When Love is Loyal…

When Love is Loyal…

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.‘ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.‘ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Matthew 22: 37-40

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.‘ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.‘ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Matthew 22: 37-40

Jesus’ Meaning of LoveJesus’ Meaning of Love

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

- Deuteronomy 6:5

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

- Deuteronomy 6:5

Jesus’ Meaning of LoveJesus’ Meaning of Love

….love your neighbor

as yourself.

- Leviticus 19:18

….love your neighbor

as yourself.

- Leviticus 19:18

Meanings of Love TodayMeanings of Love Today

An intense affectionate concern for another person.

An intense sexual desire for another person.

A beloved person. Often used as a term of endearment.

An intense affectionate concern for another person.

An intense sexual desire for another person.

A beloved person. Often used as a term of endearment.

Meanings of Love TodayMeanings of Love Today

A strong fondness or enthusiasm for something.

To embrace or caress

To like or desire enthusiastically; delight in something

A strong fondness or enthusiasm for something.

To embrace or caress

To like or desire enthusiastically; delight in something

In Our CultureIn Our Culture

Love = FeelingsLove =

Feelings

What is this Love Jesus Spoke of?What is this Love Jesus Spoke of?

--Deuteronomy: A Suzerain-Vassal Treaty

--God is the SuzerainHe Swore to take care of His PeopleDeut. 7:7-15

--His People are the VassalsDeut. 8:1-9

--Deuteronomy: A Suzerain-Vassal Treaty

--God is the SuzerainHe Swore to take care of His PeopleDeut. 7:7-15

--His People are the VassalsDeut. 8:1-9

Suzerain-Vassal TreatySuzerain-Vassal Treaty

Deuteronomy 1. Preamble (1:1-5)2. Historical Prologue (1:6-3:29)3. Stipulations (chs. 4-26)4. Blessings and Cursings (chs. 27-

30)5. Witnesses (chs. 31-34)

This Love = Passionate Loyalty

Deuteronomy 1. Preamble (1:1-5)2. Historical Prologue (1:6-3:29)3. Stipulations (chs. 4-26)4. Blessings and Cursings (chs. 27-

30)5. Witnesses (chs. 31-34)

This Love = Passionate Loyalty

bhabha

The Hebrew word for love, “ahab”, means:

1. Primarily, loyalty or faithfulness,

2. Secondarily, passion.

Loyalty leads to affection.

The Hebrew word for love, “ahab”, means:

1. Primarily, loyalty or faithfulness,

2. Secondarily, passion.

Loyalty leads to affection.

In the BibleIn the Bible

Love = Loyalty + Feelings

Love = Loyalty + Feelings

This Understanding Breaths Life Into Other Scripture

This Understanding Breaths Life Into Other Scripture "For God so loved the world that he

gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.

1 John 5:3-4

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

1 John 3:16

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.

1 John 5:3-4

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

1 John 3:16

Love = LoyaltyLove = Loyalty

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:19-21

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:19-21

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

John 4:10-12

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

John 4:10-12

Jesus Asks Peter 3 TimesJesus Asks Peter 3 Times

John 21:15-17:

“Do you love me?”

“Feed my Sheep!”

John 21:15-17:

“Do you love me?”

“Feed my Sheep!”

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy,

it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, 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.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy,

it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, 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.

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Biblical LoveBiblical Love

LOYALTYLOYALTY

feelingsfeelings++

Biblical LoveBiblical Love

The Three Perversions

The Three Perversions

The First PerversionLeads to

Legalism

The First PerversionLeads to

Legalism

Biblical LoveBiblical Love

LOYALTYLOYALTY

feelingsfeelings++

LOYALTYLOYALTY

feelingsfeelings++minusminus

LOYALTYLOYALTY

Perversion of the MindPerversion of the Mind

FearFear

The second PerversionLeads to

hipocrisy and confusion

The second PerversionLeads to

hipocrisy and confusion

Biblical LoveBiblical Love

LOYALTYLOYALTY

feelingsfeelings++

LOYALTYLOYALTY

feelingsfeelings++

LOYALTYLOYALTY

feelings

feelings++

Perversion of the WillPerversion of the Will

The Third PerversionLeads to hedonism

The Third PerversionLeads to hedonism

Biblical LoveBiblical Love

LOYALTYLOYALTY

feelingsfeelings++

LOYALTYLOYALTYfeelin

gsfeelin

gs

++FEELINGS

FEELINGS

Perversion of the HeartPerversion of the Heart

FEELINGS

FEELINGS

When Love is Loyal:When Love is Loyal: We pledge our loyalty to

God and trust in his spiritual provision.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4

We pledge our loyalty to God and trust in his spiritual provision.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4

When Love is Loyal:When Love is Loyal: We cry out to God for a

pure heart.The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

We cry out to God for a pure heart.The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:17

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

When Love is Loyal:When Love is Loyal:

Prioritize and make covenants of loyalty:1. To our Spouse and Children2. To a few other Christians.

(1 Samuel 18:2-4; 19:1-4)3. Expand loyalty to our family group.

4. Expand loyalty to the body of Christ by meeting together and using our gifts.

(Jude 1:2, Ephesians 4:16)

5. Expand loyalty to the lost.(Jude 1:22-23)

Prioritize and make covenants of loyalty:1. To our Spouse and Children2. To a few other Christians.

(1 Samuel 18:2-4; 19:1-4)3. Expand loyalty to our family group.

4. Expand loyalty to the body of Christ by meeting together and using our gifts.

(Jude 1:2, Ephesians 4:16)

5. Expand loyalty to the lost.(Jude 1:22-23)

God’s True Love ShinesGod’s True Love Shines

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John 13:34-35

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

John 13:34-35

Biblical LoveBiblical Love

LOYALTYLOYALTY

feelingsfeelings++