1 Corinthians 13:8a Love never fails [it never fades nor ends (AMPLIFIED)
Love is the culture of the kingdom of God. All those of us who have been born again, have been translated into the Kingdom of the Son of His love where love ought to reign supreme over all our actions. Understanding the nature of true love is a very important prerequisite to building happy relationships.
A lot of people are in a love relationship without actually knowing what true love is and how true love acts. Love is not a feeling. Most times, what a lot of people call love is just simply emotional attraction. Emotional attraction fades away with time, especially when you become exposed to all the flaws of the person you were attracted to.
This is why some married people who used to claim to be in love, end up saying that they no longer love their spouses because they based their so called marriage on emotional attraction.
Emotional attraction is not love. It may be the basis for considering a love relationship with someone. However, to truly have a long lasting relationship, you need to know what love is and be able to give it.
God is love. His character is love. To truly love anyone, you need to know God. No unbeliever who does not know God can give true love to someone else.
No Christian who does not have a deep relationship with God and who is not committed to doing the word of God can give true love.
This is why it is very important before you jump into a relationship to establish the facts about the salvation of the person you want to go into a relationship with and be sure of the person’s commitment to obeying God’s word. If you engage in a relationship with an unbeliever or with a carnal Christian who is not serious or committed to God, you will certainly have troubles in that relationship because not knowing God is not knowing love, and you cannot give what you do not have.
Love is shed abroad in the hearts of every born believer at salvation. However to respond to that love you must grow in knowledge of how love acts.
1Corinthians 13 vs 8 tells us that true love never fails or fades away. True love is a way of acting towards others and not a feeling. You may not feel good towards your wife if you are married but if you are yielded to God, you will not fail to be good towards her, even if you feel otherwise.
Before you start saying you are in love and jump into a marriage, it is important to understand that marriage is a commitment to walk in true love.
True love never fail, neither does it fade away into anger. When you say you are in love, you are actually making a commitment to remain consistent in being gentle and good towards your spouse. If they change, you remain faithful; the same good and loving person you have always been. It is a choice to be committed to Godly character regardless of external provocations.
Romans 5: 5 says And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Let me draw your attention to the fact that the Holy Spirit is the administrator of love. He is God with us and His coming to live inside us, is what gives us the capacity to truly love. Anyone who does not have the Holy Spirit cannot truly love, neither can any Christian who is not yielded and submitted to doing the will of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit does not bring love into your heart apart from Himself. He is love inside you and if you will go far in walking in love you will have to do something about your fellowship life with the Holy Spirit.
To truly love as you ought to, you have to be willing to listen to and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Your relationships can only know as much love to the extent in which your heart is open to listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
True love forgives. Many times when you are hurt, the Holy Spirit will prompt you on the inside to forgive and let go because He is love on your inside.
However, if you are more open to listening to the voice of Satan, he will tell you not to forgive and not to even have anything to do with the person who hurt you.
The world’s way of acting in relationship is governed by Satan who is the god over any unsaved person. Satan is a cheat; so people under his influence will always steal, kill and cheat in relationships.
Satan also exerts external influence on some Christians whose minds are not renewed. Cain slew his brother because he was under the control of Satan and he listened to the voice of Satan.
You can tell whether a person is under the Spirit of love or the spirit of hate by their actions.
Before you go into a relationship with anyone find out whether that person is filled with the Holy Spirit and has love shed abroad in his heart. If love is not shed abroad in His heart by the Holy Spirit, he cannot truly love you. Also, find out how yielded the person is to obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit. If a man or woman does not believe in God, then he or she does not believe in love because God is love. Run from such a person, regardless of whatever he or she says to you to make you go into a relationship with him or her.
Anyone who is obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit will be very quick to act on the Bible because the Bible is the voice of the Spirit documented.
If he freely lives in malice, finds it hard to forgive, does not believe in going to church, is willing to fornicate with you whereas he or she is not married to you and doesn’t see anything wrong with such; it tells you that, that person is a present and future danger to you.
Last Line: Have you ever wondered what it means to give your life to Christ and be saved? Are you born again? God sent Jesus to die for all your sins so that you will not have to be punished for the same. To be saved means to simply accept Christ Jesus as your substitutionary sacrifice for your sins and to make him lord over your life. Surrender your life to Christ today by asking Jesus to forgive you your sins; ask Him to come into your life and to make you a new person. If you are facing challenges and require counseling/prayers do not hesitate to contact me. I will be willing to assist as much as I can.