Growth in Godly Love

We must be a people of love.

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.Matthew 22:36-40

Love is a defining characteristic of a true follower of Jesus.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.John 13:34-35

Love is a choice, not an emotion.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?Matthew 5:43-46

Godly love is produced by the Holy Spirit.

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.Romans 5:5

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.Galatians 5:22-23

Without love we are nothing.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Our love must be a discerning love.

Discernment goes hand in hand with wisdom.

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.Colossians 4:5

The People of Proverbs

Wise

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.Proverbs 9:9-11

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.Proverbs 9:9

Simple

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.Proverbs 1:4

The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.Proverbs 14:15

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.Proverbs 22:3

Fool

The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.Proverbs 10:1

A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.Proverbs 29:11

Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.Proverbs 14:7

Scorner

A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.Proverbs 13:1

A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.Proverbs 15:12

He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.Proverbs 9:7-8

When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.Proverbs 21:11

Wisdom comes from a love for Truth.

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;Colossians 1:9

We cannot love others at the expense of a love for truth.

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!Isaiah 5:20

We cannot love truth at the expense of a love for others.

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:Ephesians 4:14-15

We grow in love for others by our love for God.

We grow in love by being controlled by the Holy Spirit.

We grow in discernment by becoming students of the Word.

We grow in discernment by surrounding ourselves with godly counselors.