What is "Love"? With all of this talk about it, what does the Bible say it really is? There are different kinds of Love spoken of in Scripture. Here are two very important ones we will be discussing. Divine Love, which is One of G-ds' Attributes and is Given to His Elect at the point of Salvation, and "human love" which, although Fallen (therefore subject to error), still remains resident in the emotions of man (and believers as well) even after Salvation. Let us see what is said about the subject.
FIRST PART: LOVE AS A DIVINE ATTRIBUTE
Scripture says, "G-d is Love". But what kind of Love? First of all, this in not "human love" as we knew it before we were Saved. The "Love" spoken of here is Divine Love. It is an Absolute. Perfect and Holy. This is part of G-ds' Character. It does not exclude the other parts of His Character such as Justice and Judgment, but Acts in Harmony with them as a Unified Whole.
Because Love is part of G-ds' Character, it is Holy; that is, it is without sin. It is Pure and Righteous. That is why G-d sent Yeshua (Jesus) to die for His people, because in order for the Father to Love us Freely, His Righteousness and Justice had to be Satisfied. He is Consistent with Himself. Since we were not qualified, in ourselves (because we were sinners), G-d sent His Son as He Prophesied: The Messiah of Israel.
G-DS' LOVE IS BASED ON ATONEMENT
Through the Atoning Work of Yeshua ONLY,[1] G-d is Free to Love us because of His Work on the cross. We are forgiven our sins, iniquities and transgressions at the point of Salvation. (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9,10) G-d only Accepts His own Works. Since Yeshua is G-ds' only begotten Son, He was Qualified where we are not. The Gospel is G-ds' Plan.
DISTORTIONS OF LOVE
It is possible to distort the meaning of Divine Love. Man does this by inventing other ways to gain atonement. Unsaved or carnal man uses "human love" instead of Divine Love and can seek "human love" instead of the True Atonement and G-ds' Divine Love in the Atonement. Carnal believers can even try to return to the "old ways", seeking some remnant of "human love" when they ought not. This is Fundamental Importance and must in no case be overlooked! Failure to Mature and Progress in G-ds' Kingdom toward The Way of Divine Love will spell trouble for the Believer.
"HUMAN LOVE" REVERTING TO SADO-MASOCHISM
The continual application of "human love" sooner or later results in its eventual failure to remain constant. The emotions and intellect are subject to change, and reliance upon them as any sort of "absolute" can bring disastrous consequences! One such example can be shown by Sado-Masochism. Mere "human love" will not stand the tests to which believers are subject. Here are some examples of neurotic and abberrant behaviour.
In the sadistic manifestation, he will attempt to lay his sins on other people. Everything is someone elses' fault. Also attempting to cause guilt in the minds of others is their way. They attempt to "build their happiness on someone elses' unhappiness" which we should never do. Masochists attempt to suffer for their sins. This can take many forms including self-mutilation and\or presenting oneself as a "victim" to be "punished".[2]
DIVINE LOVE IN THE BELIEVER
Belivers receive G-ds' Divine Love at Salvation. Divine Love is is a part of the Holy Spirit of G-d which Believers receive from Him.
Unbelievers do not possess Divine Love. Yeshua addresed unbelievers saying:
I Know you, that you have not the Love of G-d in you. John 5:42
The Believer Receives G-ds' Love in his heart. Otherwise there is no human way to obey the First or Second Tables of the Torah (Law).
Thou shalt Love the L-RD thy G-d with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. Mark 10:26
Divine Love in the heart of the Believer placed there by G-d Fulfills these Commanments. How can it do this? This is because G-d has Written His Laws on our hearts:
But this shall be the Covenant that I Will Make with the House of Israel; After those days, says the L-RD, I will Put My Law in their inward parts, and Write it in their hearts; and will be their G-d, and they shall be My People. Jeremiah 31:33
We see here that His Divine Love has been placed in our hearts already. We are to use His Divine Love in all situations.
DIVINE LOVE IN THE BELIEVER VS. HUMAN LOVE IN THE UNBELIEVER
Unbelievers cannot attain to, neither can they understand Divine Love. They base all that they do on their flesh. Because of this, they very often misinterpret or misunderstand Divine Love. They can only act in the area of "works of the flesh" and always fail to duplicate Divine Love no matter how hard they try.
Young believers also are not immune to this. They may attempt to apply their previously-learned "human love" to Spiritual Principles based upon their unsaved experiences, or they may simply not have been taught that Divine Love is very different than mere "human love". What once was touted as an "absolute" of some sort (though it plainly can never be) cannot take the pressures the Believer must face. The Solution is to expropriate Divine Love which the Believer has been Given. This, Divine Love, truly is an Absolute, and WILL Stand the test. We must never forget this.
One cannot inject "human love" (which is after all merely a Humanistic substitute) into any True Spiritual situation that only calls for Divine Love. Confusing the two brings just that: Confusion. It is like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. This is why it so important for Believers to Understand the distinct differences between the two.
Since Divine Love has no fallen "fleshly qualities" as the unbeliever is used to, he will reject it sooner or later as foolishness, "odd", or just plain useless. He simply cannot relate to this concept. The unbeliever has no True Holiness nor Purity in his endeavors to "humanly love".
HOW TO RECOGNIZE "RELIGIOUS UNBELIEVERS"
The "religious unbeliever" calls love physical or emotional "caring", "attraction", or "chemistry" based on how their flesh separates various categories. This is substitute Humanistic "love", and it may fill pews, but becomes a mere "emotithon". False teachers will teach how this is essentially the same as Gods' Divine Love (though they won't say that if you ask, they may attempt to justify their teaching instead) teaching as long as you "love everyone" even if it is not Truly Divine Love, you have fulfilled "the whole Law" and "the greatest Commandment". One of their favorite sayings is, "There is no Law but Love". As stated before they do not differentiate so they assume they are doing the right thing in their Spiritual blindness. This amounts to a complete distortion of the Word of G-d. They ignorantly exalt Humanistic love in this way, and turn the Scripture upside-down and have turned many to confusion and sin.
They have failed to differentiate between the Clean and the unclean. Between that which is Holy and that which is unholy. This is because they are not Saved in the first place and the Inward Working of Divine Love finds no place in them. They may speak of it, but they cannot truly practice it on an ongoing basis, because they simply do not possess it. They tell their "students" to just "make everyone feel good", "hug a lot of people" and express "real concern" toward others, that's what "love" is; but as we have seen it is not. They have "strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel."
These things are very important, as the failure to understand the difference between Divine Love and "human love" can contribute to some being drawn into paganism which claims "great love" (which is merely magnified "human love") or various cults or even casting off the Faith in pursuit of the flesh. In the carnal search for the satisfaction of fleshly "human love" reprobate unbelievers may say, "satan is love"!?!
Learn to identify the obvious differences between True Teaching and false; between Divine and Humanistic love. They are vastly different once you have been made aware of them and begin to discern the differences.
A Believer should only Marry another Believer for this reason, and base it on Divine Love and not be as unbelievers who do the opposite.[3]
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PEOPLE OF G-D MINISTRIES
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FOOTNOTES
[1
G-ds' Sacrifice is Holy, it cannot be duplicated by mans' efforts or mans' works. False teachers will tell you that it can. They tell you to "work" in some way for your Salvation or to "stay Saved" by certain works which could be "speaking in tongues" or being "slain in the spirit" for example. Works do not Save. This is not Grace.
Scripture does say to "present your body a living sacrifice", but this is also a Holy Sacrifice According to G-ds Will, and has absolutley nothing to do with any counterfeit man-made sado-nasochistic attempt to invent ones' own atonement.
False teachers will tell you "if you just do this or that" or "feel this or that" way then "you are Saved". They will tell you, you can only "stay Saved" however, "continuing to feel" whatever they are pushing, or by listening to them or whatever false teacher or false organization sent them. These are substitutes for G-ds' Grace in Atonement. It is doubtful whether their "teachers" or they themselves are Saved. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
False teachers will also try to discourage you from learning Church History and Theology and substitute "their views" or the views of whatever group they may represent told them to tell you. They may even have their own "hip-hop theology" that uses pop culture and slang and sounds "sort of cool" at first, such as "do you dig Jesus?". Such attempts to mix worldly paradigms with the Divine can be the first tip-off. Always double-check with accurate historical sources to expose charlatans and "men pleasers".
[2
This is not to say we should not be compassionate and sympathetic, but not to the point of morbidity where persons can try to have atonement by other means than by G-ds' Plan, or by their own works.
For those without Christ, every relationship (friendships, marriage, business, political, religious) can show forth some sado-masochistic tendency. This they do because they simply recognize not the True Atonement, neither can they apply it.
A somewhat interesting "religious" application of the sado-masochistic concept is the "inspection of fruit" or "works" done by "quasi-religico authorities" over those who are fearful or young in the Faith. This type of "sadist" theatens or hints at threats toward the young believer with "loss of Salvation" if their "works" are "not acceptable enough". This, of course, is a violation of Grace in itself. The vast majority of these "sadist" types have a disjointed view of Election. (Ephesians 1) and this is what it produces: sado-masochistic religion. They may also attract other like-minded types to further frighten young Elect believers into thinking they can "lose" their Salvation.
For young believers who may unknowingly be caught up in this, Repentance and Forgiveness are the way out. Separation from such groups or organizations is called for.
The proper solution is of course to not try "our own works" or someones' "idea" of "atonement", but to receive True Atonement and Forgiveness. Go directly to G-d in Yeshuas' Name and there ask Forgiveness. (I John 1:9) instead of trying to invent some other Humanistic way as some psychologists and their "counsellors" many times can encourage people to do. I Corinthians Chapter 13 is also an excellent Chapter.
Grace is the Key. Phillipians 2:13.
Go here for more on Masochism.
[3
What we possess cannot be counterfeited, neither can it be removed from us. as
Sooner or later, the unbelievers' "human love" turns sour and they can become disillusioned at this point because all was based on "feelings", "chemistry" or "point of view" which are subject to change. This is where we discover "by their fruits you shall know them."
The Divine Love that we Truly Possess and have access to is not subject to change whatsoever, as His Holy Spirit does Abide with His Elect.