Love Endures

Now may the Lord guide aright your heart to the extent of the love of God and to the extent of the endurance of Christ (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

One way love endures is when we are guided into the love of God we will endure trials and tribulations. Love is a foundation along with faith, as we are deeply rooted and founded in faith and love (further reading; A Foundation To Endure). Love endures as we mature, into the fullness of God.

But the ones in the good soil, these exist the ones who, hearing upon a beautiful and good heart, grasp the word and bear fruit through endurance (Luke 8:15)

The good soil is a place, "the ones in the good soil." The sower sows the seed of the word of God in many places but this place is good soil, fertile for growth. The seed grows deep roots in good soil, then it grows up and outward through endurance to bear fruit. How do they have good soil to endure?

We read earlier in Luke 8:13, that they hear the word and receive it but they do not have roots so when the proving comes they fall away. The thorns are there to choke the seedling before it can bear fruit so endurance is needed. Now, the proving works out the intended purpose of endurance. The proving comes the trial, James writes "... knowing that the proving of your faith works out endurance and possessing [or grasping] its intended work you grow into maturity, whole, lacking in nothing," (James 1:3-4).

James speaks directly to what is needed, we need endurance to mature. The proving is to work out endurance which has the intended purpose of maturing. So the good soil is seen as having the ability to mature, to accept wisdom, and receive in meekness the implanted word of God so to mature. And we are told why they do not endure, they fall away or do not endure because they are not rooted, nor have understanding, wisdom. God doesn't wtop if you do not endure, if you are chosen, the cycle will be repeated after he has rooted you more.

Peter writes of this proving, "so that the proving of your faith (precious more than gold and silver that perishes) proven by fire, now found to the praise and glory and honor in revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7). What's more precious in the eyes of God is not your works of giving and serving but that you are mature (you are becoming more like Jesus, thus you are to the praise and honor and glory in the revelation of Christ.) You must have a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing him and be rooted.

rooted and founded in love (Ephesians 3:17).
rooted and built up in him, established of faith just as you were taught... (Colossians 2:7)

Paul beautifully describes what we are rooted in; faith and love. Without the rooting, you can not grasp maturity, because to mature you must have endurance, and you can not have endurance without a proper foundation. God guides the heart "to the extent of the love of God and to the extent of the endurance of Christ" (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

According to the riches of his glory granting you power through his Spirit in your inner being, Christ dwelling in your hearts through faith, rooted and founded in love... (Ephesians 3:114-21)

Paul prays in Ephesians 1 that we have a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Christ. If we abide in him and remain in him, we abide in truth and love and we will bear fruit. Ephesians 1 is all about the foundation and knowing who you are in Christ and having (not a head knowledge) but wisdom and revelation that comes through knowing Jesus. We see the foundation; power through God's spirit in us, Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith (rooted in faith) and rooted in love.

so that you have the strength to grasp [receive, lay hold of; do the word not just hear; endure] together with all the saints [all saints should experience this and know how to teach others the way to maturity] what is the breadth, length, height, and depth both to know the love of Christ surpassing knowledge so that filled to the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:1819). The foundation will give the strength to grasp and lay hold of a greater love and will be bring us into the fullness of God, mature, whole, lacking in nothing, bearing fruit.

Now, we have seen that maturity comes through the intended work of endurance and to endure we must be deeply rooted in faith and love. So we see the purpose of the rooting and the proving. Those who have deep roots will not fall away, they will endure, as they have a proper foundation to grasp and experience a greater love of Christ, to know him and the fellowship of his suffering so also to know his Life. We have the strength to grasp a type of love that would never separate us from God. Knowing deeply his love is how we will endure and be brought into the fullness (maturity) of God.

Further thinking:

In what ways does love for oneself differ from love for another person? Can you truly love someone else if we are not deeply rooted in God's love?

Can love for a friend be as strong as love for a partner? There are different types of love in the scriptures, for example, we are to add to our faith brotherly and agape love. Should we "limit" our love or expression of love toward those of the opposite sex because someone might take it as some other type of love?

How do cultural norms and expectations influence the types of love that people experience?

Is it possible to love someone without actually liking them?

How does the experience of unrequited love (loving an enemy) differ from mutual love (loving someone who loves you)? Should our love grow cold because we have been scammed so many times when we tried to help others monetarily?
We are to be good to all, but especially to the household of faith. Do we often look outwardly to love or help and miss doing good to "his brethren," those in our family, church, and small groups?
Do we truly love others? For example do we give in private so that our reward is from God or do we give boasting in front of others so that our reward comes from men?

How do we apply the above to what Jesus teaches us about love?

The Crucible

" The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies ." 1 He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. The definition of zeal is great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective. It is this time, to arouse zeal, shout, raise a war cry! As Paul writes, " In diligence not lagging in spirit being fervent serving the Lord ." 2 Our energy comes in the bond of brotherhood, formed in the crucible of combat. A crucible is place of severe test or trial, it is derived from Latin crucibulum ("night-lamp, metallurgic melting-pot"), and is a derivative of crux ("cross"). 3 The Bible speaks of the crucible of the cross for Jesus and for those who follow Him. The purpose of a soldier is two-fold; to accomplish the mission and to care for one another, as commanded. Each soldier has a role to play on a team. Without knowin...

One Grace

" moreover, One, to each of us has been given Grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ ." 1 Grace is a founding principle of Christianity. It is by Grace we grow into the fullness of Christ through faith; " to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. " 2 Without Grace we will never reach this fullness. The weakness in the Law was it attempted to do it in the flesh, and people failed over and over, so God in His infinite wisdom, unveiled this mystery, through faith in Christ we have grace to boldly approach His throne of Grace, to receive grace and mercy as needed! This gift of Grace is properly understood by examining this verse in three parts; moreover, One Grace, to each of us has been given, according to the measure of the gift of Christ . First, we understand, One grace, it is easy to miss the One, and this verse is translated in different ways, I believe it says One Grace and i...

Word Of Life

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. " 1 Jesus is the Word, He was in the beginning with God. 2 All things were made through Him. He is the Word and Light of men, the way, the path, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." 4 Thus we can say as the Psalmist, Jesus, the Word, is a Lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path. 5 "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." 6 Concerning the Word of Life, " the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life ," Proclaimed, that our joy may be complete, a glory like that in the beginning, fellowship with the Father, with one another, and with his Son Jesus Christ, the Word of Life. "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot...

Those He Calls He Equips

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen . Hebrews 13:20-21 When God calls us he equips us, the God of Peace, the one who brought us from the dead by the blood of the Eternal Covenant, will equip you so to do his will. So in this concept of being equipped, we see the calling being irrevocable. "For it is God who works in you to Will and to act on behalf of his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13 God called you, he's working in you equipping you to work on behalf of his good pleasure. "So that the man of God may be complete fully equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:17 . In Hebrews 12 we read God disciplines those he loves, so that we share in his holy character, as the scriptures...

Truth All Around You

Stand then girding your loins in truth and putting on the breastplate of righteousness. * How can a soldier stand in battle if he has not been prepared, trained? How can a house stand if it has been built on sand? How can we stand against spiritual forces if we have not been prepared? Our battle is not against flesh and blood so in regards to such, what good is armor to a child or how can one stained with dirty clothes stand with a defiled conscious? To stand one must be prepared, be his workmanship, someone prepared beforehand to do battle. For this purpose you begin girding your loins in truth, putting on truth, wrapping truth all around you. ... girding your loins in truth... * The word girding is perizōnnymi (from peri "about, around" and zōnnymi "put on") meaning around about put on. Often gird your loins with truth is translated as putting on a belt. Surely we can say truth holds on the garments and confidence in truth is important in standing. I like th...

Hypocrisy and Self-righteousness

“ Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you ” Matthew 7:1–2 In Mathew 7 Jesus is speaking out against hypocrisy, he coins the term, it is exposed as a very serious sin. Because of their hypocrisy these religious leaders were leading his people astray. Today it is the same, it is a top reason why people do not attend a church. Of course we blame the sinner and hear cute little sayings like, come join us you will fit right in... which makes light of the situation. On a more serious note, Jesus gives seven woes to the Pharisees, he even warns them of hell fire and damnation, for their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Hypocrisy is basically pretending to be something you are not, it is not to be confused with our imperfection. Our righteousness is found in Christ alone, not in self. Hypocrisy and self righteousness is usually seen by others when we in our own righteousn...

Formed Into The Same Image

because those he foreknew also he predestined, to form to the image of His Son, to the extent He exists the firstborn of many brethren . * The word for form in this verse is σύμμορφος ( symmorphos ) from sym "same, with, or together" and morphos "form or shape." We are being formed, shaped into the same image as Christ. This word has the same root word morphos as in transformed, μεταμορφόω ( metamorphos ) from meta "among, with, after" and morphos "form or shape." Into the same form as Christ we are predestined. Adam was a living soul, but Christ was a life giving Spirit. Adam was formed in the image of God but that image was corrupted. In Christ we are formed a new, so that image is being restored. To be a Christian is more than just doing good works, more than just going to heaven, we are called to be formed into an image after Christ, Christ like. who will transfigure our lowly bodies into the same form as his glorious body, according t...

Feed On Me

"Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me." 1 This "living" Jesus speaks of is eternal or everlasting Life but what does this mean? Is this life an after life in heaven as traditionally taught or something we begin to experience here on earth? We read that Life is in knowing, a personal experience, " this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent ." 2 We receive the Spirit of life when we first believed, but the true disciple of Christ is known by abiding, these have learned that Life is in eating the bread of Life and drinking living water. Life is in Christ, all else has become as rubbish but to know Christ, and the Life he gives, "so also the one who feeds on Me will live." "So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. and you will know the truth, ...

Kiss the Son

Why do the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel, together against Yahweh and against his anointed. Break apart their bands and cast away their cords. He who sits in the heavens laughs, Yahweh scoffs. Then shall he speak unto them with anger, fury, and dismay. I established my King upon Zion, My Holy Hill. I will declare the decree of Yahweh who said, you are my son, you I have this day begotten. Ask concerning, I will establish nations your inheritance Your possession the uttermost parts of the earth. You shall afflict them with a staff of iron on a potter's vessel dashed to pieces. Now, O, kings be wise, be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and you perish from the way, because brutish is his wrath. Blessed are all who put their trust in Him. 1

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