Show Love (part 2)

Last time, we had a brief look at what it means to say the love of God, or how God is love.

We see that God Himself defines the love He is talking about.

Now, that is God's love. That is how God is love.

However, we are not God.

It makes sense for God to determine who should receive mercy and grace and who shouldn't.

He is the just judge who sees the hearts and minds of everyone.

So the question is, how does God expect us to show this love of His.

Clearly it would take on a different aspect once the finite sinner applies this love.

This is true, of course.

So how does God expect us to show His kind of love?

First things first, He commands us to love Him above everything and everyone else.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV)  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Luke 14:26 (ESV)  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

The love that we are supposed to have, is one that makes God pre-eminent in their lives.

Our love for God is supposed to be far above our love for everyone else, including family.

So, we don't love man with the same love we love God.

Our love for God should be much more.

This is why Jesus says the following...

Matthew 10:34-39 (ESV)  Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
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So, if thats the case, what is our love towards humanity supposed to look like?

Well, God gives us a number of situational examples as to what this love looks like. I won't refer to them all, but will focus on only some of them.

Leviticus 19:18 (ESV) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:34 (ESV)  You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Matthew 5:44 (ESV)  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Luke 6:27-28 (ESV)  But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Ephesians 5:33 (ESV)  However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
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Our love for humanity is supposed to be a reflection as to how we want to be loved ourselves.

Just how we care for ourselves... our wellbeing... our self interests... we are supposed to place those same cares unto others.

This is where the commonly known "Golden Rule" is actually derived from.

Luke 6:31 (ESV)  And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
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Going a bit further, Jesus actually tells us that all the commands and laws that were ever given actually stems from those two expressions of the love of God.

Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV)  “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
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Now, a lot of people stop here when it comes to the discussion of biblical love.

But there are two more aspects that must be taken into consideration.