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?

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