Overwhelmed by Love
Now, I know what you may be thinking, and, yes, I am overwhelmed by the love of God for me and for others (for others mostly). And, yes, I’m even overwhelmed by the love of my wife, my family, and many friends.
But, that’s not really what this post is about.
Instead, it’s about our response to God, to Jesus Christ, to the Holy Spirit, to the gospel, to our salvation, etc. Love. Have you ever noticed how many times Scripture talks about our response of love?
I mean, we all know that Jesus said the greatest commandment (and, thus, the greatest response) is to love God and love our neighbors. But, really, even this only scratches the surface.
The prevalence and importance of love to Jesus and the authors of Scripture is overwhelming. It’s almost impossible to find a page in the New Testament that doesn’t include some aspect of love as our proper response to God, his work in our lives, and other people.
Love. God’s love is definitely overwhelming. But, lately, I’ve also been overwhelmed with thinking about, contemplating, and meditating on the extent of the commands, principles, and examples to us toward a life of love.
For you, what is an “overwhelming” verse/passage in Scripture about our love response to God, to his work in our lives, or to others?
I’m so thankful for the truth expressed in Romans 5:5 because the commands to love God, neighbor, brother/sister and enemies is impossible for us to do apart from His indwelling presence divinely motivating and enabling us to love.
I posted this before, but I think its appropriate to do so again, you are so right about how pervasive the command to love is in the new covenant scriptures. I have this blown up big and bold and posted above my computer screen:
…love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? …LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” …LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’…’ YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ …There is no other commandment greater than these.” …love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, …” If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. …”But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. …”A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another…”By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”…”Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love…”This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you…”This I command you, that you love one another….the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”…the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us…Let love be without hypocrisy…Be devoted to one another in brotherly love…Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law…For this,” YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, ” YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”…Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law…we know that we all have knowledge, Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies…If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal…If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing…And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing…Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant…Love never fails…But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love….Let all that you do be done in love….My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen…For the love of Christ controls us…For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love….For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ” YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”…But the fruit of the Spirit is love…that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, walk in love, just as Christ also loved you…I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment…put on love…may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people…you yourselves are taught by God to love…the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart…and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus…Let love of the brethren continue…If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. ..fervently love one another from the heart…Honor all people, love the brothers and sisters…Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins…Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them…Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister… For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another…We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death…Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth…And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us….let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love…Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us…And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them…Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar…And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister… I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another…. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love. …keep yourselves in the love of God…
Thanks, Hutch!
-Alan
To answer your question, I’d say John’s teaching on love being proof of our regeneration challenges me the most:
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death…Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth…And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us….let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love..