A Study on Love: Part XLVIII

1st Corinthians 3:23
...you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

1st John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1st Corinthians 13:1-8a
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

-Now, I am supposed to be perfect as God is perfect. I am to like Christ who is like God, so therefore I should be like God. And God is love. If I am to be like Christ, who is God, and God is love, the I should be love. So what that means is that I need to place my name in the place of the word love... Johnny is patient, Johnny is kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud. He is not rude, he is not self-seeking, he is not easily angered, he keeps no record of wrongs. Johnny does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Johnny never fails.

That is a humbling exercise. I mean, how much of that is true? I see bursts of those things, but a consistent yes, well, I don't think I can say that about any of those things. An expression of love is an expression of Godliness. This is truly convicting. Johnny Out.