LOVE THAT CONQUERS!!!

WHAT IS LOVE?

Love means knowing that no matter what, one has someone to count on. It is unconditional and makes one feel good on the inside. The feeling goes beyond  trusting the one we love and feel comfortable around them and the heart tells that it is a good thing and feels peace on the inside of us.

WHAT IS TO CONQUER?

To conquer means to gain or acquire by force of arms: to overcome by force of arms; to gain mastery over or win by overcoming obstacles; to overcome by mental or moral power.

WHAT DOES IT MEANS TO CONQUER LOVE THEN?

We are to be peacemaking children of God who live in the heavenly will of God, and know that love overcomes all the evil in the world. And how do we go about that? By living with unconditional love in our heart is the only way we can truly live in the heavenly will of God, and bring it here on earth as it is in heaven. We can do this unconditional love with fellow human beings, even if they don’t return it, for even if they don’t, our love towards them conquers all the evil feeling the other person may have perceived coming from us. Apostle Paul wrote in his epistle to the Romans that,” Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”(Rom. 12:9-11).

LOVING ONE ANOTHER!

Love begins with God, for God is love. God loves the Son, but He also loves the world in spite of its sin. Therefore He sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice, which the Son Himself lovingly made. So powerful is this love that nothing can separate us from it. On the basis of the love of God, and of Christ for us, we can and must love. Love is the new commandment that Christ gave, the summary of all the commandments. God wants us to extend this love to Him, to our neighbors, even to our enemies. It is the first and highest of all Christian virtues, even greater than faith and hope; can you imagine that? (1 Cor 13: 13) “But now abide faith, hope, love, and these three: but the greatest of these is love.” Paul emphasized the way of love in this book as the only proper way for Christians to exercise spiritual gifts.  Biblical love has a sacrificial quality a pouring out of one’s life in selfless concern for others. Apostle Paul considered an attitude of love to be the answer to the legal hustles faced by some Corinthians and the antidote to the abuse of freedom among certain Christians. He himself demonstrates the way of love and selflessness, loving his Corinthian friend as a father loves his children. It is also the key test of Christian discipleship. Its central nature is selflessness, even to the point of self- sacrifice, for that is how Christ loved us. John the Apostle tells us in his epistle,” He who does not love does not know God, for God is love,” (1 John 4:8).

OPPOSITION TO GOD’S PURPOSES

In (Gal. 5:19-21), Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outburst of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” When Paul speaks of the flesh, he has in mind man himself as he follows his own aims in opposition to God’s purposes.  There are four areas covered in the fifteen separate works of the flesh. The first category covers sexual sins, Idolatry and sorcery represents religious sins. The third category concerns social or relational sins, that is, sins against other people. And the final area involves drunkenness. It is striking that the largest group of sins of the flesh are in the third category, involving hatred, enmity, and hostility in some forms. “Strife” is mentioned six times in the New Testament and denotes rivalry which results in contention and wrangling. The word for “outbursts of wrath” contains the thought of passionate outburst of hostile feeling. “”Dissensions” refers to the formation of hostile splinter groups and is also mentioned in (Rom. 16:17) “Now I urge you brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.” Hatred in all these forms inconsistent with the Gospel, which produces love. As we become like Christ, who is the great Person of Love, we separate ourselves from all works of the flesh, which are contrary to love.

LOVE AS THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Love is the first fruit among others: it is a Christian virtue mentioned more often in the Bible more than any other. Love is more excellent than any single gift; gifts will eventually disappear, but love lasts forever. “But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”(Gal. 5:22-23) if we live and abide by these fruits of the Holy Spirit, we are not against any law whatsoever, but if we live and abide by the works of the flesh, my brethren we will be bound by the law and we cannot in any way inherit the kingdom of God. Analyze this beloved! No one is indeed perfect or without sin but we can decide to make our ways right and walk with God by His grace which is sufficient. This is what Apostle Paul had to say in his epistle to the Corinthians.” Though I speak with tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a cymbal. 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, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and love is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophesies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come then that which is in part will be done away with.”

My God and My Father, May Your Mercy prevail in our hearts, sanctify us and restore the first love in our hearts  because when I look at the world we are in today, the Spirit of love is dead and buried in our lives hatred has indeed taken root and hold of Thy people O God. We have become lovers of money and lovers of selves in such a way that we never consider love for others nor have pity for others. Families are betraying and killing one another and those in authority have ceased caring for the needy, the poor, the orphans, the widows or aliens in our societies today. Restore us O God to the first love and take away the beastly heart that has overtaken us O Righteous Father. Have mercy upon us, O God, According to Your loving-kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out our transgressions.  Create in us a clean heart, O God and renew a steadfast Spirit within us. Restore to us the joy of Your salvation, and uphold us with your generous Spirit.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart- These O God, You will not despise.

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen, and Amen and Amen.”