It has been here stated in another thread that complete love is God's plan for man's salvation. While this is true in the sense that those who love Jesus completely are obedient to His will and that we are obedient out of love for Him.....

Many in the religious world think this means the warm and fuzzy emotional side of Love. In the Greek, this kind of love was called "Phileo" love. affectionate emotional type of feeling. Used here:

Matthew 10:37-38

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
KJV


So we see here than we must love Jesus emotionally more than we love our own family members.

But that's not the end of it, and certainly not all of what is required in a complete love.

John 14:23-24
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

The Greek word for love here is a completely different word. This is "Agapao" love. This type of love is the one that compels us to act in the best interests of others. For instance, when someone we do not even know is in need and we provide for those needs, this is "Agapao" love.

This one is necessary as well. A complete love therefore encompasses more than just the emotional fondness we may feel for Jesus. Without the sacrificial side of love which compels us to act, we are as lost as if we never knew Christ.

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"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." 1 John 3:18-19

The church of Christ at Granby

During our study group meeting Saturday night, I talked about what I call Godly love.

A few people in our congregation are proponents of simply loving everyone with that warem and fuzzy feeling type love and everything else will take care of itself... as in "love covers a multitude of sins." They imply that we should NOT really be worrying about those who are walking in sin, but just love them and it will work out.

Of course this is simply not Biblical.

Jesus says...

Joh 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

God inspired John to write...

1Jo 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
1Jo 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Godly love IS NOT allowing a brother or sister to wallow in sin, hoping something miraculous is going to happen. It violates the above Scripture as well as the following...

Gal 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Jam 5:19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,
Jam 5:20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

This would all be part of salvation since salvation requires remaining faithful... (Rev. 2:10)

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In Christ,
brother Sonnie

What do these two verses mean in combination? Verse 37 may use "phileo", but the sacrificial love is seen in verse 38. What I hear Jesus saying is that if you have affections for anyone else to the point that you will not do as He says in verse 38 (sacrifice), then you are not worthy. So what about people who refuse to obey God because they fear losing family or friends as a result? According to Jesus, are they worthy of Him?

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--Laura

O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
Jeremiah 10:23 (NKJV)

Both verses 37 and 38 are joined with the contraction "and". Jesus said those who love their family more than they love Him AND fail to sacrifice are not worthy of Him. Cross bearing is sacrificing. We don't sacrifice slain animals like they did in the Old Testament but we still sacrifice.

There is no getting around what Jesus said here. The only thing left is for all to decide what sacrifice is in mind here and obey it. I would submit that Romans 12:1 is the answer to this.

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
KJV

__________________
"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." 1 John 3:18-19

The church of Christ at Granby