It's All About Love

By Andy Zoppelt

Understand this: "You must receive his love before you can love Him."

We learn to love from those who are gracious to us and therefore love them. In such a case we do not have to
change, we love because of the benefit of the one loving us. We become emotionally attached because of our
need attached to the one meeting that need. God's love calls for something beyond that, He calls for a love that
is based on who He is and for what He is. To step into that kind of life, there must be faith, there must be a
willingness to sacrifice every opinion, need, emotion, and cast it away and fall at His feet and give Him the pure
praise and adoration for the love He has for us. We cannot have love until we recognize His love for us. If we
question His love, we block His love from coming to us.

Praise and worship is the road we must walk on, it gives us the solid rock and sure footing to face every trial. It
removes us from the power and influence of every day cares. It destroys the bitterness, resentment,
unforgiveness, criticism, and sweetens our spirit to enjoy the privilege of obeying Him. It detaches us from
facing the law and its condemnation and causes us to face Jesus from where we are changed from glory to
glory. As we turn away from those sins and trials that so easily beset us daily and we turn to behold His love in
faith and sacrifice, He fills our spirit with Himself. Until the Holy Spirit fills our spirit, we can never be obedient
and holy. For the definition of a saint is someone that is holy. For "without holiness no one will see the Lord."
(Heb 12:14). The one who sees Him will find greater faith and greater grace.

If we are struggling to see the Lord, check our love. Are we loving self, focusing on our self and living by our
opinion of God and how He responds to our needs? Are we constantly crying because our need is overwhelming
us? Are we intimidated by the thoughts that constantly plague our minds? Does faith allude us? Are we living
under the condemnation of our sins and character flaws? Does our emotional disposition easily beset us? Are we
out of control and cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel? Are we tired of running in circles and seeking
for answers that do not work? Are we confused in trying find the method, the prayer, the act of obedience to
reach the heart of God? Do we see a lack of power and a lack of growth in our lives? Do we long to be filled with
His Spirit and enjoy deep fellowship with Him?

All of these are symptoms of not abiding in the vine. To abide in the vine means that we have forsaken our life
and have attached our life to Christ life in a very unique way.

Foundations

"When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Ps 11:3, NIV)

Let us now take a look at the foundations of which most of us were probably never taught. First, salvation can
only be entered by faith operating in repentance. Repentance is a commitment to turn from self and to turn to
Christ. Second, baptism is the public testimony in which a person is stating they are committed to putting to
death the life of self and have chosen to live by faith a resurrected life through Christ. Thirdly, the walk is a
walk by faith and not by sight, need or anything else. And lastly, it is a life of receiving and recognizing His
love. If these things haven't happened and are not happening, then the "receiving Jesus" is a life centered on
self. Jesus can not receive a person center on and living by self.

While self is seeking Christ to fill its expectations, their will be a constant conflict. The person will be constantly
focusing on themselves and evaluating God from a "need" and self basis. Tears and time won't change God into
an acceptance of anything less than a salvation based on self-denial. We must realize we all have one problem…
self. Self-interest, our self-centered opinions. Self judging God by the condition of whether He is ministering to
our needs. Self judging our brothers by our standards of obedience and ethics, and self focusing on its lack of
abilities and weaknesses. If we abide in those self seeking conditions, we are not abiding in Him and therefore
lack the Spirit to change.

So where do we begin?
We begin by repentance and living by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. He did not
die to promote "us," He died to demote "us" and promote Himself "in" us. Our new focus is on God's word, the
very source that directs us to His love and therefore causes us to love. The Word of God is the very source
describing His nature, His loving-kindness, etc., all of which is based on His love…. "For God is Love."

God is looking at the heart of man, not the outward. Many men have an "obedient" appearance outside, but
inside, there is not love. Consider this verse found in 2 Chron 16:9, "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout
the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

God is not missing a person. He is examining every heart. He is examining every motive, every intention and
every relationship. He is looking for His reflection, His presence, His worship, for it is in that person He will
fellowship and manifest His presence and power.

There is such a war inside us to find obedience, strength and an abiding fellowship with Him. Somehow
obedience and love don't connect. Many say they love Him, but find excuses for their disobedience. Others
seem to obey Him, yet show no sensitivity rooted in love. But listen to the fresh excitement coming from the
heart of Nehemiah the prophet, "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant
of love with those who love him and obey his commands." (1:5)

He sounds like someone who just got saved. "Are God is an awesome God." God intends to fill the heart with
wonder and awe. That is why some new converts speak about God with such adjectives. Later they are often
found either being disappointed or religious. Joshua warns us, "So be very careful to love the LORD your God."
(Josh 23:11, NIV)

On the other hand, how would you like if someone kept doubting you, misjudging and misrepresenting your
character? Would that person be able to obey you? It is detrimental to a relationship to constantly judge a
person's heart. To extend your paranoia to the behavior of others, this is not the gift of discernment, this is the
gift of discouragement. To return to our first love, is to return to the place where we think our God is an
awesome God. To return to the childish simplicity of the exaltation of having a wonderful Father that loves us.

When Love possess a man's soul, it streams in fruit out of his spirit. Love fills us with faith and obedience. Love
looks on others and situations through the eyes of Jesus. Love finds a way to reconcile, forgive and heal. Love
has hope when others quit and others are full of criticism and condemnation. Love's greatest joy is to please the
one it loves. Loves is loyal, love believes the best of others. Love finds reason to give when others are crying to
get.

I remember a story I heard from Juan Carlos Ortiz about 30 years ago. He said there was a young man in his
fellowship that was missing many of the meetings. He ask him why, and the young man responded by giving
him the details of his schedule: work, school and chores around the house… he was just too busy. Then one day
he met a girl, he spent much of his time with her. Juan Carlos ask him how he found time to fit her into his
busy schedule, he gave numerous reasons. Juan Carlos realized, love finds a way.

Love rids us of many excuses, love will cause us to defend people we shouldn't defend. Love will cause us to
take a hit across the cheek without retaliation. Love will cause us to meet with our brothers and sisters when
others find excuses to miss. Everything God has designed for man is built on love.

Consider 1 Corinthians 12 and 13, in chapter twelve Paul speaks of the function of the Godhead, and the
function of the body and the gifts granted through the operation of the Holy Spirit. At the end of chapter twelve
we read, "But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way." (1 Cor 12:31,
NIV)

Paul was a "love" man, here he was imparting two very important points in our walk with Christ and in His
body. First, our relationship with one another should be supernaturally gifted by the manifestation of the Holy
Spirit. We should pour the gifts upon one another, expressing God's love through the supernatural love of God.
But Paul wanted to express the channel for which those gifts have been designed by God. It is the channel of
Love. He starts 1 Corinthians 13 by comparing those things we all "eagerly" desire.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging
cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that
can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body
to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Cor 13:1-3, NIV)

In the church today, we are so quick to exalt those possessing such giftings. Our lack of seeing the real
manifestation has caused us to worship anyone with charisma and gifting. We honor much of the visual, audible
and experiential. Though the gifts hold a high priority with God, God looks at the heart. He looks for men
motivated by love. He looks for weeping men, broken men, humble men, men filled with love.

This was precisely the point Jesus made when He said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on
that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many
miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Matt 7:21-23, NIV)

Many are convinced that their gifts or efforts establishes their relationship with Jesus. Gifts must flow from love
or they are nothing according to 1 Corinthians 13. God looks for love in the heart, not gifts in the actions. Labor
doesn't preceded love.

Paul then proceed to define love, just in case their was someone who had their own corner on love's definition,
a love defined by their own agenda and matching their own behavior. Let's read Paul's definition and compare it
to ours and where we stand with our brothers and sisters.

"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." (1 Cor 13:4-
8,NIV)

If we are mature, we will be able to relate to all of these divine qualities of Love. Love is the absolute in the
Christian experience. John stated that Love reveals whether or not we are a Christian.

Paul stated it is a healthy thing to "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do
you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Cor 13:5, NIV)

John makes the basis of our being in Christ very clear:

"We know that we have passed from death to life, (How?) because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not
love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal
life in him. (1 John 3:14-15, NIV)

John's logic follows this pattern of thinking, a person who does not love is one who hates and one who hates is
a murderer and a murder (one who hates) does not have eternal life. John is transferring the outward sin of
murder to the inner hidden sin of the heart of hate; similar to Jesus' analogy to the adulterer. The outward
behavior of the adulterer is equal to the inner hidden sin of adultery in the one who looks with lust in his heart.

John goes on and reasons the importance of Love this way.

Dear friends, let us love one another, (Why) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of
God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, (Why again?) because God is love." (1 John
4:7-9, NIV)

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us
(true Christians) so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who
fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:16-18
Living is Love is living in God, how simple. That is why Jesus said, "So in everything, do to others what you
would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matt 7:12, NIV)

Ask the question to yourself, are you doing to that brother what you would want that brother to do to you. If
not, you are hating him, and haters are murders. Even our civil laws recognizes the value of this principle, if
you slander a person, you are guilty and must pay damages or retribution. In a sense you damaged the
person's life.

John continues his reasoning with the saints.

"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, NIV)

The acid test:

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of
God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." (1 John 3:17,
18, NIV)

James stated that "faith without works is dead." Jesus said, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do
what I say?" (Luke 6:46, NIV)

Love bids you to extend your life to others and your possessions included.

When the heart is in love with Jesus, everything else will flow out in proper balance. Religion can segment
aspects of Christianity, but it cannot incorporate them in one balanced person. The religion focuses on the
importance of teaching while ignoring the other gifts expressed when we come together. It develops forms in
order to replace the function of the body as a whole.

One does not lay down the law to a wife who loves her husband. She finds no struggle in pleasing him. It is
easy because she loves him. Love is more concerned in the well being of the other than in self-interest. Love
moves with passion and protects the one loved. Death is no barrier to love.

"For love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty
flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his
house for love, it would be utterly scorned." (Song 8:6-7, NIV)

You can't buy love. Love has no price tag. Love considers no sacrifice too great. Many tales have been told of
people lifting object impossible to lift in order to rescue a loved one. Jesus refuses to relate to a church without
love. He cares little of the great works and ministries.

The Ephesians church was a great church (people), they had a love for one another. Listen to what Paul had to
say about them:

"For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not
stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he
has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who
believe." (Eph 1:15-19, NIV)

The Ephesian church began to "perfect" the works without perfecting their love. Jesus had this to say about this
once great church:
"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that
you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered
and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have
forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at
first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place." (Rev 2:2-6, NIV)

You can be certain this was no idle threat. Nor did Jesus make idle threats to the Laodicean church with its
prosperity. Perfect works and financial blessing are a mask Satan uses to deceives the church in being religious
without love. A church void of love and passion, is not church at all. It matters little of its charisma, teaching,
size, structure, outreach and programs, if there is not the love among the saints…. it is no church of His.

A lesson from Shakespeare

No, I am not talking about the 17 century English poet and dramatist. I am referring to my dog. Three years
ago my daughter purchased a Pomeranian pup. A breed I disliked because of past experiences. As time went
on, the dog slept with us, ate with us and yes, fellowshipped with us. If others saw my short comings, he didn't.
When I was discouraged and was not in pursuit of the mighty wisdom of counseling, he would stand on his back
legs and moving his front paws in the air wanting me to be pick him up. He would then proceed to kiss and lick
my face. I swear this dog could smile. He did something that few could do. He got passed my intellect and went
straight to my heart. There was no cost I would withhold to spare his life. I fell in love with an animal which God
created. That dog demonstrate to me something I have rarely found in mankind… love!

I realized that God blessed dogs with desiring simple things, things like food, shelter and love. They had no
great expectations for things, but responded to love and affection. I often could not understand why people
would spend hundreds of dollars on vet bills. I just figured when the cost got too high, you put the dog to sleep.
When Shakespeare died, my logic went out the door. My pocket book, my budget, everything I had. I wanted
him and I wanted him alive. I even did something I never did before, I asked the saints to help me purchase
another dog… I was desperate. My finances had tumbled in the past four years and I didn't have the money to
buy another dog. I am certain others thought and judged me as thoughtless and immature. The brokenness
and humility has taught me much of the actions of others I once disagreed. Humble pie is good for you.

Loving God is not another method of getting from God. We often see our prayers unanswered because our focus
is on our needs instead of our need for Him.

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." (James 4:3,
NKJV)

God will not have any mate before Him, any ministry before Him, any goal before Him and any god before Him.
Love will set Jesus as the first and the last. We must have first love if we are going to be acceptable to Him and
of benefit to one another. We must recognize Him as loving us and willing to care for us. Our faith must be on
His love for us. WE MUST FOCUS ON HIS LOVING US, I CAN'T SAY THAT ENOUGH.

Let me close with a man after God's own heart ….. David. Imitate and emulate his walk.

Ps 48:9, "Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love." NIV

Ps 26:8, "I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells." NIV

Ps 59:16-17, "But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving
God." NIV

Ps 25:6-10, "Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins
of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD. Good
and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and
teaches them his way. All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his
covenant." NIV

Ps 5:11-12, "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over
them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you
surround them with your favor as with a shield." NIV

Ps 33:18, "But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,"
NIV

Ps 18:1-3, "I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is
my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the
LORD, who is worthy of praise." NIV

Ps 36:5-7, "Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like
the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How
priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings." NIV

Ps 86:5, "You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you." NIV

Ps 89:2, "I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven
itself." NIV

Ps 109:26-27, "Help me, O LORD my God; save me in accordance with your love. Let them know that it is your
hand, that you, O LORD, have done it." NIV

Ps 119:47-48, "for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands,
which I love, and I meditate on your decrees." NIV

Ps 145:20, "The LORD watches over all who love him," NIV