Love is Genuine

1 Corinthians 13:1-8 describes God's love in this manner:  "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 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, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,⁴ Love suffers long and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away."

God's love is so contrary to anything in this world.  We cannot quantify it, sum it up in a sentence, or even explain it fully.  It is infinite in abundance yet a single selfless deed can portray it clearly.  It is a power more earth-shattering than a million atomic bombs, yet is peaceable and gentle.  Countless books have been written about God's love and all the sermons ever preached have scarcely explored its depths.  A man might as well try to free-dive the Mariana trench or jump to Jupiter:  those physical feats would be simple in comparison to discovering the furthest reaches of God's love.  Real love is something every person deeply longs for, but only those who have been born again from above can begin to digest, process, or comprehend it.

People are fed up with hearing about the love of God.  Love is not something to be talked about but continually lived out.  As Christians we should not merely ask, "Who can I tell of God's love today?" but rather, "How shall I display the love of Jesus to people today?"  To put it simply, the love that God gives is displayed through a genuine, gracious interest in others even to my own detriment.  I should not serve others to receive anything in return, and do not speak to people simply for the opportunity to give them a sales pitch. 

There is nothing more practical, generous, and gracious than love.  Love meets real needs.  The wages of sin is death, and the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Because all have sinned, all are condemned to die and remained separated from God in hell for eternity.  Then the love of God sprung into action as Romans 5:7-8 proclaims:  "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us ."  Love is a not a demonstration like a salesman with his knives at a fair, but is practical, tangible, and undeniable display of regard for others.

Christ is the only true source of this love.  The world has substituted lust for love, and worshiped the creation over the Creator.  It is up to those in whom God has placed the Holy Spirit to be ambassadors of the love of Christ, not only to be talked about, but to be practically displayed.  As Jesus says in John 15:10, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."  And what are the greatest commandments?  Love the LORD our God with all our heart, soul, and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves.  In fact, Jesus trumps the second command by saying, "Love one another as I have loved you."  And how did Jesus love?  Compassionately, continually, and completely.  May God be free to pour out His love through us!