|
Author
|
Topic: the God of love
|
Eden
unregistered
|
posted
God is Love, and thus Jesus is Love, and the Holy Spirit is Love. So when we ask for God to baptize us in the Holy Spirit, we ask for God to baptize us in holy love.
Now probably a number of Christians were thinking more of being baptized with power. But before power, I think we need to be baptized with love.
1 Corinthians 13:2
And even if I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and even I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not charity, I am nothing.
But being baptized with love also has its consequences:
Matthew 27:18
For He knew that for envy they had delivered Him.
When we ask to be baptized in holy love, our mind becomes filled with love and the Holy Spirit of Love thinks lovely thoughts.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Now if the God of Love were to enter our mind like that, what are we doing to close the gates to the mind?
We still have control over the eyes and the ears and the feet and the mouth and the hand, so will we let the enemies of love just enter in through the gates of the mind while the Spirit of Love is now in there?
To what extent are we asking the Spirit of Love to baptize us with holy love, but the gates to our minds are still mostly wide open to the world's entertainments?
Will the Spirit of Love enter and fill our minds when the Spirit of Love knows what we let in thru our gates?
Do you think that the Spirit of Love would want to enter a mind that is being bombarded by the enemies of love that come in through the unguarded gates of our minds?
Isaiah 33
15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly; he who despises the gain of oppression, who keeps his hands from accepting bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shutters his eyes from seeing evil.
I don't think we can expect the God of Love and the Spirit of Love to enter in more fully if the Spirit of Love sees beforehand that the gates of that person's mind are wide-open to "anything".
But if we have "ears to hear" and "eyes to see" then our gates will be closely guarded and opened and closed by the Spirit of Love Himself. But we do need to do our part and close the gates first, so that the Spirit of Love is not bombarded with the enemies of love. God will come into a mind that is well-guarded.
with love,
eden
IP: Logged | 
|
|
Eden
unregistered
|
posted
O God of Israel, baptize me in Your holy love and then all shall be well with me. ![[type]](graemlins/type.gif) ![[roll on floor]](graemlins/6.gif)
IP: Logged |
|
|
Carol Swenson
Admin
Member # 6929
|
posted
Faith, like light, should always be simple and unbending; while love, like warmth, should beam forth on every side and bend to every necessity of our brethren.
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
| IP: Logged |
|
|
Eden
unregistered
|
posted
I know that we are full of doctrine, but we are not as full of love. And this is surprising because:
1 John 4:8
He who loves not does not know God; for God is love.
1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he who dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.
Ahh, but if it be known I have more doctrine for people than I have love for people, especially for those people who have a different doctrine than mine and who have, umm, different personalities than mine.
Doctrine I know, but how to love others as I love myself, that I do not know. In my natural self, I have never liked people that much, so from where then can I get that love that I need so much for ALL people?
Romans 5:5
And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.
And, if God is Love, then Jesus is Love, and the Holy Spirit is Love. Therefore when I am baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love invades my dreary critical spirit and thought life and I receive the gift of holy love, which dispels my natural love, or unlove.
Colossians 1:13
Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.
The spirit of doctrine has divided us Christians for centuries, and all the while we are conscious that what we need is the spirit of love. I have plenty of doctrine, but what I need is love.
1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he who dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.
This is the baptism I need most: that the love of God is shed abroad in my hearts which takes control of everything in my thought life and emotional life.
Proverbs 23:7
For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
This kind of love is not something that can be manufactured by me by "much trying to love him or her more". This kind of love is something that needs to be given to me:
Romans 5:5
And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.
This is what I need to pray for. Lord, baptize me in Your holy love and fill my whole thought life with Your holy love, that is what I need, Amen.
Doctrine can never bring unity and power among Christians because we always have differences of opinion on what the Bible meant by this or that. Only His holy love can bring unity among the Christians, and that is what I lack most of all.
with (some) love to give, eden
IP: Logged |
|
|
|
Printer-friendly view of this topic
