Love

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Love endures long and is patient and kind: lover never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].

What a powerful force! Some think that if they act on God's Word concerning how love behaves, that they will be considered weak. Quite the contrary! They will achieve strength of spirit and character. They will be impossible to control by anyone other than God.

Faith works by love and so our faith will be ineffective until we become developed in the love of God.

Galatians 5:6 Amp. For [if we are] in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith activated and energized and expressed and working through love.

The fullness of God that will fill the church before the return of Jesus will not come until we are first filled with the love of God.

Ephesians 3: 19 Amp. [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

There is no offense that is worth taking up when we know that it will cost us the presence of God. Becoming established in the love of God is a necessary part of preparing for the coming of our Lord.

1 Thessalonians 3: 12-13 and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end that he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

When we are filled with the love of God, holiness will be established in us.

Romans 13: 10 Love works no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.