Summary:
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.
Romans 5:5
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
God’s love, according to Scripture, is already in us but the manifestation and power of that love can increase as we walk with God and grow.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
We can learn to cooperate with what God wants to do in our lives by humbling ourselves, believing and acting on God's Word.
The Commandment To Love God, Others And You
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
What Love Acts Like
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
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.
Are You/We Acting In Love Towards You?
Are we…
Patient with ourselves?
Kind to ourselves?
Keeping record of wrongs or past failures?
How To Be Sure We Love Ourselves
How Do We Know We Love
1 John 5:1-3
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.
Love God most of all, then love others as you love you!