What is Love?

According to the artist “Haddaway” love is best known as, “Baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me no more.”  Google defines it as “an intense feeling of deep affection.”  A cynic on urban dictionary defines love as “nature’s way of tricking people into reproducing.”  How about the Bible?  Can we get a reliable definition of love from God’s perspective?  Yes, in Jesus.

When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.  John 13:1

John prepares us for the picture of love in the life of Christ.  Jesus is the best definition of love - a faithful unbroken love to the end.  Consider five pictures in Jesus’ final hours we get of love:

Risen for Real

I went to the theatres a few days ago and saw an interesting movie called Risen.  Here's a link to a preview.



In light of Easter coming up soon it prompted this thought: if Jesus rose from the dead, would it not validate his claim to be God (not in a self-actualized or subjective sense, but in a universal, Creator sense).  Jesus claimed He was God (John 5:18, see below).  Then, He claimed He would rise from the dead (Matthew 16:21), to which even his followers initially were confused.  But after He rose from the dead, His followers came to worship Him as God (John 20:24-29). So, if doubters were changed to believers because of His resurrection, maybe looking into the claims of Easter would impact any doubter today?  If so, then this Easter may God prompt us to talk often and openly about the empty tomb!

Give Me an Undivided Heart

In Psalm 86:11, David prayed, "Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."

God made all things and owns all things. As owner, He has full rights to rule over everything and everyone and to evaluate the actions of all of the creatures He owns (including me). His rule and evaluation extend both deep and wide. In width over all existence. In depth over my actions, my words, my thoughts, and even my nature. David, rather than rebelling against God's control of his own heart, relished the thought and asked that the Sovereign Lord gracious grant him an undivided heart so that he might fear God alone and not men. Naturally, no man from his sinful heart chooses God. It takes God's mighty and tender hand to soften our naturally stony hearts, so that we will want to trust and follow him. That is why Jesus said to Nicodemus "No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again," (John 3:3). Instead of objecting against God's rightful role as King and Judge, we ought to come humbly to our good and gracious King, asking to be granted a heart to know and love Him fully. God through your indwelling Holy Spirit illuminate in my mind your words, reveal my false thinking, and convict me to repent. In my heart make your words precious to me, reveal my sinful desires, and convict me to repent. Take hold of my will until I submit to you wholly and joyfully. I love you Lord.