HOW TO LOVE

First, to know how to love we must really know the Lord on a personal basis as His child. Why? Because God is Love (1 John 4:8).

Love is meant to fulfill the highest principle of the soul. The Lord has laid down certain guide lines in the Bible, that our life might function more properly. Love can only be made perfect in the Lord. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world (1 John 4 lM.

As to man's need, we might say that love was bom out of loneliness to fulfill man's greatest need. The Lord spoke precious words of assurance to Jeremiah in his hour of need, saying: Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee (Jer.31:4).

Satan seeing the bliss of love, started a warfare with both God and man by throwing many obstacles in his path. The first tools that he used to destroy man's love were to place doubt and selfish ness in Eve's heart. ln his deceptive way, Satan simply said, Yea, hath Cod said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden (Gen.3:1). Here Satan simply implied that if God really loved her, He would give her all. Where doubt is harbored, there is usually chaos and confusion. In this manner, the devil was successful in detouring Eve from the real purpose of life. Namely, "How to love."

Because of the many satanic influences that are displayed in the world today, the world at large has mistaken lust for love. Therefore, the average person doesn't know how to love nor what love really is. Sex is not love. Only when sex is properly used does it become a higher fulfillment of life. We were born without the desire for sex and will die without the desire for it.

It is evident that Adam and Eve were a little short on the full understanding of love. God took the initiative to drive them from the garden of Eden and set up guidelines. The right kind of love is manifested or motivated by the desire of the heart. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh (Matt.12:34). In order to know how to love, the heart must be right with God. The things that I treasure in my heart must be God's treasure. This isn't always easy. I will only be successful as I use God's wall of defense as is laid down in the Word of God.

Satan is constantly trying to persuade men to be more tolerant and to be more permissive in the things we do and say. Yet, the Lord has spoken: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (1 John 1:15-16).

In man's opinion, love is not free, neither is it selfish or lustful. Love was bought with a great price. That price was God's only Son. The Lord said: As I have loved you, that ye also love one another (John 13:34). God is now loving us for what we are and also for what we are going to be. He is not only the God of the good times; He is also the God of the bad times. He is the God of the valley as well as the mountain. Continue ye in my love (John 15:9).

The more that we know about God, the more we will know about How to Love. Search the scriptures. . . they are they which testify of me (John 5:39). May your thoughts be stirred to nursue a study of this most important subject.