Sunday, February 14, 2016

Love Is Like God's love of the Church

What is it about love that  touches us on every level? Why does the phrase "I love you" bring such joy to every heart?
Man gives a number of reasons, but the real reason is that every person on earth was born in the image of God. Since all love emanates from God, we are born with the capacity and the desire to love and to be loved. One of the strongest connections we have with Christ is how much He loves us. Even though we are separated from Him, whenever we sense a fraction of the love He showed to us, it awakens a longing and excitement that cannot be missed.

In the bible, love is likened to God's love of the church. When someone says those simple words that seem to mean so much these days, it reveals a happiness, and a fluttery feeling that this world may interpret as love. As I have said before, love is not a fuzzy feeling. I believe that one of the reasons that such an emotion is awakened in us is that we are reminded of the love Jesus has for us and His church. I believe that before we are even born, God sets our minds in such a way that we will be able to feel emotions, and have certain ideas, and do certain things that will impact the world, and I believe one of the things He implants in us is a fragment of His love.
Christ calls us to be like Him in His love of the Church: unconditionally.

"25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. " (Ephesians 5:25-28)

We are to be willing to do anything for our spouse, as well as to die for them if need be. But we are not only to show our unconditional love by sacrifice, but by washing them with water through the word. We must work to bring them closer to Christ even as we grow closer to Him. True love is not simply doing anything your spouse wants, but also correcting them when they are wrong, or pointing them to bible verses when they are sad, doing devotions with them etcetera. There is more than one way to love someone like Christ. We are also to present ourselves to them "as a radiant Church". We must rid ourselves of sin while we are helping eradicate it from our spouses. We follow the example of those we love, and we have to be careful not to lead those who love us into a trap of sin.
"He who loves his wife loves himself."

I hope you have all benefited from these last several posts about love. I have learned a lot, myself by researching for them. Maybe I'll do one next about being single? Drop some comments and let me know your opinions on the subject.

Happy Valentines Day, and God bless.

Marisa <3

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