What is True Love?

What is True Love?

The Bible and our Messiah made it very clear that love is the greatest 2 commandments of God’s law, of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I clarify which God I am referring to as there are many that believe different religions are worshiping the same god, as if the god they imagine accepts all the different truths, beliefs, and ways of following and worshiping. I believe this is not true, as with absolute truth meaning it is always true at all times as well as the instructions given by each religion or system of beliefs reveals a different god, with different characteristics, renown and authority. For example, the Bible is very clear that if you are following different laws than the ones given by the God of the Bible then you are following and worshiping a different & false god. The Bible is also clear that the only way to God is through Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) and all other paths lead to separation from the one true God and onto death. These absolute truths are not compatible with other religions and their gods!

The instructions given by a religious system of beliefs by means of oral or written instructions/laws defines that particular god and how that god is to be served and worshiped. If the truths, referring to historical, genealogical, geological, geographical, prophetic, everyday cause & effect, etc. given by any religious book representing their god can be proven to be false with clear factual evidence then all the “good feelings” or “good vibes” in the world doesn’t make that god or system of beliefs true and the worship is in vain as it is not based on truth so the god that is worshiped is based on falsehood. The Bible is the only religious book that has passed all the tests & challenges of those who have been determined to disprove it’s factualness for thousands of years so that they can justify their rejection of it and cause others to reject the absolute truth given within it to serve a different god, usually the god of self. The god of self always agrees with what a person who worships a god of self thinks, what they believe and feel to be truth according to themselves and their understanding of what is right and wrong or what is love or hate.

The most important question to ask and learn is what is truth? Where does it come from? Where should it come from?

It should come only from the One who created all things which includes the creation of all truth! We read in Psalm 119:142, “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.” God’s law is truth! We also read in John 14:6, “6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Yeshua (Jesus) was the Word of God made flesh as He walked in the truth, the law of God without breaking a single commandment of the law. He gave us the perfect example of how to love by walking perfectly in mercy (grace) & truth. We are to deny ourselves (our flesh) and take up our cross and follow after Him. (Matthew 16:24-27). If we claim to abide in Him (Yeshua) then we are to walk even as He walked (1 John 2:6) and by these things the love of God will be perfected in us! (1 John 2:5)

 

If you are person who believes that truth is subjective then you most likely fall into the category where you also believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth and if you happen to believe in some physical absolutes (gravity for example, etc.) then you just reject the moral absolute truths which govern behaviors especially sexual behaviors. This belief system has to believe by its very own rejection of absolute truth that there can not be a clear distinction or even a clear definition or acceptance of good and evil because truth (as they see it) is based upon each person’s perspective, beliefs and feelings and is always subject to change. And every person gets to decide for themselves what is good and evil, what is love and hate. They become a god unto themselves. This belief system or ideology creates a very serious problem for them as they would actually be supporting lawlessness and their own safety would be compromised as others would not be subject to their version of absolute truths and what they believe to be good or evil.

As this message isn’t intended to reveal all the error of those who reject the absolute truths of the Bible and the cause and effect that can be witnessed every day as a result I will save this information for a later message. My desire is to reach those that believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the promised Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) to help them to not fall into the misdirection and trappings of the enemy which are confusion of what is true and getting entangled in a mix of truths and lies. The enemy is only capable of confusing or misleading us through our ignorance of what the Bible says is truth and by our flesh, by convincing us that God has to agree with our feelings, what we believe, what we think and what we desire to be true especially if it “seems” good or loving in our eyes.

I believe we can all agree that true love is a good thing and never a bad or evil thing. The world gives us a very distorted view of what it refers to as “love”, the world teaches an emotional feeling, reaction and actions that are not based completely on truth. As always, following the pattern of confusion & the misleading of satan, there is a mix of some truth along with a lot of falsehood in the world’s definition of love. There is just enough truth to cause those without better understanding of what truth is to be misled and to accept the world’s definition of love. The world understands and accepts the act of giving one’s life to protect another as love or the act of doing something “good” for someone as love but after these points the majority of all else that falls into the category of “love” according to the world is not based upon truth. Also, to do something “good” can be subjective and dependent upon one’s beliefs and perspective if one does not follow the truths of God given in His Word. Good should never be bad or evil, and if what one calls good is contrary to truth then it isn’t good after all. For example, if the truth states that drunkenness is wrong and I am approached by someone who is homeless, and an alcoholic claiming that they need money to purchase a birthday gift for their friend that is also suffering from the same conditions and this homeless person states that they want to buy a special bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey for their friend would it be a “good” thing for me to give them money to purchase alcohol according to truth?

What if it made me feel good to do something that made this person and their friend happy especially since it was their friend’s birthday after all? This poor person is homeless, wouldn’t the alcohol help them to cope with reality?

I hope you answered “no!” to these questions as this would be in alignment with truth and what is ultimately for their good even though many in the world would be confused or misled by their feelings or how it would make the homeless person “feel”. In many scenarios, the greatest deceiver is our feelings or confusion between what is right or wrong and what feels or seems good to us or others because we either do not understand or care about truth. What may “seem” loving and good would actually be hurtful and bad. The Bible calls these kinds of thoughts and acts that go against truth as evil and hatred instead of love and that this is being led by our flesh instead of by His Spirit which will lead us into all truth and how to truly love and do what is good. (John 16:13)

We read in Romans 8:7-8, “7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Why can’t those that are walking according to their flesh please God?

They do not walk according to the truth, God’s law but seek to satisfy their own desires & lusts.

 

When we accept or walk according to the love defined by the world it will lead us to hate truth as defined by our Heavenly Father which actually means we will then hate the One who gave us truth as truth points to Him and is a reflection of His character. The love of the world will lead us away from the One who is love and has given us the greatest act of love and the perfect example to follow. The love according to the world will lead one to break the greatest commandment as well as 2nd greatest commandment which are to love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-49, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 & Leviticus 19:18). As one can’t walk contrary to God’s law and be able to truly love God and their neighbor!

We read in 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

 

There is a very common reference in Scripture that I see and hear recited all the time and I want to share this reference and afterwards share it in more depth which will reveal more context and truth to what is being revealed by our Heavenly Father. This will help give a different perspective and understanding to its deeper meaning and how it ties in with true love, a Godly love. How many times have you seen it written or heard the following verses recited?:

“5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 kjv)

With all Scripture we need to read more to gain proper context and understanding. Now let’s read this Scripture reference with some verses before and after being included and see if it reveals more depth and understanding to you which means gaining a better understanding of truth!

“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” (Proverbs 3:1-7 kjv)

We are being commanded to not forget God’s law, His truth and lean not on our own understanding and not to try to be wise in our own eyes! This is specifically instructing against being led by anything else besides God’s truth, His law and all His Word!

 

Truth is so important to walking in true love for God and neighbor and doing what is good in God’s sight that followers of Christ are actually instructed to love truth and warned against not having a love of the truth! We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13, “1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.“

Does your kind of love lead you and others into rebellion against truth causing you and others to be lawless and to receive a delusion from God and to perish? Or does your love lead you closer to God, to love Him more than anything & anyone else, and to love your neighbor as yourself? If we are walking in true love by default we will be doing what is good! We read in Romans 7:12, “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good“.

True love is a balance between mercy and truth. There can be no true love if it’s not based upon truth just as there can be no true love if there is no mercy or what we commonly call grace. May our love be true which can only happen when we have a love of His truth, which is to love Yeshua Who is the Word made flesh & to love God’s law which Yeshua gave us the perfect example of how to walk it out (2 John 1:1-6). And may we experience true love from those around us! May it be so! May it be so!

I want to leave you this week with the following verse in 1 Corinthians 13:6, “(Love) does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth”

Until next time, the Lord bless you and guard you.

 

 

 

Scripture References:

“24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done.” (Matthew 16:24-27)

 

“but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:5)

 

“whoever says he abides in Him (Yeshua) ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” (1 John 2:6)

 

“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13)

 

“^{36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And 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. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”‘ (Matthew 22:36-40)}

 

‘^{4“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)}

 

“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 19:18)

 

“1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. Walking in Truth and Love 4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.” (2 John 1:1-6)