Love

By Andy Zoppelt

Love is the true sign of a person being a Christian and the means for the following:

• Maturing the saints.

• The building up of the body of Christ.
• It provides the opportunity and the atmosphere for which the saints can function and properly minister
to one another.
• It provides the world with a true witness of the love of God and a viable and visible demonstration of
His Character.

Without Love, the church is a wondering audience without opportunity and function. The institutional system of
church will find no purpose void of intimate relationships with one another. Whatever hinders Love, hinders God
and the purpose of His kingdom. A real warning to all, "Do not get between God and His body." If we draft the
body in our image, after our likeness, and after the traditions of men… we are against Him.

Eph 4:15, 16, " but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective
working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."

Col 3:14-17, "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection (the perfect bond). And
let (because love wants to be in peace) the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in
one body (not denominationalism); and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
(you, not the clergy) teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Heb 10:24, "And let us (Not the pastor) consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,"

This institutional way of doing church is hindering and replacing (antichrist) the work of Christ's body. The
institutional function does not given any place for these experiences and interactions among the saints. They
have replaced the body of Christ for denominationalism, programs and buildings. They have replaced the
importance and function of the body with a one person function. Do you think the word of God is important and
relevant for us today? Do you think we need to follow Him or man's traditions? Can we be experiencing the
great falling away? Is the lack of Love our judge in this generation? My heart is broken for His body. The walls
have been destroyed, the temple has been burned, my heart is in anguish for His bride. Can we hear the cry of
the bridegroom for His bride? Even so, come Lord Jesus.

The importance and place of Love.

Love certainly has conditions and results.

John 14:21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them (Condition), it is he who loves Me. And he who
loves Me (condition) will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (result)."

Will we be loved by the Father if we don't love Jesus and keep His commandments? No!!!

1 John 3:10, "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: (How?) Whoever does not
practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother."

John 13:34, 35, "…that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all
will know that you are My disciples,(How?) if (condition) you have love for one another."
John 15:9-13, ""As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If (condition) you keep My
commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His
love. These things I have spoken to you (why?), that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this,
than to lay down one's life for his friends."

We scarcely know one another, let alone love one another. Why doesn't that send conviction through our spirit?

Rom 8:28, " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God (condition), to those
who are the called according to His purpose."

Rom 12:9-18, "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate
to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence,
fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not
curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one
another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own
opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much
as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

Notice the function of the mind: "same mind," not set on "high things," not "wise in your own opinion."

Eph 3:19, "to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;"

Phil 2:2-4, "fulfill my joy (How?) by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one
mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others
better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

"Same Love"? Do we have love for one another and minister to one another? You may think I am a kook, but
you can't deny the importance of Love and keeping His commandments. If you do deny Love and hinder its
happening, you are against and have replaced His word. It is absolutely that clear.

Rom 13:8-10, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the
law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You
shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up
in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore
love is the fulfillment of the law."

1 Cor 16:14, "Let all that you do be done with love."

1 Cor 16:22, "If (condition) anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed." We need a fear
and a trembling of His word.

2 Cor 2:4, "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you
should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you."

Gal 5:6, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through
love."

Phil 1:9-11, "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all
discernment, (Why?) that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without
offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory
and praise of God."

Eph 6:24, "Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity."
Grace is giving to all those who love Jesus.

James 4:6 & 1 Peter 5:5, "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." God only gives grace to those
who love Him and humble themselves. He does not give grace unconditionally.

1 Thess 3:12-13, "And may the Lord make you increase and abound (How?) in love to one another and to all,
just as we do to you, (Why?) so that He may establish (not the pastor) your hearts blameless in holiness before
our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His (denominational?) saints."

1 Peter 1:22-23, "Since you have purified your souls (How?) in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere
love of the brethren, love one another (audience vs body function) fervently with a pure heart, having been
born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,"

1 Peter 4:8, "And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.'"

1 John 2:5-6, "But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this (truth & love) we
know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked."

1 John 3:10-11, "Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his
brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,"

1 John 3:14-19, "We know that we have passed from death to life (How?), because we love the brethren. He
who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no
murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need,
and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (it can't!!!) My little children, let us
not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth (because
of the love we experience in our hearts for our brother), and shall assure our hearts before Him."

1 John 4:7-12, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God
and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was
manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him
(In His presence). In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God
at any time. If (Condition) we love one another, God abides in us (clearly, if we don't love, God doesn't abide in
us), and His love has been perfected in us."

1 John 4:16-21, "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who
abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have
boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect
love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We
love Him because He first loved us. If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who
does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this
commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also."

1 John 5:2-5, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His
commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep (abide)His commandments. And His commandments
are not burdensome(to those who love Him). (Why? Because) For whatever is born of God overcomes the
world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but
he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

2 John 5-6, "This is love, (What?) that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment,
that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it."
Rev 2:4-5, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from
where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your
lampstand from its place--unless you repent."

Rev 12:11, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they
did not love their lives to the death."

The body of Christ's love (The testimony of the first church).

1 Thess 3:6, "But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and
love,"

1 Thess 1:2-3, "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering
without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of
our God and Father,"

Col 1:7-8, "…Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also
declared to us your love in the Spirit."

Col 1:3-4, "We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we
heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;"

1 Thess 1:2-3, "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering
without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of
our God and Father,"

1 Thess 3:6, "But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and
love,"

2 Thess 1:3-8, "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows
exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of
you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you
endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the
kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those
who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven
with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do
not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Philemon 4-7, "I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith
which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become
effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and
consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother."

Heb 6:10-11, "For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His
name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

3 John 4-6, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, you do faithfully
whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church."