Love Is No Guarantee- 1 John 4:9

What is love exactly? Biblical love is often misunderstood. And we have an adversary who does all he can to distort what love is, among his other devices. Most people equate love with a very strong feeling to something or someone.

That love is not a constant. The love of God, on the other hand, is a constant. The true expression of Biblical love is an extremely powerful thing. Wouldn’t it be great if love could fix everything?

Song of Solomon 8:6-7. “ love is as strong as death.” “Many waters cannot quench love, or will rivers overflow it.”

Love has limits. Love is no guarantee, even agape love.

The love myth… what is love?
1John 4:7-10 tells us what love truth is, what real, effective, powerful love is. The power of love – love towards others is always the optimal response, always. When life’s challenges happen, do this one thing – assess your love. Am I responding to this situation with love? Applying this lesson will improve your response in troublesome situations. But, it is not the cure for everything. It is, however, the cure for you.

We need to learn to practice love. Look at 1 Corinthians 13. There love is defined. Love is kind, let’s start there. Love does not seek its own. It bears all things, it believes all things and it never, ever fails, just to name a few things taught there.

One thing though -it requires work, constant significant effort.

1. Love is the optimal pursuit.
2. It is never “all about me.” When relationships go really bad, the problem is with me. Love does not seek it’s own. The love of Christ controls us, the love of Christ constrains us. It reins us in. It sends us in a certain direction. It also motivate us, compels us to a certain kind of conduct. How long has it been since you have assessed your love in your marriage relationship?
3. Love is practiced imperfectly by man. God does it perfectly, we do not. God is always the standard of what is excellent. There is always room for growth.
4. Love challenges it’s object. Romans 12 an excellent place to go to study what the Christian walk is. Go read it, commit it to memory. What do you do when it is all seemingly going upon flames? When we have hit an impasse? Have you prayed for the other person? Have you prayed for your enemy? Sometimes the other person in a relationship is your enemy. Pray for them. It will change your perspective about the situation. Am I truly seeking their good?
5. Even the highest expression of love can be utterly rejected and not reciprocated. The optimal pursuit does not mean take it on the chin, suck it up, whatever it is that is happening to you. It also does not mean attacking your spouse in a text. There is no room for that, not ever. When things start to escalate you may jusy have to walk away.

Hosea 7:7-16. Love is no guarantee. Hosea says “I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me.” The whole story of Hosea is about God’s love that is unrequited by Israel. So, even if we respond like God, it may not fix things. There is no guarantee.

Let us imitate God’s love. We should be moved by His love. We should be moved to respond to Him because of His love for us. He only wants the best for us.

Sermon by Tony Mauck

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