Monday, April 26, 2010

Pursue Love

"Pursue love..." - 1 Corinthians 14:1, ESV

Pursue - dioko

  • metaph., to pursue.  To seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavor to acquire.


Love - agape

  • brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence.


I am to chase after this love, this agape love, rather than settling down for a love that is superficial and fickle.  As I look at those two words above, my mind went to the call of husbands to love their wives.  So I looked up Ephesians 5:25.  Husbands, [agapao] your wives just as Christ [agapao]  the church and gave himself up for her. This is the type of love that I am to pursue.  I am to pursue the kind of love that is of Christ.  In order for me to love like Jesus, I must be connected to Jesus.  He said it himself: "Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide, in me" (John 15:4, ESV). So, if I want to love as Christ loves, I NEED to remain in him.  How do I remain in him? OBEY (see John 15:10).  I am to obey Christ in order to remain in him.  In order to live the life that Christ has for me to live, I must abide in him.  The key to abiding in Christ is to obey him.  So, it must be remembered by all that the life that Christ calls us to live cannot be achieved or lived out by anyone on planet earth without being connected to Christ.  It is impossible! This should not frustrated anyone.  Rather, it should bring relief.  I am not expected by Jesus to live for him without him.  In fact, I am excitedly welcomed by Jesus into this relationship where I rely on him.  I've read atheists who say that Christianity is a crutch for the ungodly.  I would disagree with that.  Honestly, Christ is a cot that I completely rely on, not just a crutch that I lean against.

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