APOSTOLIC ACTING OUT
THE PRINCIPLES OF LOVE
GOD NEVER FAILS
God is Love – 1 John 4:8 - 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:16 - 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Love never fails – 1 Corinthians 13:8 - 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
Love is…
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
NKJV
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
NIV
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - 4Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 6It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 7Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
The Amplified Bible
Knowing God Through Love
1 John 4:7-12
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
If we love God, we know God better.
God loved us so much that He died so that we can live through Him.
He loves us and we should love each other because He loves us.
The Consummation Of Love
1 John 4:16-21
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
When we abide in God, we abide in love and God abides in us.
God’s love consumes us, and we should be consumed with love for God first, and others second.
If we have fear, we do not have love. FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. There is no false evidence in love.
If we cannot love our brother, or neighbor, or enemy, then we cannot love God.
The Greatest Gift
1 Corinthians 13:13
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
We can have faith in God, but faith without works is dead.
We can have hope, and we cannot live without a hope, but if we hope for something and it does not happen, we can get upset.
But if we have love, love endures forever and will never fail. If we love God, everything else will fall into place.
Love the Lord your God
With all of your heart – If we love the Lord with all of our heart, then there is no room for anything else in our hearts towards God except love.
With all of your mind – If we love the Lord with all of our mind, than we do not think about anything else except for loving God and it will put a smile on our faces.
With all of your soul – If our soul is full of love toward God, then our soul will boast in the Lord all day long. Psalm 44:8 - 8 In God we boast all day long, and praise Your name forever. Selah
With all of your strength – If all of our strength goes into loving the Lord, than everything else will receive our second best, Jesus Christ will truly be the God of our lives, and nothing will come before Him.
The Greatest Commandment
Deuteronomy 6:5
5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
If we follow this commandment, which according to God is the Greatest Commandment, then all of the other Ten Commandments will fall into place.
1. If we love God with all of our being then we will not have any other gods.
2. We will not make any image to replace God b/c Jesus Christ will be the only image in our minds if we love Him with all of our being.
3. If we love God, we will not take His name in vain.
4. We will remember to set aside a day of rest and worship to the God we love if we love our Lord with all of our being.
The Scribes: Which Is The First Commandment Of All?
Matthew 22:37-39
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
Jesus sums up the Ten Commandments with these two commandments that covers everything: Love.
Love your neighbor as yourself
Leviticus 19:18
18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
The rest of the Ten Commandments are covered by loving our neighbor as ourselves.
5. If we love our parents as ourselves, then we can easily honour them.
6. If we love our neighbors as ourselves, then we will not murder them.
7. If we love our neighbors, we will not take their spouse and commit adultery with them.
8. If we love our neighbors, we will not steal anything from them.
9. If we love our neighbors, we will not lie to them or about them.
10. If we love our neighbors, we will not want anything that they have because if we love them, we will be happy for them that they have what they have.
Love = Righteousness; Selfishness = Sin
Leviticus 19:34
34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Not just our neighbors, but also strangers that we have never met before, we should love as ourselves.
If we love the people that we witness to, even though we never have met them before, it will be easier to win them to the Lord because they will see the love in our eyes and know that we are out to love them.
We were once out in the world and somebody had to love us to get us to Jesus. If we were condemned for the life that we were living and then made to go to church, we would not have wanted to come, nor would we want any part of God.
We example Jesus in this world, and whatever we portray to people is what they will think Jesus is like. If we show them love then they will see that God is love and God loves them.
Let Brotherly Love Continue
Hebrews 13:1
If we love everyone around us like they are our brothers and sisters, then we will feel more like a family.
That is why we call each other Bro. and Sis.
Love = Happiness; Hate = Unhappiness
Ecclesiastes 3:8
8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
I think there is always a time to love and never a time to hate.
But I know that there are times when there is love and times when there is hate.
If I say to you I LOVE YOU, how do you feel?
If I say to you I HATE YOU, how do you feel?
Let’s think about this if we were in another person’s shoes and they felt love and they felt hate.
Love Your Enemies
Matthew 5:43-46
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
God loves everyone the same. God is no respecter of persons.
We should love everyone the same as Christ loves everyone the same.
The rain falls on the just and the unjust. Our love should be as the rain, it should fall on everyone the same.
Love Your Enemies
Luke 6:32
32 "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
It is easy for us to love people that love us.
Do we love people that hate us? Even though we might be upset that they hate us, we should still love them with the same love that Jesus loves them, or else they will not see Jesus in us.
With Lovingkindness Have I Drawn You
Jeremiah 31:3
3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
The Lord loves us with an everlasting love that will not fade.
With love, God drew us out of the world.
God did not make us come out of the world and into the church, but His love drew us.
Our love for people should draw people to us.
Love And Joy Perfected
John 15:9-13
9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends
If we abide in God’s love, then our joy will be perfected.
Love = Joy; if we have love, and feel love, then we will have joy.
To obey God is to love God. To love God is to obey God.
The Signs Of The Times And The End Of The Age
Matthew 24:12
12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
In this world today, people’s view of love is backwards.
The world’s view of love is a strong desire to enjoy something. L.O.V.E. = Look Observe Verify Enjoy.
We need to show this world God’s meaning of love, which is actually being a servant and having a compassionate heart.
God’s Everlasting Love
Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God.
Let us make sure that we do not separate God from our love.
Let us make sure that we do not separate ourselves from loving our neighbors, enemies, brothers, and strangers.
God is Love – 1 John 4:8 - 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:16 - 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Love never fails – 1 Corinthians 13:8 - 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
Love is…
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
NKJV
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
NIV
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - 4Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 6It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 7Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
The Amplified Bible
Knowing God Through Love
1 John 4:7-12
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
If we love God, we know God better.
God loved us so much that He died so that we can live through Him.
He loves us and we should love each other because He loves us.
The Consummation Of Love
1 John 4:16-21
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
When we abide in God, we abide in love and God abides in us.
God’s love consumes us, and we should be consumed with love for God first, and others second.
If we have fear, we do not have love. FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. There is no false evidence in love.
If we cannot love our brother, or neighbor, or enemy, then we cannot love God.
The Greatest Gift
1 Corinthians 13:13
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
We can have faith in God, but faith without works is dead.
We can have hope, and we cannot live without a hope, but if we hope for something and it does not happen, we can get upset.
But if we have love, love endures forever and will never fail. If we love God, everything else will fall into place.
Love the Lord your God
With all of your heart – If we love the Lord with all of our heart, then there is no room for anything else in our hearts towards God except love.
With all of your mind – If we love the Lord with all of our mind, than we do not think about anything else except for loving God and it will put a smile on our faces.
With all of your soul – If our soul is full of love toward God, then our soul will boast in the Lord all day long. Psalm 44:8 - 8 In God we boast all day long, and praise Your name forever. Selah
With all of your strength – If all of our strength goes into loving the Lord, than everything else will receive our second best, Jesus Christ will truly be the God of our lives, and nothing will come before Him.
The Greatest Commandment
Deuteronomy 6:5
5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
If we follow this commandment, which according to God is the Greatest Commandment, then all of the other Ten Commandments will fall into place.
1. If we love God with all of our being then we will not have any other gods.
2. We will not make any image to replace God b/c Jesus Christ will be the only image in our minds if we love Him with all of our being.
3. If we love God, we will not take His name in vain.
4. We will remember to set aside a day of rest and worship to the God we love if we love our Lord with all of our being.
The Scribes: Which Is The First Commandment Of All?
Matthew 22:37-39
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
Jesus sums up the Ten Commandments with these two commandments that covers everything: Love.
Love your neighbor as yourself
Leviticus 19:18
18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
The rest of the Ten Commandments are covered by loving our neighbor as ourselves.
5. If we love our parents as ourselves, then we can easily honour them.
6. If we love our neighbors as ourselves, then we will not murder them.
7. If we love our neighbors, we will not take their spouse and commit adultery with them.
8. If we love our neighbors, we will not steal anything from them.
9. If we love our neighbors, we will not lie to them or about them.
10. If we love our neighbors, we will not want anything that they have because if we love them, we will be happy for them that they have what they have.
Love = Righteousness; Selfishness = Sin
Leviticus 19:34
34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Not just our neighbors, but also strangers that we have never met before, we should love as ourselves.
If we love the people that we witness to, even though we never have met them before, it will be easier to win them to the Lord because they will see the love in our eyes and know that we are out to love them.
We were once out in the world and somebody had to love us to get us to Jesus. If we were condemned for the life that we were living and then made to go to church, we would not have wanted to come, nor would we want any part of God.
We example Jesus in this world, and whatever we portray to people is what they will think Jesus is like. If we show them love then they will see that God is love and God loves them.
Let Brotherly Love Continue
Hebrews 13:1
If we love everyone around us like they are our brothers and sisters, then we will feel more like a family.
That is why we call each other Bro. and Sis.
Love = Happiness; Hate = Unhappiness
Ecclesiastes 3:8
8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
I think there is always a time to love and never a time to hate.
But I know that there are times when there is love and times when there is hate.
If I say to you I LOVE YOU, how do you feel?
If I say to you I HATE YOU, how do you feel?
Let’s think about this if we were in another person’s shoes and they felt love and they felt hate.
Love Your Enemies
Matthew 5:43-46
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
God loves everyone the same. God is no respecter of persons.
We should love everyone the same as Christ loves everyone the same.
The rain falls on the just and the unjust. Our love should be as the rain, it should fall on everyone the same.
Love Your Enemies
Luke 6:32
32 "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
It is easy for us to love people that love us.
Do we love people that hate us? Even though we might be upset that they hate us, we should still love them with the same love that Jesus loves them, or else they will not see Jesus in us.
With Lovingkindness Have I Drawn You
Jeremiah 31:3
3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
The Lord loves us with an everlasting love that will not fade.
With love, God drew us out of the world.
God did not make us come out of the world and into the church, but His love drew us.
Our love for people should draw people to us.
Love And Joy Perfected
John 15:9-13
9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends
If we abide in God’s love, then our joy will be perfected.
Love = Joy; if we have love, and feel love, then we will have joy.
To obey God is to love God. To love God is to obey God.
The Signs Of The Times And The End Of The Age
Matthew 24:12
12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
In this world today, people’s view of love is backwards.
The world’s view of love is a strong desire to enjoy something. L.O.V.E. = Look Observe Verify Enjoy.
We need to show this world God’s meaning of love, which is actually being a servant and having a compassionate heart.
God’s Everlasting Love
Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God.
Let us make sure that we do not separate God from our love.
Let us make sure that we do not separate ourselves from loving our neighbors, enemies, brothers, and strangers.
