I hear many people say, “I love God, or I love the Lord.” And if there is anything we need to be sure of: Do we Love the Lord. For is we really love Him, we know Him, and we know we are saved and on our way to heaven. But if we do not love Him, no matter how religious, we are an “ABSOLUTE SPIRITUAL ZERO.” (1 Cor. 13:1-13). Then what is the proof that “I or you love God?” Simply this: If I love others with “God’s kind of love – Agape love, which is to desire another’s highest welfare so much that we do all within our power to minister to that person’s need positively and with no demand that they love us back and avoid all negative acts which would hurt him. In a word, we are to love others as Jesus loves us. “A new commandment I give unto you, love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another.” (John 13:34-35).
Note With Me 5 Great Tests of Our Love:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not AGAPE LOVE for others, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Cor. 13:1). Even if I am able to communicate in a heavenly language of angels, and have not AGAPE toward others I am an “Absolute Zero.”
- “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have not AGAPE LOVE, for others, I am nothing.” Example: Suppose I know all the unknown mysteries of the future, the date of the Rapture, Second Coming, Who and When the Anti-Christ appears, how much Romney will defeat Obama, etc. and have not AGAPE, I am “Absolute Zero” in God’s sight.
- “And if I have all faith so I could remove mountains, but do not have AGAPE LOVE for others, I am nothing.” : If I could move Grand Father’s Mountain from Boone, N. C. to Wilmington, and have no AGAPE for others, I am an Absolute Spiritual Zero.”
- “And if I give ALL my possessions to feed the poor, it profits me nothing. : I empty my bank account, sell all my stocks and bonds, IRA’s, houses and real estate, sell my jewelry, my home, auto, have a yard sale, and take all of this to the Salvation Army to feed the poor in New Hanover County and have not AGAPE for my fellows I am an “Absolute Zero.”
- “And if I deliver my body to be burned and have not AGAPE, it profits me nothing – I am an “Absolute Zero.”
What Is The Proof We Have Agape Love? It is the way we relate or treat others: Listen to Paul’s illustrations of how agape love treats others. (1 Cor. 13:1-8)
- Love is patient – long suffering.
- Love is kind
- Love is not jealous
- Love does not brag – parade itself.
- Love is not puffed up.
- Love is not arrogant.
- Love does not act unbecomingly – it is a gentlemen or lady.
- Love does not demand its own way.
- Love is not provoked.
- Love does not keep records of a wrong suffered – holds no grudges.
- Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness – does not want to hear something bad has happened to anyone.
- Love rejoices with the truth – is happy to hear when others do well and succeed.
- Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things – thinks the best of others, not the worst.
- LOVE NEVER FAILS
As Paul wrote the above, he was painting a picture of Jesus. Ask yourself these questions in the light of the 13 traits listed above:
- Are you patient and long suffering toward others, especially your spouse?
- Kind in thought, word and deeds?
- Not jealous?
- Not a braggart?
- Not arrogant or puffed up?
- Act Courteously?
- Does not insist on having your own way?
- Not fly off the handle? Lose temper?
- Hold grudges?
- Desire no evil for anyone?
- Love to hear good things about others?
- Bear all kind of troubles?
- Think the best of others?
- Never give up?
Finally, please note the relationship between Agape Love and Being Born Again or Knowing God:
“Beloved, let us love one another (with God’s kind of love), for love is of God and everyone who loves (others as God’s loves) is born of God and knows of God. The one who does not love others with God’s kind of love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8).