Love

With Valentine's Day coming up, the sermon at BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministries) tonight was about love: God's love for us as well as how we should love one another in Christ.

Something to keep in mind: Love is not a hole. "Falling" in love is inconcievable because love is supposed to be a growing committment BETWEEN two people. But we'll get back to that later. =)

Here are the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Single People or the Wise Standards for Discerning a Right Life Partner (and my comments on them =).

1) I will only date and marry a growing Christian. (Fellowship)
I Thessalonians 5:23 - And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Spirit - Your basic drive and motivation in life (for Christians this should be God) [Dating Stage]
Soul - Mind, Will, and Emotions (your thought life) {What Jesus changes in your life after you become saved... AKA sanctification} [Dating/Engagement Stage]
Body - Physical Self [MARRIAGE]
Oneness and Committment are grown as you go through this process, but ONLY if you start at the top and work your way down the list.

II Corinthians 6:14-17 - Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I WILL DWELL IN THEM, AND WALK IN THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. wHEREFORE COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, AND BE YE SEPARATE, SAITH THE LORD, AND TOUCH NOT THE UNCLEAN THING; AND I WILL RECEIVE YOU
Basically - Be not unequally yoked.

2) I will relate dating and marriage to God's purpose for my life. (Purpose).
Mark 12:29-31 - And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, HEAR, O ISRAEL; THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD: AND THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND, AND WITH ALL THY STRENGTH: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF. There is none other commandment greater than these.
If you could imagine for me, a triangle. At the top is God. On the left is the boy of your dreams and on the right is you, the girl in this scenario (if you're a guy reading this, just switch the bottom two around). We could take the short path and go straight to the boy of our dreams, but where would that put us? The same length or farther from God. But, if we look at God and strive to be closer to Him, and the boy is doing the same, we will ultimately grow closer to both God and the boy (as long as that boy is who God wants for you, and if He doesn't, you won't have lost anything that God wanted you to have). We have to keep our eyes on God BECAUSE our God is a jealous God, and He will not take second place in your life.
Now for a bit of direction:
MEN: You should be the spiritual leader in your relationship. Your job as the male is to direct, protect, and provide. God expects you to lead. He expects you to be a safe haven, and He expects you to provide for your girlfriend/wife/family.
WOMEN: You should be an example and a challenge. Yes. A Challenge. It is your job to set the bar high and wait for the man, who God want to be in your life, to JUMP that bar. YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN RUBIES, and God wants the VERY best for you. He would never let you settle for less that His best, and you shouldn't be willing to settle for anything less either.

3) I will not "defraud" the one I date. (Purity)
I Thessalonians 4:1-8 - Furthermore then we beseech you brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleaness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
Basically: We should abstain from sexual immorality

I Corinthians 6:18-20 - Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
In the context of love: This is basically saying that before marriage MY BODY BELONGS TO GOD, and God alone. He bought me with a price and therefore I belong to Him. Completely.
I Corinthians 7:1-4 - Now concerning the things whereof wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
After marriage, your partner has rights to your body because you are one. You are bonded, bonded as a new creature in Christ. But before you say "I do" before God, your priest, your family and friends, your body belongs Solely to God.

Hebrews 13:4 - Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
I think this is pretty self explanitory.

4) I will "purpose" to be in harmony at home. (Authority)
Ephesians 6:1-3 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live love on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Colossians 3:20 - Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
I think we all know this lesson: Obey your parents. We've been hearing it since we went to our first Sunday School class. However, I think it is something that we could all work on, myself included. God gave us parents to protect and teach us. He wants us to learn from them so that we don't repeat their mistakes. He also put them in our lives to shield us from the terrors of the world and the slings and arrows of the Devil.
Exodus 20:12 - Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Honor your father and mother. The person who was giving this sermon brought up an interesting point tonight. He said that he would not marry anyone whose parents did not support their union. It's intriguing to think about. I mean... we all know that we want our parents to approve of who we're dating (even if we hide that fact from them), but how much weight do we Actually put into our parents' opinions of our boyfriends/girlfriends? Refering to my above commentary, our parents were given to us to lead us down the right paths. They are given to us to protect us. And, something that I know is always true, they want what is BEST for us, no matter what. So the next time your parent makes a comment about your boyfriend/girlfriend, listen to what they're saying.
I Samuel 15:23 - For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

5) I will wait for God's timing in marriage. (Trust)
Psalm 62:5 - My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

6) I will yield my right to date and marry to God. (Submission)
Luke 9:24 - For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lost his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Matthew 6:33 - But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Psalms 37:4-5 - Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

7) I will trust God to meet my deepest needs.
Psalm 84:11 - For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Romans 8:32 - He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
God will not withhold things from me. He knows Exactly what I need, and He is ready to give me those things which my heart desires.


In closing, Love is SO much more than just a fleeting feeling or a sideways glance. God tells us SO much about His love for us and about how we should love one another. God has not forgotten and will not forget about you. Ever. Period. He knows what you need.

I know that this has been a long post already but I feel like all Christians need to realize that God knows how you're feeling, and how you're probably longing to have someone to love. But do you realize that He knows who that person for you is? He already knows! He has Always known. And when you and that other person are both ready, He will not withhold that love from you. So be patient. And if you get anxious, here is a song for you.


Love is Waiting ~ Brooke Fraser

In the autumn on the ground, between the traffic and the ordinary sounds
I am thinking signs and seasons while a north wind blows through
I watch as lovers pass me by
Walking stories - whos and hows and whys
Musing lazily on love
Pondering you
I'll give it time, give it space and be still for a spell
When it's time to walk that way we want to walk it well

I'll be waiting for you baby
I'll be holding back the darkest night
Love is waiting til we're ready
Til it's right
Love is waiting

It's my caution not the cold
There's no other hand that I would rather hold
The climate changes, I'm singing for the strangers about you
Don't keep time, slow the pace
Honey hold on if you can
The bets are getting surer now that you're my man

I'll be waiting for you baby
I'll be holding back the darkest night
Love is waiting til we're ready
Til it's right
Love is waiting

I could write a million songs about the way you say my name
I could live a lifetime with you and then do it all again
And like I can't force the sun to rise or hasten summer's start,
Neither should I rush my way into you heart

I'll be waiting for you baby
I'll be holding back the darkest night
Love is waiting til we're ready
Til it's right

I'll be waiting for you baby
I'll be holding back the darkest night
Love is waiting til we're ready
Til it's right
Love is waiting


And finally, I'll leave you with a passage that I'm sure is familiar to us all.
I Corinthians 13:1-13 - Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (love), 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. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

God Bless,
Taylor