In Love

I was ten years old and we had just moved into town. I first saw her playing kickball and admired her pretty face, athleticism, and spunky drive—and something new sparked in my heart. Over the next six years, this exciting and uneasy feeling continued as she dated others and I never had the courage to tell her how I truly felt. I was “in love” according to all the books and movies I knew, but I wasn’t sure what it all really meant.

Going to college was a new experience away from my “first love.” There I met another girl and I was sure she was the one I would marry and spend the rest of my life with. Yet after some time, she let me go for a grad student, and I was devastated. I remember sharing my deep depression at this loss with a co-worker. She tried to comfort me, but I thought to myself, “You have no idea what I’m going through.” I even considered that my life might not be worth living.

It was at that time that I went out into a secluded wood near campus and poured out my heart to God. I told Him that I needed answers because I knew my life was supposed to be much better than it was. I left it at that and went back to the dorm.

The next day at work, there was a new employee. He had a big smile and a ponytail—which was unusual since the owner only hired “clean cut” types. This man’s kindness, loving actions, and scriptural answers helped to heal my heart. I began to fellowship with other Christian believers and learned to be in love in a new way. I had the love of Christ.

In the New Testament, “love” is translated from the Greek word agapē, which is a spiritual love that comes from God. He so loved us that He gave.

John 3:16:
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.

I John 4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

This is God’s love for us—that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our sins and make available everlasting life. What about our love for God? When we are born again (Romans 10:9,10), God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts.

Romans 5:1,5:
Therefore being justified by faith [of Jesus Christ], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [God’s gift of holy spirit] which is given unto us.

Now that we spiritually have God’s love, it is up to us to manifest that love in our relationships with our heavenly Father and one another. God had the Apostle Paul write epistles to seven early churches: Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and I and II Thessalonians. The King James Version uses the English expression “in love” ten times within this group of church epistles. Let’s see ten things that our loving Father wants us to do in love.

1. Encourage one another in love and spiritual meekness

The Apostle Paul walked in love and encouraged the Corinthian believers to follow his example. He even sent Timothy to remind them of his ways in Christ.

I Corinthians 4:16 and 17:
Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

Paul desired to personally visit these believers and help them, but needed to send Timothy in his place at this time. Rather than being harsh and critical with them, he desired to support them in spiritual meekness.

Verse 21:
What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

2. Holy and without blame before our Father in love

God has given us His love, and we can walk in love toward others. As we realize how much God loves us, we can more fully recognize our calling in Christ as sons of God. The Epistle of Ephesians shows God’s tremendous love for us. It uses the English phrase “in love” six times and shows us that God loves us, and that we can love Him back!

Ephesians 1:4:
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

God called us and chose us to be His children, and we by our free will believed His Word to get born again. Now we are “before him in love.” The Greek word translated “before” means to be directly in the sight of.  We are right in front of our heavenly Father—and He sees us as “holy and without blame.”  I know how much my wife and I love our own son and picture the best for him. God sees us even greater than that!

3. Rooted and grounded in love

The love we receive from our all-powerful Father is something we can be rooted and grounded in.

Ephesians 3:17:
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith [believing]; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.

The Greek word for “rooted” gives us the English word “rhizome.” A rhizome is a horizontal plant stem that has shoots above and roots below so that it can grow and produce more plants. Similarly, we can put our roots deep into God’s love so that we can “shoot” out and love others.

And we can be “grounded” in God’s love. This Greek word means to lay a foundation. Super high buildings need strong, deep foundations. With God’s love as our foundation, we can grow tall for Him and prosper.

How do we practically get rooted and grounded in God’s love? By believing and acting on His Word. Ephesians 1:1 says this epistle is addressed to the “faithful in Christ Jesus,” those who believe and live God’s Word. We are walking in love as we do the Word. I John 5:3 says “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments….”

Thinking and doing God’s Word, motivated by His love, is the proper environment into which we can sink our roots. This will help us be established on a firm foundation.  Then as members in particular in the Body of Christ we will be spiritually united—rooted and established in love.

Being rooted and grounded became living and real to me while living in Colorado near the magnificent aspen groves of the Gunnison Valley. An aspen grove is considered to be the world’s largest living organism, since a single grove may cover an entire mountainside. One aspen colony in the western United States is considered the largest living organism by mass, covering 100 acres! And it is also considered to be one of the oldest living organisms. Now that is being rooted and grounded with a long-lasting foundation!

In an aspen grove, each tree stands as an individual, yet all the trees are connected by a shared root system that gives them united strength and longevity. Similarly, as born-again believers we are individually and collectively rooted and grounded in God’s love. We are part of the Body of Christ, the largest and longest-lasting spiritual “organism” that has ever existed. We will have eternity together!

4. Forbearing one another in love

Though we are spiritually united, we must each make a decision to walk in love on God’s Word in order to establish and maintain that unity in our practical living.

Ephesians 4:1-3:
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation [calling] wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We walk worthy of God’s calling as we practically carry out His will, which includes forbearing each other in love. The Greek word translated “endeavoring” in verse 3 is spoudazō and emphasizes an exertion of effort. Think about the relationships we can build with other believers as we take the time necessary to get to know one another, share the Word together, and live it in love. We exert ourselves to keep the spiritual unity with our lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, and forbearance.

5. Speaking the truth in love

Ephesians 4:15:
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

The phrase “speaking the truth” literally means “truthing it.” What a joy to know the truth, speak the truth, and live the truth. We are examples of the true God, our Father, as we live His Word in love. Then we can grow up together under the direction of our lord and head, Jesus Christ.

6. Living the truth in love

Ephesians 4:16:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

We are perfectly joined together spiritually with Christ as the head. It is up to each of us to give our utmost to do what only we can do as members in particular in the Body of Christ. That causes the Body to grow and be edified in love.

7. Walk in love as Christ loved us

God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son for us. And our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so loved us that he gave himself for us that we might have access to the Father.  Now we can give our lives in service by walking in love.

Ephesians 5:2:
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

We can walk in love as Christ did because when we are born again, we have Christ in us.

Colossians 1:27:
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

8. Hearts knit together in love

The riches of the glory of the mystery is “Christ in you.” The mystery, according to Ephesians 3:6, is that anyone—Judean or Gentile—can get born again and become a part of the Body of Christ. What a tremendous spiritual truth! But how do we practically live as part of such a magnificently connected body? We can help other believers grow into living what we all have spiritually.

The Apostle Paul gave his all to preach, admonish, and teach so that the believers would mature and understand how to live the mystery. For this to happen, the believers needed to be like-minded on God’s Word, with their hearts knit together in love.

Colossians 1:28—2:2:
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.
For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.

In Colossians 2:2, the Greek word translated “hearts” is kardia, where we get the English word “cardiac.” Cardiac muscle cells give the heart its ability to beat and pump blood throughout the body. They are an amazing example of being “knit together” as one.

Cardiac tissue has been separated under laboratory conditions to form individual cells, called myocytes.  If the myocytes aren’t touching, they beat independently—some faster, some slower. But in only two or three days, they form sheets of cells and beat in unison. What’s more, pores open between the touching cells so that the inside contents of each cell become interconnected. This allows them to work as one.

Like Paul, we can labor and strive to build strong relationships with each other on God’s Word. It is the love of God we live that “knits” our hearts together. Just as myocytes “open up” to one another and build unity, we can share the Word and pray for one another so that we also will work as one, with one heartbeat, living the mystery!

9. Increasing and abounding in love

Did you know that we can so grow in love that we are abounding in it? That’s what Paul encouraged the Thessalonian believers to do.

I Thessalonians 3:12 and 13:
And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

God’s love is something we won’t run out of. We can increase and abound in it. And God’s love is so good that we don’t only save it for other believers—we extend our Father’s healing love toward all men. As we bubble over with God’s love, our hearts will be established. Now that is a win-win situation for everyone.

10. Esteeming spirtual leaders in love

Paul said that his love (along with Silvanus and Timothy) was increasing and abounding toward the Thessalonians. And they in turn could appreciate their spiritual leaders by knowing them and esteeming them in love.

I Thessalonians 5:12 and 13:
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy lovingly implored the Thessalonian believers to esteem spiritual leaders for their work’s sake. Well, what did those works include? Verse 12 says these leaders labored among them, were over them in the Lord, and admonished them.

The meaning of the Greek words used in this verse shed greater light on the depth of God’s love these leaders had. “Labour” means to toil to the end of fatigue. To say they “are over” literally means to stand forth in service. And to “admonish” is to put in mind—to present God’s Word so clearly that others receive it and apply it.

God wants us to recognize the labor of those who genuinely lead others with God’s Word. We are to esteem them, to lead them to the front of our minds, in love because of their loving service. That mutual love helps maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace as we stand together on God’s Word. Then we can “be at peace.”

Being “in love” according the scriptures is very different than the romantic ideas I had as a youth. Looking at “in love” in the Word we see that:

1. Like Paul, we can be encourage one another in love and spiritual meekness.
2. Directly in the sight of God, we are holy and without blame in love.
3. Individually and collectively, we get rooted and grounded in love.
4. We can practically apply God’s Word in love to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.
5. We speak the truth in love.
6. We edify each other in love.
7. We walk in love, showing forth the Christ in us.
8. We put God’s Word in our minds and live it so that our hearts are knit together in love.
9. We increase and abound in love.
10. And we esteem our spiritual leaders highly in love for their work’s sake.

What a joy to be in love with our heavenly Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and our brothers and sisters in Christ—as we reach out with this love to all men.