God's love in reality!!

[Ian Gentles]

Lots of good discussions going on regards "Love". We talk off God's love, and some seem to have wonderfull experiances of it. However, many have never experianced, in a felt way, God's love, who are christians. How is this? surely love will be "experianced " by all, and not just some?

[Mark Metcalfe]

Lots of good discussions going on regards "Love". We talk off God's love, and some seem to have wonderfull experiances of it. However, many have never experianced, in a felt way, God's love, who are christians. How is this? surely love will be "experianced " by all, and not just some?

Hi Ian. Good topic.

First, Christians should show/shine/express God's love, to others.
One of my life verses has to do with a disciple asking Jesus, "what about
him?" to which Jesus replies, "what is that to you? You must follow Me."
This can also be typified in the chorus "though none go with me, still
I will follow." All that to say that regardless of how other supposed
Christians are supposed to act, I know where my responsibilitiy lies and
it is not with making "them" act like they should; it is getting me to act
like I should!

Having said that, I would also like to state that love is paradoxically
both simple and complex. It is complex in that it sometimes does things
that some people don't always see as loving. The difference between
punishment and discipline, for example, is that discipline has the
betterment of the person in mind; punishment does not. It is simple
in that its sole purpose is to elevate another.

God is love. In God's love, He has expressed some very complex
behaviors throughout the Bible texts and in experiences of many of us.
Yet, we are assured fundamentally that He is love and loves us!

Mark

[David van Beveren]

First: Love is not an emotional feeling. There is a lot of 'emotional feeling' going on in the evangelical movement, at least in the Netherlands. I do not use the word feeling, because it is misunderstood. For me love of God is more--and because of it is hard for me to find the right Dutch words, it is even harder to express myself in Engish--a knowing, an awareness, that has its place deep in the soul, and that withdraws itself from human logic. You cannot direct it, you cannot arrange it, you cvanniot control it, it is out of you hands. It is there, and you have to believe it. And I cannot deny that this awareness is the cause of a feeling, but it is the awareness of the love of God that causes it and not the love itself.

Second: If God is love, subsequently the church should be love, as Jesus was love in his world. If the church dos not love, then we have no message. Love is experienced inside the church, because of people that are love-filled sharing this love with each and every other in and outside the church.

Third: I don't rule out the possibility that God gives such an experience outside his body to an individual, but I think it is more common that we as a church are sent into the world to be God's love.

(I think Brad gives an excellent response (#3) to Mark's question 'What is the gospel message?' that is related to your question.)

John 13:34,35 says:
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

This you cannot discard as love of men. No this love is a special love, because people will know by our mutual love that we are followers of Jesus. So if you are loved by fellow believers don't disconnect that from the love of God, because it is by his people that God will come to you and love you. That is love you can experience and 'feel'.

[Wilson L. Deaton]

Three things:

1. All Chriistians have been forgiven, thus experienced God's love.

2. Don't confuse feeling love with being "romanced." Love isn't about just making you feel good and special all the time.

3. Don't forget these "expressions" of love;

Proverbs 3:12
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.

Hebrews 12:6
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

Wilson