(This was a Bible Study designed by a missionary friend, Jim Wright, who worked for many years in the area of “discipleship” with Youth for Christ and with the Billy Graham organization.)
The first time the word love is used in the
Bible is in Genesis 22:2. Here Abraham is instructed by God to offer his only
son, “whom you love,” as a sacrifice.
First mentions in Scripture are often significant. Here two words stand out: LOVE – SACRIFICE.
The second mention of the word love is found
in Genesis 24:67. Here it tells of Isaac receiving his long-awaited bride,
Rebekah. “She became his wife, and he
loved her.” This beautifully pictures
the joyous day when Christ will receive His bride, the church. We are told in Ephesus 5:25, “Christ also
loved the church and gave Himself for it.”
The third mention is found in Genesis 29:20.
Here we see that Jacob’s love for Rachel was so great that no price was too
great for him to pay to win her; a beautiful picture of the Lord’s love for us
that led Him to “take the form of a servant” to demonstrate His love.
1. THE
SOURCE OF LOVE – GOD. 1 John 4:8,16, “God is love.”
2. THE
NATURE OF LOVE – SACRIFICIAL GIVING. 1 John 3:16, “By this we know love,
because He laid down His life for us.”
3. THE
PROOF OF LOVE – OBEDIENCE. John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps
them, it is he who loves Me.” Also 1
John 3:23.
4. THE
ESSENCE, FRAGRENCE OF LOVE – ACCEPTANCE. Ephesians 1:3-6, “blessed, chosen,
adopted, accepted in the Beloved.”
5. THE
ASSURANCE OF LOVE – SECURITY. Rom. 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love
of Christ?”
6. THE
TEST OF LOVE – FORGIVENESS. Ephesians 1:6-7, “redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of sins.”
7. THE
DESIRE OF LOVE – UNION AND COMMUNON.
Song of Solomon 7:10, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is toward me.”
John 17:24.
8. THE
CONSUMATION OF LOVE – ONENESS. John 17:21-23, “that they all may be one, as
You, Father , are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us.” Ephesians 5:29-31.
9. THE
FRUIT OF LOVE – REPRODUCTION. 1 John 4:19, “We love Him, because He first loves
us.” 1 John 4:11-12.
10.
THE DEATH OF LOVE – REJECTION, ALONENESS. John 3:35-36,
“The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting
life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of
God abides on him.”
CREATIONS
OF LOVE
by
Lawrence Shaw
God is love.
God loves.
Love
needs an object for its expression.
God
created the object of His love to be
Man
God
created man in His own image so that
Man loves
God
created an object for man’s love as He
made
an object for His own love. She was
Woman
Out
of his love for woman, man procreates a new creation
Children, the products of love,
Who
themselves have the ability to love.
This
love cluster is called a
Family
There
is another creation out of love, not a procreation,
to
insure that God’s original objective will be met to make a
People for Himself who will worship Him for
eternity.
This is Redeeming love.
It
creates a bride for the Author of love,
an
acceptable Bride, the Church, His original intention.
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