Today, thoughts are shared on the human practice of divine love. Because we are encouraged repeatedly to think of love as being in connection with premarital courtship, dating, and romance, the reality that love is a spirit substance within the full makeup of Deity has become difficult for us to accept and grasp. Properly understood, sacred love is never expressed by carnal desire, fantasies of home-making and marriage, or recurring lust and sexual imaginings. Sacred love is more than attraction and affection; and sacred love is more than feelings of being sexually aroused and stimulated. The most important feature for building and maintaining close personal relationships that fulfill our need for intimacy, respect, and reciprocity will be the visible acts used to express and show the depth and richness of our otherwise unseen spirit. Trust is developed through acknowledgment of accountability, forgiveness, risk-taking, self-exposure, and the sharing of truth. Saying this another way, romantic love is what we do (not merely what we say) to reveal who we are, and to be joined to others for as long as possible; and sacred love is what we do to reveal GOD, and to help others who are seeking to be joined to divinity forever. The writer at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Nadia” (Level 5 with 6,234 points, a member since July 25, 2010) posted the following:
How to love his neighbor...?
When we know that he will go to hell for his non-belief in jesus ?
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17: 17-26, King James Version, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Who Deserves Divine Love? (06/23/2017); Marriage Is A Sacrament? (06/11/2017); No Fear In Love? (05/17/2017); Divine Law Expresses Love (05/10/2017); Saying "GOD is Love" (12/18/2016); Believers Are To Love (12/07/2016); Herein Is True Love (10/21/2016); Divine Jealousy? (09/11/2015)
“Nadia”, love is made understood and visible through unselfish action. For mature Christian believers, the meaning, purpose, and substance of love have to do with how the existence, integrity, and presence of GOD are established, recognized, and consistently responded to as residing within the makeup and life experience of created beings and living creatures. While the holy writings proclaim that “GOD is love,” we also accept that GOD is the origin of everything and everyone having existence; and the Creator is the owner and sovereign authority over all that exists now, has ever existed before, and that ever will exist. Love, therefore, pertains to continuing both existence and life, oneness without sameness, and the multiple ongoing exchanges and interactions among the aspects of divine spirit appearing as full divinity and GODhead. Included are faith, forbearance, forgiveness, longsuffering, lovingkindness, wisdom, and wrath against sin.
The love of GOD appears through divine acts that manifest inseparable aspects of divine spirit (we also say, breath, “life essence, sacred utterance, word). Mechanisms and operations carried out by divinity allow love to have visible form through features such as accord, agreement, creation, duration, eternal life, friendship, giving, mercy that appears only by judgment, obedience, reconciliation, reproduction, sacrifice, salvation, sharing, truth, and unselfish service. Consider again the following points using language from the Bible that speak to the practice of love within the new testament church:
(1.) John 15: 12-17, King James Version (KJV): 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
(2.) 1st John 4: 18-20, KJV: 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
(3.) John 4: 7-11, KJV: 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
(4.) Galatians 5: 19-23, KJV: 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
(5.) Colossians 3: 12-17, KJV: 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
There is far more to be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (6.) Romans 13: 7-10, KJV: 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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