WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF LOVE?

Revised June 30, 2006 | By Felicia A. Trecek.

Answer..."SACRIFICE".

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son,..."

1John 4:9 "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world..."

1John 4:11 "...if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

John 3:15-16 (v:15) "Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." (v:16) "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

John 15:13 "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

We don't necessarily give-up our physical life (breath of life) for everyone we love, but we sacrifice in other ways such as: our time, our energy, our money... Love isn't just a warm and fuzzy feeling and/or a bunch of thoughts and words. 1John 3:18 reads, "Little children, let us not love in word or speech (mouth service) but in deed (ACTION) and in truth."

Deed is ACTION, but what is TRUTH? Answer... Psalm 119:151 reads, "...And all Your commands are TRUTH." Psalm 119:160 reads, "The sum of Your word is TRUTH,..." The ACTION is based on the bible - The TRUTH. Hence; we must put into positive action the commandments that govern, 1) relationship toward Elohim, and 2) relationship toward our neighbor.

THE RESULT OF LOVE.
Based upon the above demonstration from scripture, SACRIFICE is the #1 (Godly) definition of LOVE. It is true love. Therefore, love grows together - not a part. People within the (true) body of Messiah grow closer together.

1 Corinthians 12:12 reads, "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is the Messiah." Also reference (out of many scriptures) John 17:11,21,22 and the continuation in 1 Corinthians 12.

Specifically notice John 17:21 - Messiah's prayer to His Father. It reads, "so that they ALL might be ONE, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so that they too might be one in Us, so that the world might believe that You have sent Me."

1. According to Messiah's and Paul's words, Messiah's body grows very close together because the members only have one pair of legs - Messiah's - walking in one direction.
2. The saints grow as close together as like closeness between Messiah and His Father based upon the John 17 scriptures. (That's a close relationship!)
   
3. The saints, Messiah, and the Father are all ONE (united).
   
4. Based upon the last sentence of verse 21 of John 17, this ONENESS of the saints is a witness to the world that Messiah came in the flesh.

Love binds together. Colossians 3:14 reads, "And above all these put on love, which BINDS TOGETHER in perfect harmony."

WHAT LOVE IS NOT.
Love doesn't equate to tolerance. 2John 1:9-11 reads, (v:9) "Everyone who is transgressing and not staying in the teaching of Messiah does not possess Elohim. The one who stays in the teaching of Messiah possesses both the Father and the Son." (v:10) "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house nor greet him," (v:11) "for he who greets him shares in his wicked works."

Based upon 2John 1:9-11; if anyone that was "baptized", confessed Messiah as their Savior, and continuously violates the commandments/teachings of Messiah, the saints are to shun. Romans 16:17 confirms this fact.

Romans 16:17 reads, "I (Paul) appeal to you, brethern, to take note of those who create dissensions and difficulies, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught; avoid them." (v:18) "For such persons do not serve our Master Messiah, but their own appetites,..."

CONCLUSION.

John 13:34 reads, " A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you love one another."

Messiah said He gave us a NEW COMMANDMENT? What did He mean by NEW? In Leviticus 19:18, Moses gave us the commandment to love our neigbor as ourself. So, again why did Messiah say "NEW" commandment? The answer is found within His very next statement, "...AS I HAVE LOVED YOU...". Messiah SACRIFICED Himself for us. Therefore; Messiah did give us a NEW commandment. This NEW commandment is from the Spirit. Now, notice the very next verse... Messiah's subsequent statement to that of His NEW commandment...

John 13:35 reads, " By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one to another." The love Messiah meant is that of SACRIFICE - love from the Spirit.

Romans 5:5 reads, "...the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us."

1John 4:8 reads, " He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

Individuals who possess the Holy Spirit of YHWH possess Godly love - the type of love that surpasses humanly love. Praise YHWH that He gave us the opportunity and ability to truly love.