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Since true love is unconditional and selfless, true love goes beyond friends and relatives (who are our own, whom we like, who have either helped us in the past or from whom we expect to get something in return).According to Jesus (Luke 6:27-25) we must love our enemies, do good deeds to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us. If anyone slaps us on one cheek, we must let him hit the other one too. We must give to everyone who asks for something; because, God is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. We must be merciful, just as our Father is merciful (Luke 6: 35-36). We must remember that mercy triumphs over law (James 2; 13); and it is mercy, and not sacrifice, that God desires (Matt. 12, 7; 9, 13). Furthermore, Jesus did not come to call righteous but sinners (Matt. 9, 13). We must not take revenge on those who do us wrong. If someone takes us to court to sue us for our shirt, we must let him have our coat as well. We must walk an additional mile if the occupation forces ask us to carry their pack for one mile (Matt 5; 39-41). If anyone borrows something from us we must not ask for it back (Luke 6:27-30). We must be willing to lay down our life for others, including for those who cause us grave hurt; just as God in His Divine mercy sacrificed His life for us, although we gravely hurt Him (by our sins). Christian life, therefore, is a living cross. This means that we have to live a life of unconditional love, sacrifice and surrender. We are also to make none of our own desires our god. Rather, we have to make God, who is love, our only desire.

Amen

God's love and the love that is required of Believers in Him is not that love excercised naturally by man either believers or non believers.

It is a love willing to die for all, that all might live. John 15:12-14
It is selfless love caring for others more than self. Jude 1:20-23
It is a love that if absent from one, yet all other aspects of Christian living are fulfilled, one will be nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
It is a love that fulfills all the law of God when exercised. Romans 13:8
It is a love that is a debt never to be paid off. Romans 13:3-8
It is a love that believers have for one another, the same love that the Christ has for them. He died for them in and out of that love. John 13:34-35
It is a love that identifies the disciples of Christ. John 13:35

Non believers are seperated from that love and will go into eternal seperation, Matthew 25:31-46, if they are not pricked to believing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
It is not a love experienced by non believers, but only believers. It is a love that should be shown to all by believers. The love of God.
As God works this love through His believers so that all may come to know it and be pricked in the heart to obey and receive the love of God. The giving of His Son on the cross for all who would believe.


And yet there is even more to be studied in His word that identifies the love of God and God being love spiritually as opposed to the love that is natural in His created natural man not yet born again into this spiritual love.

ollie

Amen