"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." -- Romans 1:16

NOTES AND QUOTES FOR TODAY:

Biblical Ingredients of Genuine Love – III

And now abideth  faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity.”  1st Corinthians 13:13

Love Is The Originator of Calvary !!

The biggest thing with which man can cope is the infinite love of God. All the explanations of eternity will never reach a limit in its unsearchable wealth. The biggest thing that you and I will ever know is the loved of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.    Love can be degraded by the taint of jealousy; it can be debased by the taint of envy; it can be vulgarized by a strain of carnal passion. As “God is light and in him is no darkness at all.” there is nothing shady, nothing questionable, nothing compromising in God’s Love. The test of purity is the Revelation of the Love of God.

Sunbeams can move among sewage and catch no defilement. The holy love of God ministers in the deepest depths of the human heart and mind, deeper than sorrow, and sin and death itself. Yes, God’s love imparts its own loveliness until one day we shall be altogether lovely.   A preacher was talking to a farmer who had on his barn a weather vane on the arrow of which was inscribed, “God is Love.” The preacher said to the farmer; “ what do you mean by that? Do you think God’s love is changeable – that it veers about as the arrow turns in the wind.” The farmer answered, “ oh, no! I mean that whichever way the wind blows, God is still love.

8.Love is no vindictive, but Generous. It “thinketh no evil.” By this is meant that whereas love keeps a dairy of all the good it receives, it does not keep a record of the wrongs done to it. These things it does not lay up in its memory with the intention of getting even (square) with them some day.  It is tragic to find David on his dying -bed recalling the wrongs that Joab had done him, and hearing again the curses of Shimei showered upon him as he fled from Jerusalem. He had all these things written down in his account books; but love does not keep such records. Love is generous in her forgetfulness. 

9.Love is not Malevolent, but High-principled: It rejoceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoceth with the truth. This is interpreted by one old time preacher as this: “Love is never glad when others go wrong; love is gladdened by goodness.”    Yes, love never makes capital out of other’s faults, and does not delight in exposing the weakness of others. Nevertheless love is opposed to sin, and grieves and weeps over it. Love is the ally of the truth, and in sheltering the sinner it will never fail to condemn his sin.   To be glad when evil prevails, or to rejoice in the misfortune of others, is indicative of a great moral degradation. But love knows nothing of this.

10.Love is not Rebellious, but Brave: “ It “beareth all things.” here “beareth” has been thought to have the force of “coverth”; that is, veiling, as far as may be, the seamy side of life. Now, love is never glad when others go wrong, and therefore does not talk about it; but beareth it ! This word is employed of holding fast, like a watertight vessel; it is used as a roof against which does not leak, and not giving way.  We have passively, love that  “ bears” by suffering wrong done to itself without retaliating. It said of Christ that, “ when He was reviled, He reviled not again.”    And active love “bears” when it gets under the load of life, and bravely carries it.

Probably love is strong in its silences; it patiently endures what it has to suffer. It is not shaken by an sort of ingratitude, but is proof against all reproaches and hardships. Now, this all does not mean that love acquiesces in all that it bears; but it does mean that it bravely stands up to life, and choose to suffer rather than rebel.

11.Love is not Suspicious, but Confident: It “believeth all things.” Now, this does not mean that love is blind and credulous, that it is easily deceived; but it does mean that it is not suspicious; that is entirely alien to the spirit of cynic, the pessimist, the slanderer, the secret detractor.  Yes, love takes the best and kindest view of all men, in all circumstances, as long as it is possible to do. Love studies all motives and makes all possible allowances. It is this quality in love which helps men and women to become what they should be. There are some people who seem incapable of believing in anything; who view every action, however good, with suspicion.  Through the tired ranks of the vanquished, through the throngs of the disheartened, across the trampled fields of life strewn with wasted efforts and battered dreams, love passes, still believing in all things.

12.Love is not Despondent, but Undiscourageable. It hopeth all things.” We have seen love “bearing” because it “believes.” But when it is despondent in the object in whom it believes, it yet hopes for better thing of him in the future, even when others have ceased to do so. Love hopes even when it can not find firm ground for faith. To hope when faith has been disappointed is a greater thing than ever to ever believed.

It has rightly been said that love does not “ hope all things” by juggling with the evidence of its senses. It does not try to persuade itself that the thief is honest, or the libertine chaste, or the worldling heavenly minded. But it grapples to its soul the fact that every man is made for honesty, and purity, and the heavenly vision. Just because these Christian virtues are vitally related, love is impossible apart from faith and hope, and so, it “believeth all things” and “hopeth all things.”

13.Love is not Conquerable, but Indomitable: It “endureth all things.”  Love “bearing” all things refers to its attitude when it does not receive what is due to it; but love “enduring” all things refers to its attitude when it received what is not due to it, that is, ill-treatment. This quality is the crown of all that has gone before.  Yes, love bears, silently suffers, and actively hopes, and it does so because it believes, putting the best construction upon the conduct of others, expecting much of everyone.
When this faith is betrayed love still hopes, looking to man’s need and God’s grace; and continues to endure; this is the very climax of loved courage and optimism. Love holds its ground in the day of defeat. When others faint and give way, love holds on. Love persists inspite of all delays. This is its final triumph.   
We must all acknowledge then, that love is the greatest of all great things in the world: not hasty, but patient; not inconsiderate, but benevolent; not envious, but content; not boastful, but unostentatious; not arrogant, but humble; not rude, but courteous; not selfish, but self-forgetful; not irritable, but good tempered; not vindictive, but generous; not malevolent, but high-principled; not rebellious, but brave; not suspicious, but confident; not despondent, but undescouragable; not conquerable, but indomitable.

Christ Jesus our Lord, is the great example of long-suffering, infinitely patient, because He is eternal. His habit of earthly life is summarized in the testimony that, “ He went about doing good.The greatness of Christ consisted quite as much in what he suppressed as in what He exhibited, as in the veiling of His glory, and in His restraint in working miracles. There was no “showing off.” He displayed no vanity, conceit, pride, or contempt of others.   He was the very negation of selfishness. He lived for others. He was never exasperated at wrong done to Himself. He was never vindictive. He never retaliated. He had the Divine power of forgetfulness of wrongs done to Himself. He never misjudged, because He judge not by the outward appearance. He never abandoned any soul, but won the prodigal, the harlot, and the thief. He calmly endured all opposition and persecution, and prayed on the Cross for His enemies.

The task of the believer is to have these things fitted into his character. We need to learn to love, But how can the believer learn, so great a lesson? By daily yielding to the indwelling Spirit to guide and mould him in to the image of Christ. Only by practice!!   Says Matthew Henry; “ How lovely a thing would Christianity appear to the world if those who profess it were more actuated and animated by this divine principle and paid a due regard to a command on which its blessed author lad a stress.”

A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples , if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35

To be Continued…………………….

From The Staff of The Peoples Gospel Hour

 

 
 

How to be  Saved …and KNOW it – your most important stop on this site.

Audio Sermons *updated Last Month’s Broadcasts in mp3, Bible Studies.

 

The Bible reveals two ways which people are following to get into heaven. One way, the true way, is God’s way. God’s way into heaven is the way of peace and truth and righteousness. It is the only way approved of God. This way centers in the Lord Jesus Christ who said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). The Bible declares that there is another way. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12).

There are so many popular ways today filled with lost multitudes all over the land, such as the way of morality, the way of respectability, the way of religion, the way of churchianity, the way of baptism, the way of christening, the way of confirmation, the way of penance, the way of confession, the way of “doing the best I can”, the way of self, the way of education, the way of philosophy, the way of false isms and cults that crowd the street. Little wonder then when we speak to people about the way of salvation, that so many have asked, “How can I know which is the true way? There are so many different ideas and so many religions.”

But there is ONE difference between God’s way of salvation and man’s way, and that difference is found in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. You will notice that man leaves Christ out of the center of his way. You will discover that the modern false cults and isms demote Christ to a mere man and add something to what He has already done for your salvation and mine. We become children of God through a supernatural birth. Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Jesus also said, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:7)

“May the Lord bless you, and make you a blessing!”  – The PGH Staff.

!

The People's Gospel Hour - TPGH