Questions or comments are
welcomed.
“But the path of the just is as a shining
light, that shines more and more unto the
perfect day.”
(Prov 4:18)
“Though I speak with the
tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass,
or a tinkling cymbal.” 1 Cor 13:1
Much has been said and written on
the subject of love. And thus it should
be, for as there is nothing more important than love. In fact, it is greater than all other gifts. As our headline verse for this lesson says,
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am
become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” The passage continues on in verse 2-3 to say, “And though I have
the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and
though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not
charity, I am nothing. And though I
bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,
and have not charity, it profits me nothing.”
These statements
are preceded by the statement, “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet
show I unto you a more excellent way.” (1 Cor 12:31) Love is that more excellent way.
It is better than any miraculous gifts of the Spirit such as tongues or
prophecy, the word of knowledge, or even the gift whereby one is able to remove
mountains through supernatural faith.
It is better than mere outward works of giving to the needy, no matter
how sacrificial that giving may be. As
is also implied in this passage love is even greater than giving of yourself as
a martyr for what you consider to be the true faith, for you could die for what
you consider the true faith and yet be following something other than the true
faith. It is even possible for one to
die for the true faith and, as great as that is, that person could do so merely
out of fear of personal eternal loss and not because of a real love to Yahweh
or others. What then is this thing called “love”, and how is it obtained? What are those character traits that are
manifestations of it?
There are a
number of Greek words that have been translated by the English word
“love”. One is the word “eros”, from
which we get our English word “erotic”.
It means “love” in the sense of personal preference and desire,
especially on a level of sexual attraction.
As we read in The Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament, it “is passionate love which desires the
other for itself”. However, this Greek word
is not used in the Bible.
Another word
translated “love” in the KJV of the Bible is “thelo”. It is found 208 times in the New Testament writings and is
translated by a number of different English words. The only place it is found translated as “love” in the Bible is
Mark 12:38, which says, “And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the
scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the
marketplaces.” It means “wish” or
“desire”. It is translated as like in
this passage in the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
Next we have the
Greek word “phileo”. This occurs 26
times in the Bible. “Phileo” means
“love” in the sense of “tender affection”, as W.E. Vine points out in his Complete Expository Dictionary. Bauer, Arndt, Ginrich in their Greek
Lexicon give the meaning of “phileo” as being
“love, have affection for, like”. It is a verb form of the word “philos” that
means “dear” or “friend” and speaks of
that kind of love, that of a friend.
The final word that we
want to consider is the Greek word “agape”. .
This noun “agape” is found in the Greek N.T. 116 times, and the verb
form “agapao” is used in the Greek N.T. 142 times. Thus, it is by far the most frequently used word in the New
Testament writings that is consistently translated as “love” in most English
translations. In the KJV is it
translated as “charity” 28 times, including the passages I have referred to in
1 Cor 13, but elsewhere as “love”. In
its verb form it is the word used in John 3:16, which as most of us know says,
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (as it
is translated in the KJV). In 1 John
4:8 we read, “He that loves not knows not Yahweh; for Yahweh is love
[agape]”. Thus, this word “agape”
describes what Yahweh Himself is. It
describes the totality of His moral nature, the very essence and sum of His nature.
“Agape” as used in the Bible means “love” in
the sense of a choice or disposition of the will to think and do good unto the
one on whom you are focusing. As
mentioned, this is the word translated “love” (or “charity” in the KJV) in 1
Cor. chapter 13 - the chapter rightly called “the love chapter”. Therefore, it is this that I will be
referring to as we examine some of what the Bible says about “love”.
True “agape”,
true “love”, as we have seen, is used to sum up what Yahweh is in His
character. He is pure, immeasurable
love. All true love originates from
Him. Giving is its very essence. “Yahweh so loved the world that He gave….”. He gave the most precious, costly thing He
could give - His only begotten Son, who, as the Word made flesh, was Yahweh
Himself become human that He might give His life for the salvation of mankind. Yes, love has giving as its very essence.
Yet all giving is not love in the truest sense of the word - in the sense that
describes the type of love Yahweh has and wants us to have. We can give for the purpose of getting, so
that even our giving can be a form of selfishness instead of true love. True love is the very opposite of
selfishness.
According to 1
Corinthians 13:1 we can even give “all” our “goods to feed the poor” and yet
not have what the Bible here refers to as [agape] “love”. What really looks like love – or
benevolence - on the surface can have a subtle, underlying self-centered
motivation. For instance, a person can
give to get approval of others, or to seek to gain some personal merit, or merely to gain a sense of personal self
worth that gives himself or herself a “good feeling”. All of this giving can accomplish a good purpose. So we should not at all speak against
philanthropic efforts to help others no matter what may be the underlying
motive. But that type of giving that is
done merely to get oneself a good feeling is not what the Bible speaks of as
true love. Some people just naturally
“feel” compassion, and that is a good natural quality to have. Such people would feel miserable if they
have something available to give and do not do so when a serious need presents
itself to their attention. But if they
give with their primary motivating force being just “because it makes me feel
good”, as some have said, then, that does not qualify as love in the sense of
being what the Bible speaks of as the “love” that is true righteousness. It may take a little thought to understand
this, but it is a major reason the Bible indicates that I could, “… bestow all
my goods to feed the poor” and still have not true “love”.
True love is the
opposite of selfishness. It is not
self focused at all. True love is a
choice of the will that is based purely upon what one perceives as valuable
in and of itself. This may be a
difficult idea to grasp at first. But
when one comes to understand it things become much clearer as pertains to what
the Bible says about love and holiness.
To understand this better we need to consider this matter of what is the
only thing that is valuable, per se, that is, valuable in and of itself.
Happiness is the
only thing that is intrinsically valuable.
That is to say, it is the only thing valuable, per se, or, in and of
itself. By happiness I mean that state
of mind in which we have contentment or enjoyment. It includes, and is primarily, what is called “peace of mind”. It is a sense of real inner peace and mental well being with a
sense of being pleased. Think about it
for a moment. Why would you personally
want any experience or thing unless you considered that such will bring you
some kind of happiness, some kind of enjoyment or contentment? If it doesn’t do so, then, it has no value
to you.
Take money as an
example. Money is only of value because
it can be used to obtain things that people like, which are things that they
think will bring them some form of gratification. Whether that pleasure, or gratification, is on a physical level
or on some higher, spiritual level, in final analysis we see that it operates
through the mind to produce a state of mental satisfaction. Thus, in the case of money, it has worth to
people only because they think it can help them get what they want (and may
think they need) to bring them some measure of satisfaction or happiness, some
gratification. So it is with anything you can think of whether it is some material
thing or some personal experience. In
the final analysis we see that only that which causes a person to experience
some form of happiness is considered valuable to that person.
As another
example, let’s consider food. If you
get enjoyment from eating a certain kind of food, and especially if it makes
you feel well, you consider it valuable.
But if someone else is allergic to that same food and it makes them feel
very sick, it is no valuable to them, but just the opposite. It is the same food in either case. But what makes it valuable to the one
person, but not to the other is the effect it has on either person’s
happiness. This is true of everything. Therefore, the value, non-value, or
anti-value of anything is determined by how it effects someone’s
happiness. I don’t believe you can
think of any exception to this rule when all the factors are considered.
Thus, happiness is the one thing valuable in
itself. Therefore, every choice we make
is made, and everything we do (beginning as it does with a choice of the will)
is in the final sense made or done with happiness in view. We decide to do things or not according as
we think that doing so will promote happiness or not. I do not say we stop and think, “Will this promote happiness or
not”, but that is, nevertheless, the determining factor behind every choice we
make.
True love is a moral virtue and, therefore,
has to be an act of the will, for we are not directly morally responsible for
that which we do not ourselves will.
Love is not a mere emotion, even though it can and normally will effect
the emotions. I realize that we generally do not sit down think it through in
these terms, nor analyze it in this way.
But since the ultimate and controlling choice of life, (the goal which
we really all choose to live for) is happiness, what determines whether the
choice is sinful or holy? It is not
whether or not we choose happiness, for we all must do that in every choice
that we make, since it is the only thing valuable per se. In other words, it is the nature of things
that choices that are made by the free will are decisions for what we see as
worth choosing, for whatever reason we think it is worth choosing. We would not choose something unless we saw
some good reason or value (to our way of thinking) for doing so doing.
Therefore, in
summary of the matter up to this point, we see that everyone has as their
ruling state of mind, or their controlling focus and goal of life, the matter
of living and striving for what they see as valuable. And in the final analysis
what is valuable is that condition of mind that we call happiness. It cannot be otherwise. Whether it be “saint” or “sinner”, everyone
is in some way, in all choices of life, including the controlling condition of
mind, is really living for what he or she perceive as happiness.
So, then, since
every choice of every individual is in reality a choice of what he or she
considers valuable, (which is, in fact, a choice of happiness) what determines
whether or not our ruling condition of “heart” - our controlling choice of
purpose in life (and, therefore, each
individual choice that comes from it) is holy or unholy? What determines that is whether we choose
the promotion of each sentient being’s happiness according to its true level of
greatness, or just choose our own happiness as our ultimate goal in
life. Again, happiness is the only
thing good (in the sense of valuable) in and of itself. It is, therefore, the only thing that is
ultimately behind every decision we make. Therefore, what determines our moral
character is not whether or not we are in some sense willing the existence and
promotion of what is valuable, since we cannot choose otherwise. But what determines the moral character of
our ruling choice of life, and, thus, of each individual choice in life, is how
we choose that only thing that has value in and of itself (happiness). If we choose our own good or happiness as
our controlling choice of life we are thereby making the wrong choice. We are being selfish, which is morally
wrong, or unrighteous. If, on the other
hand, we choose the greatest good as our controlling choice in life, if we
choose to live for the greatest good, which is the same as the greatest
happiness that exists, first and foremost, and all other happiness in order of
its level of value we are morally righteous.
Another way of saying this is this: if we live for, or choose as our
controlling choice in life, that which is the only thing that in itself is
truly valuable or good (happiness) for its own sake, rather than merely
for its relationship to self, then we are being unselfish and, therefore,
morally righteous.
When I say “as
our controlling choice of life”, I mean that which is the one, underlying,
ultimate choice or goal for which we live that determines every other
individual choice we make. The
character of all other (intermediate) choices, as to whether they are morally
sinful or morally righteous, is determined by whether this ultimate choice is
merely centered on self (and those we personally care about) or whether it is
centered on the greatest good, the greatest happiness and every other happiness
each according to its individual value.
In other words, do we live merely for personally happiness, and every
other happiness only as it effects our own?
Or, do we live for the greatest good of the universe to the degree that
we have any effect on it? It is this
that determines a person moral character.
In other words, it is this that determines whether we have a righteous
or wicked heart. If you do not grasp it yet, please take the time and mental
effort to think this through. It could
make a tremendous difference in your life and outlook on things.
As pointed out, no one can choose anything except
happiness as an ultimate choice. They may
not think it through in these terms, but the truth is that both sinner and
saint choose happiness as the motivating force behind all that they do. But the sinner has his or her own happiness
as the motivating factor behind each decision and resulting action. The saint on the other hand (using saint as
meaning a true follower of Yahshua) though he also chooses happiness, chooses
it in an unselfish way. One - the
sinner - desires good only as it in some way relates to his personal
happiness. Even the mother who loves
her child with that beautiful thing called “mother’s love” is in a sense
promoting her own happiness by every personal sacrifice that she makes for her
child. She would not be happy without
her child being happy. She is only
fulfilling a Yah given instinct.
Therefore, although it is a good thing, in and of itself it has no moral
character. What determines its moral
character is whether it is done with a heart that in the final analysis chooses
to promote the greatest good, including her own child’s as it fits in with
that, or is done out of a heart that has no other good in mind than that which
pleases self.
The
Bible says that even, “…the plowing of the wicked, is sin.” (Prov. 21:4) Why is that? Is the
plowing of the wicked in itself any different than that of the righteous? Not necessarily. Why then is it sin? It is
sin, because it is done out of a heart that is centered on self and on personal
good (or personal happiness) as the supreme purpose or choice of life. True love is that condition of heart or mind
in which the greatest good (the
greatest happiness) is the supreme choice for life. Selfishness, or choosing to live for one’s own good (one’s own
happiness) as the goal of life is the opposite of true love.
Now, let’s apply
this to what the Bible says about love and righteousness. When asked, “Master, which is the great
commandment in the law?”, Yahshua answered, “Thou shalt love Yahweh your Elohim
with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind [your
strength]’. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like unto it, ‘You shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself’. On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt. 22:36-40) Of course,
keeping the commandments is acknowledged by us all as being righteous. No one except our Savior Himself has done so
completely from the beginning of life.
Therefore, the Bible says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory
of Yahweh.” (Rom 3:23) If anyone had kept them completely from
birth throughout life, he would have been righteous and would not have any need
of a Savior to die for his sins, for he would have no sins. But such has never been the case except in
the case of Yahshua the Messiah, the only perfectly righteous man that ever
lived.
But why is it
morally righteous to love Yahweh with all your heart, soul and mind? Is it just because He is merely the
“biggest” one, the one who has the greater power, the one who made everything,
and could wipe us out if He so decided?
Or, is it because there is something about Him that deserves such utter
love and devotion, something about Him that in itself warrants that we should
choose that His happiness be promoted above all others? It is, of course, the last thing mentioned.
As being the
only Infinite One, Yahweh’s nature is such that He can and does experience
happiness greater than that of all other sentient beings put together. Love is the act of choosing the happiness of
the one you love. Love is willing the
good of the one you love (and, therefore, involves acting so as to promote that
one’s happiness whenever and however possible). True love as righteousness, then, is willing (and, therefore,
acting to promote where possible) the greatest possible good, which is the greatest
possible happiness. As being that state
of heart in which the will is focused on the promotion of happiness as an end
in itself, and not just one’s own happiness, true love and righteousness
can only exist where Yahweh’s happiness, or blessing, is one’s supreme
goal. This is because His is the
greatest single good or happiness possible.
The next highest
level of happiness with which we have to do is that of man. Man’s ability to experience happiness is
nowhere near that of the Infinite One, but it is higher than that of the dumb
animals. Therefore, man’s happiness is
to be chosen below that of Yahweh’s, but above that of the dumb animals. Any one man’s ability to experience
happiness is relatively equal to that of any other. My neighbor’s ability to experience good or happiness, or suffer
pain and unhappiness, is equal to my own.
Therefore, I should love my neighbor as myself. This is the same as to say that I should
choose the promotion of his happiness on the same level as I would my own. I may not have the ability to promote it as
much as I can my own, but I should choose to do so as I am able.
Thus we are told
to love Yahweh, which is to will His good and, therefore, to seek to please Him
with all facets of our being, i.e., with all our heart, all our soul and all
our strength (which means with the thoughts of the mind, which governs the
physical actions). He is the greatest
of sentient beings. Yahweh alone is
Infinite. Therefore, it is only right
to choose His happiness above all others.
We should love
our neighbors as ourselves because they are beings like ourselves and can
experience happiness on the same level as ourselves. Therefore, it is only right that we choose their happiness on an
equal basis as our own. We read that,
“all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself.” Gal. 5:14 Again, Rom 13:10 says, “Love works no ill to
his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Thus the sum of being righteous is to
love. And to love is to will or choose
to live for the greatest good. It is
to choose the promotion of the greatest possible happiness in an unprejudiced
way, that is, unselfishly.
Love is not an
emotion. Yet it effects and, therefore,
involves the emotions. It is not an
individual outward act or total combination of acts, but it affects, and,
therefore, involves all our acts. As
has been explained in this lesson, true love is a condition of the heart
wherein your will chooses the greatest possible good, which is that same as to
say the greatest possible happiness.
Such a choice of the will as your purpose of life and ruling decision of
will is true love and unselfishness.
And such a disposition of the will affects every aspect of your life.
The problem is
that in our natural state we are not unselfish. We are very selfish by nature. This is true even of the most
refined, well taught, seemingly nice people until they come to Messiah. When we read, “There is none righteous, no
not one”, we know from the Bible that it is true that no one has true love
prior to that person coming to know Yahweh and His love as expressed by His
Son’s death for our sins. Only by
being “born again” and, thus receiving the Holy Spirit can we be made free from
sin and self and begin to experience, and personally have, true love. We read in Romans 5:5 “…the love of Yahweh
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.” Apart
from this experience we are selfish, self centered, sinful creatures. There are
no exceptions regardless of how it seems on the surface. Once we receive Yahshua into our lives we
begin to experience real love, which begins by our coming to love Yahweh in the
sense of having gratitude and emotional bonding to Him that cause us to want to
please Him, and live for Him. “We love
Him, because He first loved us”, as we read in 1 John 4:19. And the love of, or for, Yahweh is the first
and most important, or most essential, aspect of true love. It is this experience of having Yahweh’s
love shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit that is the very essence of
the New Covenant. It is the act of
Yahweh writing His law on our hearts in its initial stages of His doing so. Then, as we continue in that condition of
heart Yahweh continues to write His law on our hearts as we increase in the
knowledge of Him through His word and the Spirit of truth.
1 John 5:1 tells
us that if we are “born of Yahweh” we will love others that are also born of
Him. Verse 2 tells us that “By this we
know that we love the children of Yahweh, when we love Yahweh, and keep his
commandments.” Verse 3 says, “For this
is the love of Yahweh, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are
not grievous.” So coming to have true
love is the initial step of Yahweh writing His law, in its very essence, which
is love, on our hearts. Then, this will
lead to our loving other believers and our walking in obedience to Him by the
keeping of His commandments. That, of
course, implies learning of them as we continue to walk in the love He has put
in our hearts. This is an ongoing
process as we grow in “grace and in the knowledge of our Master and Savior,
Yahshua the Messiah”. (2 Peter 3:18)
Thus by the new
birth we become those whom Yahweh brings from sin and selfishness into His
family through the power of His word, and operation of His Spirit by which He
plants His own love in us. Then, as we
continue in Him we keep on “increasing in the knowledge of Yahweh” who is Love. As we continue in this way we can be “confident
of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it
until the day of Yahshua Messiah.”
(Phil. 1:6) Having now
considered these foundational thoughts on this subject, we will continue with
some very important further considerations in the next lesson.