WHAT IS LOVE?

I CORINTHIANS 13:1-13

Love is an “Action” Word.

LOVE = CHARITY: Something given to a person or persons in need.

Charity
· What Love Does
· The hands and legs of Love

o 1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in TONGUE; but in deed and in truth.
o Isa 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their HEART far from me and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.
o Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh (draws near) unto me with their MOUTH, and honoureth me with their lips; but their HEART is far from me.

Don’t just speak the "words" of love, but do the "deeds" of love as well. For true love is when we meet the needs. Love is Demonstration not philosophy. The true test of love is in what we do for others to fulfill the need, not in what we say. It’s in direct relation to faith. In fact, the Bible says that Faith works BY Love!(Gal. 5:6). So, we can say that God does not move for faith unless He moves for Love. Why? Because “God IS Love” (1 John 4:8, 16). He moves according to his own will which is called upon and motivated by Love. “Faith without works is dead” being alone. Paul said, “You say that you have faith and I have works. You show me your faith without works and I will show my faith BY my works.” In other words, “by what I DO”. He demonstrated (action) what he believed. Faith HAS legs! The same is true of Love. Everything about God is in Demonstration and Power. In other words, love brings results.

(1Jn 3:17) But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

God doesn’t give two cents for a “tongue” with no feet! LOL! God cares about the heart which inspires the feet. A tongue alone has no feet, no ability. But a tongue from the heart inspires action. You must inspire yourself to get up and do something. That is what God calls “Love”. That’s why God refers to “Charity” when speaking of Love because Love equals Charity and not just for you and your fo’ and no mo!

1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

GIVE THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NEEDFUL
Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Give according to the needs that individuals have. Don’t give people a form letter. Everyone doesn’t have the same need. If one person needs clothes and another needs shoes, don’t get it mixed up! Some people have enough clothes but their shoes are worn out or perhaps they need help with getting their children shoes. Don’t give the person who needs shoes clothes! They don’t have the shoes to wear with the clothes. If they’re hungry, it doesn’t matter what you give them to wear, they’re still gonna be just a dressed up hungry person! The point here is that the Lord is instructing us to give based on the need! That’s true Charity. That’s the charity you’ll be blessed for.

GALATIANS 5:22-26

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

WHAT ELSE CAN OUR DEEDS BE MOTIVATED BY IF NOT LOVE?

Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Just the word “vain” should help one decipher the meaning of this scripture. We know that the word “vain” means “without effect or avail; no purpose”.

Mat 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms (good deeds), do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

IF OUR DEEDS ARE NOT “MOTIVATED” BY LOVE, WE ARE NOT PROFITED BY WHAT WE DO

In other words, there is no profit in our deeds if they are motivated by anything but Love. So, if there’s no profit in our deeds, then why should we do them? God’s point, exactly! The Bible says, then, it is as though we have done nothing! Oh yeah, you get a “good feeling” but a good feeling has nothing to do with the reason that Love works. There has to be more than merely a “good feeling” behind our motivation. It does feel good to do something for someone who is in need and it does yield a profit to the person for whom we did the deed. That works just fine if we’re inclined only to see the effects of good deeds. But what moves God to reward us is for us to have done it for more than just to chalk up points for ourselves. Then, the Bible says, we have our reward. However, if what we do is actually motivated and put in motion by love (and yes we’re talking about “Agape” love), then not only will the deed provide those things which are necessary to the person in need but it will also cause us to reap great rewards from our Father who sees the deed being done in secret without blowing a trumpet for the world to see us and give us praise (Mat. 6:4). Because now the deed is actually being for God or on God’s behalf and God gets the Glory. Furthermore, we will have put into effect the principle of God’s word which says, “…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Gal. 6:7)

Greater Love Hath No Man Than This

Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Joh 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. [I have shared with you my secrets. I have revealed to you the secrets of the Kingdom.]
(Friends reveal intimate secrets to each other no one else is privy to.)

Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.