Monday, February 16, 2009
Pure love vs. Impure love
I challenged our teenagers last night to keep there eyes open for love of all types, and try to tell the difference between Pure love (Like God) and Impure love (Love that falls short of God's standards). One thing that we learned last night is that pure love is not always nice... Pure love is willing to say and do the hard things, no matter what. One key to pure love is that it is truth. It never lies. As we talked last night I felt so inadequate in the way I was trying to describe love. Can it be done?? I know the English language is really pathetic at using this word. For instance, I love steak, and I also love my wife. Same word, really different meanings! :) I do know this. God is love. I think to know love we must know God, and to know God we must know love. I am anxious to read more of the "Crazy Love" book. God is good. oh, and God is love.
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I disagree with you on one point: I don't think you need to "know God" to know what love is, simply because there are atheists out there that have pure love, and still not love God, clearly, because they do not believe in him. Therefore, you are implying that people who do not believe in God, must not know what pure love is; and that my friend, is a fallacy.
ReplyDeleteIs it not possible that the love the Atheist feels is the same love that is felt by one who experiences God, but the Atheist is simply blind to it's source.
ReplyDeleteI like the tittle. Thoughts.it is difficult to argue with your thoughts. Thinking is in the write path. I am not a person who prays but can relate to the logic in your thoughts. Well said
ReplyDeletewww.alloftheanswers.com/ true love page - We start off reading in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 4 Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; 5 does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; 6 finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. This is a pure, selfless, giving, forgiving kind of love that focuses on the other person. This is truly a Godly Love.
ReplyDeleteEveryone thinks that hate is the complete oposite of love, but as we will see, the counterfeit is Lust. Not just sexual lusts but every aspect that involves selfishness. See what happens if we take out the word Love and replace it with lust and reverse the meanings. The contrast is very striking.
We then re-read with the reverse to reveal the nature of lust. (Not necessarily sexual, but lusts of every kind. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 (reversed) 4 Lust is very impatient; Lust can be very unkind. Lust is envious of others and their accomplishments; lust loves to boasts; its very conceited; 5 acts innapropriately at times; is very selfish; easily provoked; keeps a grudge record of every wrong (Unforgiveness); 6 Lust often finds joy in the misfortune of others and gets upset when it cannot get away with its lies. 7 does not have the strenghth to bear all things, believes only in itself , lacks hope (very pessemistic), lacks the capacity to endure through every circumstance. 8 Lust is very temporary. This is a sample of an impure, selflship, stingy, unforgiving kind of counterfeit for love that focuses on the me, me , me and what is in it for me attitude.
Agape love with Eros in a marriage covenant is designed for bonding. Erotic experience or Eros outside of God's design is lust of the flesh which puts people in bondage.
We live in a sexually charged culture. From music, movies, and advertising our society bombards use with messages that the enemy uses to ensnare people from all walks of life, including christians.