"The Tangibles of Christ and His Cross"
How the CRADLE, CHARACTER, CAUSE, CROSS and COMING of Jesus EFFECTS our life now and for all eternity.
A GROWING LOVE
There's an INTIMATE connection between a growing love for the brethren and being blameless before God. I'm pretty sure that's what 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 telling us.
So don't be deceived... if your kind of love is keeping you from the brethren, your growing in the wrong kind of love and it's doing a number on you. You want the right kind of growing love (Philippians 1:9-11).
A growing love is a witness to a growing testimony of grace. Glory... when our love expands and abounds, so does the depth and reach of our personal testimony.
Why?
A growing love is a wise love... and a wise love doesn't merely react to others or opposition, and it doesn't jump to unwarranted conclusions, a growing love humbly and graciously and wisely responds with purpose, but never with arrogance or pride.
And one more thing... the right kind of love isn't the kind of love that makes excuses why it can't expand and grow.
A growing love stretches our patience with people and perseverance when persecuted...
"Love suffers long... and while it suffers it is always kind, it is never envious nor does it command attention or gratitude, it will not act ugly or demand respect and it cannot think wrongly or rejoice over wickedness, but it always celebrates and rejoices in the truth, and therefore, it can and will bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things. Love never ever fails... and it cannot act any other way..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) |
