What is love

“God is love, and he who dwells in love in God, and God is in it” (1 John 4:16).

This article is about love, as well as about whether we can understand what love is and define this word. Watching the television programs, reading books, as well as communicating with other people, we often hear and use the word "love", but we understand it in different ways, in different ways and explain it his. How do we know if there is love in us, is there love in me? For what we live on Earth, and what love is difficult to explain concepts. When we talk about them, we inevitably come to the concept of the word God. The Apostle John tells us that “God is love.” It's short, but very A capacious definition is revealed in the Bible on many of its pages. God- there is love and this is the ESSENCE OF God, it is CONSTANT AND is the Spirit God's. Feelings are all temporary, and love is constant, both in God and man. It can never be abyss, and many sincere believers know it from their lives. “Love never ceases, although The prophecies will cease, and the tongues will be silenced, and knowledge will be abolished 1 Corin. 13:8). If I have the gift of prophecy, and I know all mysteries, and I have everything knowledge and all faith, so that I can rearrange mountains, and I do not have Love, I am NOTHING (1 Corinthians 13:2).

Love Cannot Be confused with physical attraction between a man and a woman, when each other likes them and there is a desire to have physical, physical intimacy, which is very important for adulthood and It is laid down by God in every person for the birth of offspring. For this God gave people the genitals in their creation, and after the sin of Adam and Eve, God gave them ATTION for each other, but especially noted The woman said to the wife, “When you multiply your sorrow in your pregnancy.” You will give birth to children sickness, and to your husband your desire, and he will be Dominance over you (Genesis 3:16). However, for a joint life, For a normal, happy family is not necessary only joint PHYSICAL attraction, but it is very important to have LOVE, which it is necessary to have in them before they make a marriage.

If one of the spouses gets married (married) only on the basis of physical attraction, but without the presence of love, then at the first betrayal of his wife My husband can tell himself, so what did I find special about my wife? She Same ordinary woman. The wife may also think and say to yourself. And This is one of the reasons for the many divorces of married couples. From Internet and from our lives we know examples of adultish elderly couples, when in their lives the spouses for the rest of their lives love each other, although They can no longer have sex. Love can be without sex.

Attraction is selfish, love is not. Attraction blinds, love opens Eyes. Love is responsible, attraction is not. Love is directed to the future, The passion is here and now.” Love from God and is born in man Receiving the Holy Spirit. Passion is a derivative feeling from the BODY man. The Bible states that love is the Divine state man, the presence of God by his Spirit in us, the presence in man Holy Spirit: “The love of God poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, given us” (1 John. 5:5). God has no beginning and no end, and love is infinite and I never had a beginning and will never have a end. Love without God There's no way. Love is not a feeling, but it causes a loving person, Unlike passion, many different feelings.

Does our concept of love of truth correspond to us Only if God is in accordance with her. The Rest of the Concept of Love by People It is not love. If God is love, everything that does not correspond The word of God in the concepts of people should not be called the word LOVE! Let us test this through the correspondence of the Word of God from the one to whom God commanded His Word to the people, and this was first and foremost His personal Witnesses, messengers and apostles.

The Apostle Paul in the 1-th epistle to the Corinthians in chapter 13 tells us: “Love is patient, merciful, love does not envy, love is not exalted, not proud, does not riot, does not seek his own, nor irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in truth, everything covers, believes everything, hopes everything, transfers everything, love It never stops.”

These words of the Apostle are confirmed by the brilliant philosopher G. Hegel (recorded from the Internet, but a little in a different compressed form): "True The essence of love is to give up self-consciousness, forget yourself in another self and, however, in this disappearance and oblivion Find yourself...” However, "to give up self-consciousness" impossible, a person is not selfish not yet meant that there is Love. So the "True Essence of Love" is different and this The essence, the essence is determined above the Bible (by the Word of God).

The Bible states that love is the divine state of man. The PRESENCE of God by the Spirit in us, the presence in man of the Spirit The love of God poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us (1 John. 5:5). God has no beginning and no end, and love is infinite and not had never started and will never have an end. Love without God is not It happens. Love existed before the creation of the Earth. Love, which a man finds himself in himself, is born together with God as a gift from God, that is, man receives in himself what existed before him Birth in eternity of everything. Love is not a feeling, but it causes A loving person of many different feelings.

According to the Bible, love is the Holy Spirit (GOD). Love is manifested in different actions and in the emergence of different feelings. Love is generating them. Love is the state of man, when God is in man. The Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit in a person induces man make different ACTIONS and the birth of different feelings. Here's what he tells us The Bible: “He who abides in love in God, and God is in Him.” (1 John 4:16).

And further, every next statement of love that the Apostle does Paul, more and more explains to us the greatness of love: "And now These three are: faith, hope, love; but love of them is greater. (1 Corinthians). Love is greater because when we love God, we believe that He is, and we hope to meet Him, that is, if we love, then we We have faith and hope. In our love for Jesus Christ we are already We forget about the word VERA, this word already becomes us, as if unnecessary, Singly, because already in us is He, who is God and Love (1 John. 4:16). “Love does not give to one’s neighbor’s evil” (Rome: 13-10). So, when people say that there is a different love, in Including love of money, food, etc., then this is a lie, because Love can only be God’s truth, the truth of which is tested by these above verses and others in the Bible.

These words: “He who abides in love in God, and God is in it” (1Jn. 4:16), tell us that love does not exist without God if two people love each other, then this is already a human trio with God, and If a person has only unrequited love, then this love is for the two Man and God. However, such love changes a person, which becomes the child of God and transposes his love and The love of God in life and the work of men for the good of God. However, such a person is not unhappy and lonely, but feels joy, Implementing love in their worries and deeds for loved ones and others.

The Commandments, the New Testament for Christians determined and define the necessary and the right relationship between people and God, and also between people in their daily lives. These commandments are fully enforced by people when They are guided by love. “For in Christ Jesus has no force neither circumcision nor uncircumcised, but faith acting by love. (Signed Galatam, 5:6).
True, true without love of God does not happen, and it is said in this article. Relationships between people have great differences when they based on love for each other and when love is missing.

1) When people live without love for each other, then for their relationship between laws, judges, police, etc. are required. People are looking for justice. And it is not always easy to prove which of them is right, and who is to blame for those who Discuss their litigation. And in the end, often argue, quarrel, quarrel, Try to avenge the offenses. Some need laws and protection, lest they be offended; others need not break them The law did not offend others.

2) When people live and act to each other for love, they do not need judges, police and laws, because they act in their relations on Love. Mercy is above justice. Can a man do something The bad guy he loves. When a person loves another, he forgives He's all his flaws and all his mistakes. God loves people and relates to to people by mercy, forgiving all their sins on Earth, but for this people must to be with God, not to deny Him, but to recognize Him as its God. And for the fact, In order to be with God in His eternity, you need to find love for Him. God does not want to force anyone to be with Him in eternity. But as in Infinity is not a place where there is no God, then those who reject God, who does not love God, to exist after his physical death on The earth simply cannot. God is a blessing for people, because All people are condemned and deprived of eternal life.

It is impossible to live without love with God and people in eternity. Many people know People who live without love together is difficult even for one day. But it is possible to live with those who have no love for you this day, but for You need to have patience. You can live even 10, 20 and 50 years, but live In eternity with God and with people, without loving them, it is impossible. Also people must understand whether God can be with man in eternity if man He rejects and does not love God. All this gives us an opportunity to understand Jesus Christ's appeal to the Christians, His followers, with the following “I give you a new commandment, but love one another: as I have loved You, so do you love one another.” From John, 13:34)

If we love God, we must learn to love each other, and this we must be guided by the requirements that are contained In explaining the word “love.” In the first place in the lover He does not become a man himself, but the one he loves. A loving person always sacrifices its time, material well-being and all other Expensive and necessary for him, sacrifices for his beloved. And this committed without any violence against itself, it becomes a need and Brings happiness to the loving. Love denies selfishness, makes it Impossible. For us, a more important other person and, in Ultimately, God and Man.

Rejection of selfishness, one’s self, is our sacrifice. We donate for another, the life of the other becomes more important to us than Your own. This is the main thing in love. Without sacrifice of love does not happen!!! Love is a stream of kindness from the one who loves to the beloved. However, the lover can Don't get a return love. This is often the case in people’s lives, and it’s also It is also the unbelievers who reject the love of God for them.

I understand the pain and sadness of people who love others, but do not have the return Love! Yes, there are sorrows and pains that cannot be resolved on the ground. We We take them into eternity, which belongs to God and to all His children, They love not only God, but of each other. That's why there's no Unrequited love. Therefore, sadness and pain cannot accompany life God has no people with God. To become with his God it is never too late for a person if he has a love of himself people. The desire to understand the other, to understand his experiences and difficulties in life and the desire to help him eat one of the sources The birth of love in yourself. Through compassion, they are smoothed out to people contradictions, they become not the main and gradually this state It goes into love.

Love evokes feelings: joy, grief, anxiety and others that It is associated with the experience of the life of the one we love. We rejoice in happiness The beloved and at the same time become happy. We are worried about everything his failures, grieving with him. And if he has something necessity, then we help him, regardless of whether it is Difficult for us and dangerous. And we do it with joy, even if it related to life for us. A lover can devote his whole life beloved, without receiving anything from him, except finding Happiness to help him by taking care of him.

• So what is love? It's not entirely explainable. If we say that Is that our attitude towards children? Yeah, that's right. But there are parents who They don’t like their children, they leave them. There are also children who don’t like their parents. But love can also be for a stranger. Also and the relationship between husband and wife can be based on love, or be based only on the stamp in the passport.
And if a person lives without love, then his life is BORE and empty, being unhappy and uneasy.

• Love is a state as if someone is present in us and subordinates our actions, in favor of whom we love, Denying our selfishness, our “I” Love is not related to the appearance of it The man we love. If it were, God would say Christians: love the beautiful; but He said, “Love one another.” People sometimes say otherwise: "How can I love others (by name of my comrades in work or those who go to church with them, because Do they have flaws that I don’t?”

But why do people not ask the same question to themselves: "And how can you To love me, because I also have a lot of flaws, a lot of bad ones?” All People want to be loved and respected, regardless of their shortcomings. Answering the second question, we become clear the answer to the first Question. To love other people is to help them fix their deficiencies, and if they have physical disabilities, then help them in What they need.

The birth of love in a person begins in the process of living together with people, when a person begins to show sympathy for people who are in different life situations, when these people are not indifferent in life the person himself according to the spiritual correspondence of us and we have arises The need to connect with them all your life. Relatives and Love is In fact, the same thing. Only LOVE is HIGHER, because Tremlessness without love does not matter.

The writer Dostoevsky in the “Brothers Karamazov” mentions a conversation one unbeliever woman with a deeply religious man, the elder Zosima. She asks him, “How can you become a believer?” And the old man said, "It is necessary learn to love people, and first of all, of course, those with whom We live and work nearby. And then Elder Zosima talks about one the person who, to the desire to learn to love people, replied that he loves all mankind that loves all the people of the Earth and is even ready to give life for humanity, but can not endure one day of residence with Someone together: whether in a hotel or under other circumstances Finding together.

We need to learn to love your neighbors in the first place, who are provided We are mercy (Luke 10:25-37). Without it, we cannot find love for other people. In Dostoevsky’s novel “Idiot” there are words: “In the distracted Love of humanity almost always loves yourself. (Sign, Total, Count 8, p.

Love for people gives birth to reciprocal love. But not always! And it's very It's sad. God loves all people, but not all people love God. Retaliatory love characterizes the inner essence of a person, his desire to help to the people and to be grateful for all that he receives from people and from God, be grateful for all the good things that others do for him people. Experience for others, for loved ones, the desire to help them - this is already The beginning of love. The love itself and its incarnation manifests itself in the actions people.

If a person loves someone, he does not think that by sacrificing his life for another, loved by him, worse than him or not, whether he loves him Rescued or not, did something for him than the rescued or not. People often even sacrifice themselves to save another or others, completely Unfamiliar people for them. The thing is that love does not make a choice and Her actions are not related to profit. So the Lord sacrificed Himself for all men: not pure from sins, but for all those who have fallen on this earth, of There is no one who is worthy of His sacrifice.

But not everyone wants to sacrifice themselves, their time, their well-being. Only to receive for yourself, without giving anything in return - so many aspire to this life. And the main thing these people have their own “I”, selfishness. Essence Love consists in renunciation of one’s “I” in the name of another person. Renunciation is impossible without suffering and at the same time voluntary. Suffering, Holiness and love between themselves are connected into one whole. This is stated in his book Pavel Billighimer (Don’t Spend Your Sorrows, Chicago, 1990 Mr.). Many people, deeply religious, have experienced a lot in their lives Suffering. And the author speaks of their spiritual perfection, about the presence of They have deep love. His statement is beautiful: “But those eyes that have come down to tears They don’t, they can’t radiate a light.” In the Bible in Job (chap. 5:7) “But a man is born into suffering, as a spark, that he may be to rush up.”

Overcoming your selfishness, getting rid of it is difficult. And this victory without There is no suffering. Pavel Billheimer in his book says that every step on the path of spiritual progress will leave bloody Traces of a wounded self-love. People’s selfishness is not from God. Selfishness is related to the first sin of people, when they preferred to What they wanted and put their “I” first and not God.
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How classically defined and explained the word “love” in Literature? Of course, it is best to look in the explanatory dictionary. But also in Dictionaries of different authors define the word "love" is different, and that There is a common, so it is contradictory. The word “love” is defined as:

1) Feeling strong or constant attachment to dedicate yourself children- motherly love, 2) attractiveness based on sexual desire, strong attachment and tenderness. These two statements are approved by many authors as a definition of the word “love” and differ for all authors in essence slightly. When considering them, we understand that the relationship between people are defined here by one word “love”, and this is contrary to all logic. But maybe something in common? Yes, there is, but only the words about Attitudes.

1) The motherly love of people can be a God-puffed instinct with dedicating yourself to the care of children, which can grow into a true Divine love, but it doesn’t always happen. Love as an Instinct There are also animals. In such cases, it is said that this "mother's love "looking for his own," and therefore she, according to the Bible, can not be divine, that is, true love. “Maternal Love” has animals, but this does not mean its presence in humans and animals of the Spirit God's.

Also another thing is that in attachment to children can be all your life, and in the second case only for a few days or one night. Yes and Attitudes are different. The second attachment is based on the desire of the body (Flese). But the attachment in the first statement is based on a completely A friend. So there's nothing in common! Why are the different relationships between People are defined by one word. This is a mistake or it is so beneficial to the world, in which people live?

In the second statement there is a word appeal. Attractiveness to The beautiful is the amazing feeling God has given to people. All people familiar with this state, when it is simply impossible to take your eyes off a beautiful object, from beautiful flowers, from a beautiful landscape, from A beautiful man. The attractiveness of a man and a woman to each other It is very important in satisfying sexual relations. To become husband and wife, this is very important to them. But this is not the basis, to love each other. Without love, a marriage will be short-lived or will be The unlucky all their life. Sexual relations are related to the satisfaction of our flesh, but love is spiritual, it is a manifestation of God is in us. And that's forever! It is impossible to say that here he or her loved someone and then loved. This statement is destroyed The divinity of love. It is safe to say that these people There was never love!

Of all the needs for our flesh, for our body, and this is: food, sleep, sex, toilet and so on sexual relations bring the person the most great pleasure. But it has nothing to do with love. Relationship between a man and a woman based on attractiveness, but without love is short-lived. And if you ask one of them, can he (She) die for another, then the answer will be negative: “You what. With what article. Why do I need it?” Is it possible to talk about Love? Love is when a person can give his life if necessary For the other, there is nothing to regret at all!

In family life, the attractiveness can be for life to each other, but can only be for a short time due to age changes or because you can find a more attractive woman (man). And then the family can only be preserved by love. Even when a woman (man) can meet more beautiful than your wife You will find a lot more pleasure in intimate life. And then your love for his wife becomes an obstacle to them An impolite barrier, for love protects from everything, What can be bad for the one you love; because love Immerably higher in its strength of influence on a person, in its power to his feelings and sensations, including from carnal pleasures at himself Great attraction of the partner.

The last chapter of the Gospel of John tells that Jesus Three times asked the Apostle Peter, “Does he love Him.” The Lord, apparently, Peter asked three times, as Peter renounced the Lord three times. But not less interesting to know why God asks Peter about him Love for him?! Love, only love can be a source of service Lord. Only love for God can convey to the hearts of people words, which a believer can utter, who calls others from unbelief, and darkness towards the Light, to the recognition of God by the Lord. But it may be in this Is there another question of the Lord to Peter?

Peter used to swear to die for the Lord, if necessary, and not Renounce Him. It would seem that the Lord should have his question To remind Peter and ask him, “Can you die for me?” But the Lord He said, “Do you love me?” Doesn't that mean if anyone Loves, then he will give his life if necessary for the one he loves?! And in the future, Peter confirmed this with his life, by his service to Jesus Christ and his death for Him. The Lord has proved to people His love for them Golgotha, on the cross. Like the Lord, he took his death on the cross and Peter, proving his love for Him is also on the cross.

God’s love for people is beautiful and amazing. God is waiting for return every man from the world of unbelief and vulgarity, from the world of evil to Him in the world Love, the world of fidelity and happiness. God helps us with that. Jesus He talks about it in the parable of the prodigal son. Famous artist Rembrandt decided to reproduce this parable in his picture, but allowed Spiritual error. He painted his father inside his house, just got up from the chair and put his hands on a son standing on My knees in front of my father. But in the parable, the Lord says that when the son went to father, but still far away, his father saw him and took pity; and “Raising, fell to him He kissed him at his neck” (Luke, 15-20).

The parable tells us that when we take only the first steps towards God. He instantly rushes to us, "runs" to meet us, rejecting His greatness, as if He forgets that He is the Great and Almighty God Everything. From the side of some people, this may seem like self-humiliation: How God can this be the sinner? The sinful son goes to the father, and he He's already running to him, and he falls around his neck and kisses him. Amazing and God’s love for people is beautiful. Every loving person behaves too, Because there is a God in him. The famous artist did not understand this.

Apostle John in chapter 13 tells how Jesus washed his feet Students. God said to people these things, “You are not You see how I love you.” The love of God gives birth to love in people, but if we we will strive for this, to have a desire to understand God and those who love us people. The Apostle John in the 1st Epistle, Chapter 4:19, says to people: “Let us be To love Him because He loved us before.”

People who have love for other people, sooner or later for them, become Believers are those who love God. But otherwise it simply cannot be, because God dwells in them. Also with God are those who need Him, who tries to find the truth, the meaning of life, who seeks to do Conscience in their lives, who tries to help people in need, who experienced a lot of grief, a lot of suffering in his life, who understood how offenders the injustice of this world, built by people, Aspiring to fame and wealth. The motive of such love: Compassion for to the people, the experience with them of their joy and grief, receiving joy, when you can help them ("she loved my torments, and I'm for her compassion for them, by Othello’s words about Desdemona in the tragedy of Shakespeare "Othello." Usually this feeling of empathy occurs in people who They survived the grief and know what it is.

“Suffering is a source of huge moral values and Positive spiritual acquisitions. It leads to faith, love, Spiritual power. We live on earth to work on the beauty of our Souls. Life is a huge workshop in which the souls of people become Cleaner and prepare for the transition to another, better world. Suffering is taught to be condescending to other people, educate sensitivity to the burning of another man. It is difficult for a person, but it is also difficult for another. Suffering is necessary Responsible with compassion. The word is a word of complicity, that is, everyone should participate in life with another person, compassion him, cooperate with him, to participate. And to find happiness in that.” (Archimanrit Eleazar).

Love for people appears before they become believers, but Love of God comes only after gaining faith in God or at the same time. Many people know that there are among unbelievers Those who treat people better than those who call themselves Believers. And these non-believers help others much more than Believers. In such people, when they do good deeds, there is The Spirit of God, because such people are pleasing to God, and God helps them to find Faith, because they do His righteousness in their actions. Spirit The saint visits them, and eventually helps them to find Faith, living forever in them. The actions of such people are accompanied by the Spirit God, and therefore love. The source of the formation of love in them is: The Spirit of God, and this is “a love of God, and everyone who loves is born of “Lord” (1 John 4:70). So, love in man is the presence of the Spirit God's!

Selfish people cannot love, they have no love, because selfishness and Love denies each other. There is no God in these people, they cannot The Holy Spirit, that is, God. They can believe that there is a God, But they cannot love God, they are far from Him. The Way of Rescue for Refuse superiority in everything for yourself, learn to love surrounding their people. Those who love God should never doubt it. Their life is connected with God’s eternity.

Dostoevsky in the book "Demons" leads a beautiful words of one person to A woman who loves him before her death. This is what he said: “My Immortality is necessary because God will not want to do unrighteousness and to extinguish the very fire of the love that has been for him in my heart. And what More expensive than love? Love is above being, love is the crown of being, and how possible, So that being is untapped to her? If I fell in love with Him and rejoiced is it possible for my love that He would repay both me and my joy and turn Us at zero? If there is a God, I am immortal.” There is God! All CHRISTIANS know this and know that they are immortal: (1 John 4:7 and 3:16).

And also, a very important aspect of love is what when they love - are always waiting. We We are waiting for a loved one to our last breath. Waiting and hoping, Love and waiting. And our love helps the beloved person to survive in his Difficult conditions of life. I didn't realize before: why people say those who are loved return from war alive, that they have more Probability to survive than the unloved. But I realized when I read the book Exupery about how he, as a pilot, he had an accident in a deserted The desert where he was threatened with death. Exupery says if someone love and wait, then he tries to survive and fights to the last strength to return to the one who loves him, so as not to cause him pain and grief. Love also helps in other cases when we know what we should Go back to the one who needs us.

Love never does evil, while passion can bring much grief of man, even death. And one example of this, when a person after prolonged hunger is attacked by food and can not Stop. As a result, a person dies from poisoning. According to his The superiority given from God, the mind of man is different from the mind animal, and man, unlike an animal, can overcome passion, When passion has negative consequences. But love is more reasonable, because she is from God, and therefore, guided by love, a man It can always stop a negative passion. And in this case it is possible To say that love overcomes passion.

The levels of knowledge of love are the levels of knowledge and the attainment of God, which We do in our lives, gaining freedom and happiness. But on the ground Just the beginning! In the Bible there is one sentence that personifies all The Bible, so briefly. These words should always be remembered, Remember the great love of God to us, to all living people on earth. “For God loved the world, so that he gave His only begotten Son, that everyone might be, He who believes in Him, he did not perish, but he had eternal life” (John 3:16).

Love and repentance before God Adam and Eve had no love, God did not give them according to the Bible. Only in joint action with God arises love, which is a joint essence between people and God, and Between the people! This essence is the Holy Spirit! People are meant to be The Son of God and the Son of God the Father loved the first briddon to the bride. But what is needed to make the Son that the Bride loves him? The Son becomes Christ and gives itself to the service of people to save people from the devil to whom They got hit, to save the bride from death. And all the service of the Son of God in the earth ends with a feat on Calvary for the sake of His Bride, when He underwent The greatest suffering for her!

And all those who have been waiting for Him with their heart, He was seen not only as the revealed of his greatest true life, but also as who loved and proved it by His Feat of this great Love on Golgotha. His love, like a magnet, attracts all people, The heart is open to love. When I am told about faith, different from the Christian, that it is more correct, then I always point to them at Calvary, the love of Jesus Christ for people, who proved this with his sacrifice to save people. Such a God is Only one and only CHRISTIANs!