them...give it to the Lord, and let Him do it?

But one day, my oldest daughter, who works with sexually abused children, said something that has stayed with me over the years. Even the vilest sinner was at one time an innocent child. Now, I just picture them, in my mind's eye, as little children playing in the backyard before sin and corruption had taken it's toll. Such a love floods over me, and a great sadness for what that sweet little child has become, that my hatred vanishes on the wind. We take on the mind of Christ when we're saved. I think we just have to look at the "child" through the eyes of Christ....suffer the little children to come to your mind, and you'll feel His love.
 
can you love the terrorist responsible for 9/11? If you wanted them to turn in favor of God then you are loving them.


Love your enemies just means you wish they can join your side and fight for the good causes.
 
Is love the way we FEEL about someone or the way we TREAT someone? I think the Lord is commanding us to TREAT people well, not FEEL well about them. What do you think?
 
elijah23 said:
Is love the way we FEEL about someone or the way we TREAT someone? I think the Lord is commanding us to TREAT people well, not FEEL well about them. What do you think?
Click to expand...

I think you're right. We can't really love them on our own...it's God's love through us, and the fruit of the Spirit will be shown in how we treat them. Does that make sense?
 
RichardBurger said:
Love as a commandment:

I have problems with this. How can a person command another to love someone? Can you command your spouse or children to love you?

If a person loves someone because they are commanded to, do they really love that person or are they just doing something to gain something?
Click to expand...

The Word tells us to "put on love" and WE don't command others to love, Jesus commanded us to love.
Agapao - The love God has for us and how we love other Christians. It's a supernatural love given to us by the Holy Spirit.

Phileo - love towards friends

Eros - desire, sexual

Hopefully we're loving others because we are abiding in Him and that is manifesting itself through us.
 
elijah23 said:
Is love the way we FEEL about someone or the way we TREAT someone? I think the Lord is commanding us to TREAT people well, not FEEL well about them. What do you think?
Click to expand...

I think it's both. Love is a feeling and an act of your will.
 
glorydaz said:
I think you're right. We can't really love them on our own...it's God's love through us, and the fruit of the Spirit will be shown in how we treat them. Does that make sense?
Click to expand...
I think so.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Donations

Total amount
$1,642.00
Goal
$5,080.00
Donate View
Back
Top