LOVE MUST BE PUT INTO PRACTICE

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ...

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ...

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

From whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

God is love

4 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 నేను ఆకలిగొంటిని, మీరు నాకు భోజనము పెట్టితిరి; దప్పి గొంటిని, నాకు దాహమిచ్చితిరి, పరదేశినై యుంటిని నన్ను చేర్చుకొంటిరి;

యెషయా 58:7 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 దిగంబరినై యుంటిని, నాకు బట్ట లిచ్చితిరి; రోగినైయుంటిని, నన్ను చూడవచ్చితిరి; చెర సాలలో ఉంటిని నాయొద్దకు వచ్చితిరని చెప్పును

యెషయా 58:7 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 అందుకు నీతిమంతులుప్రభువా, యెప్పుడు నీవు ఆకలిగొ నియుండుట చూచి నీకాహారమిచ్చి తివిు? నీవు దప్పిగొని యుండుట చూచి యెప్పుడు దాహమిచ్చితివిు?

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 ఎప్పుడు పరదేశివై యుండుట చూచి నిన్ను చేర్చుకొంటిమి? దిగంబరివై యుండుట చూచి బట్టలిచ్చితివిు?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 ఎప్పుడు రోగివై యుండుటయైనను, చెరసాలలో ఉండుటయైనను, చూచి, నీయొద్దకు వచ్చితిమని ఆయనను అడిగెదరు.