Unconditional Love...

Jesus LOVE

This was one of my favorite sayings growing up, but it is so true. Jesus love paid it all as the ULTIMATE sacrifice of love.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

-John 15:13

What is LOVE?

We as a culture spend so much time on presents, gifts and the like, during the holidays such as Christmas, birthdays and Valentines Day, etc. But how many of us really know how to give the true gift of LOVE all year through?

Even in the greatest of gifts we can give each other; or the deepest love we can show-its fails in comparison when it comes to the true love of God.

I could travel the whole world in search of this kind of love but even the very best of what I could find or receive could not compare to GOD's love. Just in looking at one of the most popularized verses in the Bible which explains love (charity) you can see the real depth of God's love and how we should model it to each other. The Father's love is so real, its so powerful and all other love is incomparable. Once you experience this love-The Love of ALL Loves-The GREATEST Love of All-The love that sticks closer than a brother's love (Proverbs 18:24), even in all your good times and bad-it never changes because...It is REAL LOVE.

The Bible makes it clear when it speaks on love. It is the most true and accurate depiction of what love really represents...

Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, 

It is not easily angered, 

It keeps no record of wrongs.  

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails.

-1 Corinthians 13:4-8


Unconditional

Love, a word that comes and goes
But few people really know what it means to really love somebody
Love, though the tears may fade away
I'm so glad your love will stay
'Cause I love you and you show me
Jesus, what it really means to love...

-Kirk Franklin, Love 1997

Jesus love is so enduring that He loves us in spite of ourselves. God is love and His love is unchanging. Its so funny because in all our imperfections-He still sees the best in us and loves us unconditionally. God in all His perfection loves us and knows us more than we know ourselves and love ourselves. People can say they love-but how many can really and truly grasp the depth of God's love!? To people, love is something that can be turned on and off-it is tangible, conditional and situational. But God's love is everlasting, unchanging and enduring-in ALL things (1 Cor. 13:7). We can choose to hate or to fear-but God chooses to love us even in spite of ourselves and our circumstances.


There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear...

-1 John 4:18


...For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the HEART.

-1 Samuel 16:7


God's love is so deep, and so true that He even loves those who don't love Him or who don't believe Him. Yes, God loves even the sinner, the unbeliever, even the backslider or even the child of God who falls; as He longs for their salvation and redemption in Christ that they may experience His true love. His love for all humanity is so deep, and Jesus love for us along with His sacrifice, covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8) and sets the standard for love and thus setting the captives free!

One of the most powerful and well known scriptures that can be found in the Bible (and on some athletes faces-lol) about this great love is simply that of John 3:16:


For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

-John 3:16


God's word also continues to expand on His love...


But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

-Romans 5:8


How to Love


                                    


We can choose not to forgive, or blame each other-but Christ's love paid for our sins and nailed all condemnation on the cross. (Romans 8:1) We can hold grudges and judge each other all day-but God in all His perfection and righteousness; love is ever merciful and forgiving, and His grace abounds in spite of what we've done.

How many can truly say they know how to love like that?

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

-1 John 4:7-12


The word or connotation of love appears in the Bible upwards of a thousand times. Just in this scripture alone shows just how important love is to God, How much He loves us and that much more he wants us to love each other.

Part of the reason so many people are hurting, rejected or confused in this world today is because they never experienced this type of love. When a person is going through, or searching for answers, instead of tearing them down or pushing them away, we should be embracing and loving them. Loving others as Christ loved the church and all humanity and gave His life for it (I John 3:16) helps in the breakthrough of others lives, even our own.-All without hidden motive, agenda, vanity, or deceit. Apart from Jesus love and salvation, there is no other hope. Empathy, understanding and LOVE-God's Love, instead of  judgements, spitefulness and ridicule goes a long way as Jesus love wouldn't show it any other way. He is the epitome of love.

Our churches should be filled with love, our families and households should be filled with love, our workplaces should be filled with love but most importantly our hearts should be filled with love-Christ's LOVE! Let perfect love dwell in your hearts and minds that it may be contagious to the next person who needs to be renewed! Its not hard, believe me it takes less energy to love than so much more to hate.

Throughout my life in all my trials and triumphs I have found God's love to be infallible. I have been in situations where I was unloved, rejected, and disliked before people even got a chance to know or understand me. I also learned the flawed condition of my love as it measures up to God's love and in my treatment of others. I have learned that just a simple gesture of GENUINE love and kindness to someone at the onset, can make a world of difference in a person's life. You don't know what someone is going through and just you being real, encouraging, smiling or welcoming to that person can make all the difference in the world and it could even make all difference in that person's life. Stirring up jealousy, hate, judgements, and resentment only makes a person feel unloved, devalued and insignificant (Galatians 6:1-8). Part of the reason so many misunderstandings and heartache take place among people, is because of a lack of love-REAL, 1 Corinthians 13 kind of of love. But thanks be to God-He holds the MASTER KEY to REAL LOVE and how it should be depicted between you and me.

I can go on and on and on to talk about How wonderful my God is and how GREAT His love is but just to name a few, my own experience with His love...

God's love doesn't come with conditions.

It is not manipulative or controlling.

It is not impartial or unbalanced. 

His love is real, authentic and true.

It is patient and understanding.

His love does not betray, demand its own way, or misunderstand you.

His love doesn't lie, deceive, or hurt you.

His love has no false motive, agenda or stipulations.

His love is sincere and genuine. 

He love is so easy, its freeing.

Its the same yesterday, today and forevermore.

God's love never fails nor forsakes you; nor does it ever reject you.

It is not superficial, conditional; Its consistent, its STRONG.

God loves you in spite of you, your mess, mistakes and setbacks.

He loves you through your heartache, downfalls and pain.

He loves you in the sunshine and in the rain. 

His love is everlasting and ALL-powerful.

His love will never abandon or leave you. 

Its real and not fake. 

His love is not selfish, controlling, manipulative, or vindictive.

Its never jealous, prideful, or arrogant.

Its not judgemental, negative or resentful.

Its doesn't hold grudges and it understands you.

God's love does not tear you down or condemn (in Christ),

His love is dependable.

His love is always accessible, attainable and welcoming. 

His love sees the best in you, even when everyone else can only see the worse.

Its unbreakable, unshakable and its sustainable.

God is love and His love is the best!

And one of the most important things about God's love to me, Its forgiving...

Forgiving enough to die for you and me on the cross even though in all our sins, We didn't even deserve it nor could've done nothing to earn it.

We love him, because he first loved us.

-1 John 4:19


Continue to give the gift of love everyday and start by falling in love with Jesus...

http://www.christinaelise.com/#!love/c10p7


God Bless and Love in Christ!


-CE CE ;)