love for family

©2021 frank mozeika | ask@lifechurchco.com

love for family

If we are to love our families, then it is imperative to know beforehand what type of love that God desires us to have.

So, what is the love that God desires us to have? There are several types of love described in the Bible that we naturally have. Unfortunately, many believe that the love God desires is simply a list of things that we do or say to other people.

If that were the case, then I could just list all the things one should do to demonstrate and express love and call it "good". But is that what God desires? Not necessarily.

You see, God explains what He desires most in us, since He makes it clear when He says, "If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."

1 corinthians 13:3

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

It is only then, when we love with the love God commands, that all the "love actions" that follow are pleasing to God. Those "love actions" will flow from us out of genuine love, willingness, and not as a duty. With agape love, our actions will not be burdensome.

Since God is not impressed by our actions without love, then what is this love He is looking for?

God’s love

There are approximately seven types of love expressed in God’s Word, but only one in particular is set apart from all the rest, and that is agape love.

my notes:

so, what is agape love?

it’s commanded...

john 13:34-35

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

my notes

it may be different than what you think it is...

romans 5:6-8

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

my notes:

it’s confessed...

joshua 24:14-15

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

joshua 24:21-24

But the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the LORD." 22 Then Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD." "Yes, we are witnesses," they replied. 23 "Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." 24 And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God and obey him."

my notes:

following through

Now that we know that we are to love others with agape love, let us examine the following Scripture to understand its true meaning:.

ephesians 5:1-2

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God…….

ephesians 5:21-33

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing 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. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church– 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery–but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

my notes:

ephesians 6:1-9

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"–which is the first commandment with a promise– 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

my notes: