With what time is left to us, we are called to settle for nothing less than a passionate love affair with God and with life, embracing God and the creation through which God shimmers, living madly in the reality that this universe is not purposeless, but that we are called toward the drama and pain of life and love lived to the fullest.

David M. Carr
The Erotic Word, pages 176-178

A real look at the Scripture will acquaint you with a God of love. The happy God (I Timothy 1:11) is love (I John 4:8); and He sheds abroad His love in our hearts (Romans 5:5; i.e., “pours out,” CLT, Rotherham; “floods,” Moffatt, Weymouth).

Did you know that God loves you, that He loves you just as you are, and that His love for you is unconditional?

Religion says “God’s love is conditional” – that is, God loves you if you meet certain conditions. The idea is that God will love you “if” … if you do certain things, and don’t do certain other things. This is one of the myths of religion.

Unconditional love is one of God’s wonderful gifts to you. Religion will try to force you into wearing some kind of façade so you can approach God; but you don’t have to be someone other than who you are for God to love you. After all, God made you who you are. The realization of this, and of His great unconditional love, will actually set you free from religion and its manipulative bondage.

God’s love is not premised on a condition; it is not contingent on something within us, something that we must do, something that we must achieve.

Calvary’s love is at the very heart of the good news – real good news – not some consolation prize for those who are “good.” The Lord Jesus Christ showcased the divine love of the Father for His children.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

But God demonstrated His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Out of one side of its mouth religion will tell us of the love of God, and then out of the other that He will send the overwhelming majority of His creation to suffer the pains of eternal conscious torment. Such a view abandons any concept of unconditional love.

Since God is not a man, His love is not human, but divine. One of the greatest human loves is that of family (of a man for a woman, of a mother and father for their children); and yet God’s love is far superior.

We are all the offspring of God, He is our Father (Acts 17:29). God gave us earthly families that we may know, in some small measure, the nature of His Fatherly love for us. Parental love can be unconditional, and yet it pales in comparison to that of our heavenly Father’s. His love is unwaveringly fixed upon us as the object of His love; and divine “love never fails” (I Corinthians 13:8). The endless endurance of divine love can be seen in the love that the Lord manifests toward us:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35).

Our Creator is our Dad: we are His children, and we are on a journey to learn the limitlessness, the boundlessness of His love toward us.

This supreme principle can affect every relationship we have. It begins with our relationship with our Father, but then extends on out to all with whom we have relationships. Thus we see everyone differently through the prism of God’s unconditional love.

Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.
© Daily Email Goodies^™

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (I John 4:10).

This is why salvation is so often called a “gift” in the Bible. It is the expression of God’s love to sinners. So Paul tells us,

[We] were by nature the children of wrath, even as others, but God, Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved) (Ephesians 2:3-5).

… After that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us … (Titus 3:4-5).

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

C.R. Stam (1909-2003)
Two Minutes with the Bible

Love – genuine, Jesus-type love – is not something you think but something you do. Love is not closed eyes, but open eyes. Love is not just a warm spirit, but sore feet … Love is not just a sentimental word, but a demanding way of life; it insists that our feet, our hands, our minds, our goals, our treasure be where our heart is.

What a dainty dogma we have made of loving! No wonder so many people, observing the unscarred hands of the church, have been passing by on the other side. Some of these “non-believers” knew us better than we knew ourselves. They knew that we thought all we had to do was love until it hurt and then quit, when actually we had not even begun to love until it hurt …

There is a futility in trying to love people in category lots. How, in the name of common sense, can you love a race? Or a nationality? Or Jews? Or Catholics? Or, for that matter, Protestants? (How can we even hate a category?) Yet this wraparound love, this love in the abstract, is the big thing with some people …

I submit that you can’t love – in the sense of having rapport – a category of people. You can love only individuals … I think it’s significant that Jesus said, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” … And He doesn’t say “neighbors,” plural. He made it very singular, very personal, as personal as I myself am personal.

When He did use the plural – “Love your enemies” – it was more personal than the faceless “the enemy” that military people are prone to talk about. “Your enemies.” How many do you have? Not so many, chances are, that you can’t count them. Not so many that you can’t love them.

Kenneth L. Wilson (1916-?)
Editor of The Christian Herald
Have Faith Without Fear (1970), pages 72-74

Success can be a relative thing. It really all depends upon who is measuring it. Even the world about us has different standards for determining success; but, ultimately, all true success will be determined at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

There are many activities and ventures which, by social and religious standards, appear to be successful. These are honored, respected and celebrated – but all that glitters is not gold.

The Bema

What is successful and of true value will be determined at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The Judgment Seat of Christ is what old-timers often called “the Bema.” They did so because bema is the Greek word used to translate “judgment seat.”

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you set aside your brother? For we shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10).

For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it is good or bad (II Corinthians 5:10).

The Meaning of Bema

The bema in New Testament times was a raised platform at the Olympic Games, where the chief of the games stood and placed awards (stephanos) around the neck of all the winners!

For the believer, the Bema is a recognition of what is real and of true value in life. It is about “bringing home the gold.” It is the genuine measure of the success of this life. This success is represented by the lasting quality of gold, silver and precious stones (as opposed to wood, hay and stubble).

Now if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble (I Corinthians 3:12).

Gold, silver and precious stones represent a way of measuring what has real and lasting value. Often, in difficult economic times, men will use these as the standards of true wealth. At the Bema God will reveal what was of real value in this life. The outcome may be surprising to many.

Love Is Paramount

God has made it very clear what is valuable in life, and love is at the apex of this value. Paul, the apostle, makes the divine case for love as:

a more excellent way (I Corinthians 12:31).

the greatest of these (I Corinthians 13:13).

above all these things (Colossians 3:14).

the bond of perfectness (Colossians 3:14).

Since love is the preeminent value with God, it should be the object of our lives. We will not be disappointed with love: it truly is a sure thing – it never fails.

Love never fails (I Corinthians 13:8).

Love Is …

The means whereby faith works.

… faith which works by love (Galatians 5:6).

How we are rooted and grounded.

… rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:17).

How members of the Body of Christ edify each other.

… edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:16).

The Exhortation to Love

We are therefore exhorted, by Paul:

Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love (Romans 12:10).

Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies (I Corinthians 8:1).

Though I … have not love, I am nothing (I Corinthians 13:2).

Though I … have not love, it profits me nothing (I Corinthians 13:3).

Follow after love (I Corinthians 14:1).

… By love serve one another (Galatians 5:13).

… The fruit of the Spirit is love … (Galatians 5:22).

… Forbearing one another in love (Ephesians 4:2).

But speaking the truth in love … (Ephesians 4:15).

… Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us … (Ephesians 5:2).

… Abound in love … (I Thessalonians 3:12).

Love is what is real! God says that it is lasting, edifying, perfecting and profitable. Without this single ingredient of the divine life, we are reduced to nothing. This is why Paul so aptly penned,

And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness (Colossians 3:14).

Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.
Daily Email Goodies™
© 2010

Thomas Talbott
The Inescapable Love of God

Someone emailed a story to me that illustrates this point well. It shows how we can’t mess up God’s plan. He’s far too ingenious and powerful to allow that.

A mother once took her son to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother was temporarily distracted by talking to a friend. Taking advantage of the chance to explore, the little boy walked away. He went through a door marked, “No Admittance.”

When the house lights dimmed the mother turned to see that her son was missing. About that time, the curtains parted and the spotlight focused on the grand piano on stage. Seated at the keyboard was the little boy, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano and whispered in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.” Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato.

Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what had appeared to be a terrible blunder into a creative masterpiece. The audience was overwhelmed by the beauty of that moment. The moment had been redeemed.

Whatever your situation in life may be, you don’t have to worry. Your Father’s eternal arm’s are around you, working to accomplish His purpose for you. He will create a masterpiece of your life. You don’t have to worry that your performance isn’t as good as it should be. Trust Him and He will work with you where you are. In union with Him, the two of you will make beautiful music together.

Steve McVey
Grace Walk

Something to hope for.
Something to do.
Someone to love.

William Barclay (1907-1978)
Daily Celebration, p. 13

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet;” and if there is any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:8-10).

For, brothers, you have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:13-14).

As members of Christ’s Body, we are neighbors.

… Speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another (Ephesians 4:25).

Love is the fulfilling of the law. This is why, to the pure, all things are pure, and there is nothing unclean of itself. This is why love is eternally bound to grace. Grace is the absence of law, and there is no need for a law where love is genuinely present … “and the greatest of these is love.”

Unto the pure all things are pure … (Titus 1:15).

I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself … (Romans 14:14).

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not (I Corinthians 10:23).

And now abides faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is love (I Corinthians 13:13).

Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.
Bible Student’s Notebook
© 2007, 2010

Under grace we are free to apply the things that we learn, and walk in them, so long as we do not hurt, or become a stumbling block to others. This is the principle of love – because …

Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10).

Here enters the context and principles of Romans chapter 14, and the importance of a walk of personal faith and clear conscience. We are free to exercise our liberty in Christ insofar as it does not offend the weaker brother’s conscience and thus destroy him. Here are some principles that we could use and apply in specific circumstances:

Scriptural Understanding

We should seek a scriptural understanding regarding any particular issue. The intent would be to provide clarity of conscience and a true act of personal faith, while in love allowing others to do the same, even though they may see things differently than we do.

Deliberate Actions

We should seek to gain clear understanding of our individual purposes and intents prior to any actions. Our individual actions should always be:

(1) In light of our personal consciences

Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of genuine faith … Holding faith, and a good conscience … (I Timothy 1:5, 19).

(2) In light of our genuine desires (as well as likes and dislikes).

For it is God Who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

Our actions should be deliberate and with forethought. This is what the Christian life is intended to be – rather than a mindless spur-of-the-moment “going along” – so that any action can be done heartily as unto the Lord.

Genuine Honor and Respect

We should honor and respect one another and not trespass each other’s personal faith and consciences.

These principles would allow us to reflect our walk in liberty as an act of worshipful faith and a walk in love.

Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.
Bible Student’s Notebook
© 2007, 2010