CHRISTIANITY FOR THE LAST DAYS

Friday, July 15, 2016

3 - THE PERSUASIVE POWER OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST: DEFINITIONS OF LOVE

Many people around the world believe they have at least a minimal understanding of what love is. What is love ? What is the love of Christ ? If you ask any number of men, women or children, it's possible that you could end up with an almost endless variety of opinions in response to your question. If the Bible is the reference point for your life and the standard by which you measure the accuracy of ideas, opinions and philosophies, then within its pages you can find love defined from God's perspective. So let's take a few minutes to explore what He has to say about love and understand better its persuasive power. There are really only two kinds of love that exist in the world today: human love and divine love. According to the Bible, God is love (1 John 4:8,16). He is the very definition and meaning of love. Perhaps this is why the Bible says clearly that love is of God. (1 John 4:7) In other words, love comes from God and it is best understood by looking at the character of God. There are character qualities in God that help us comprehend what love really is and by contrast what love really is not.

Would you like to learn more of the Bible teaching about the persuasive love of Christ ?
Stay tuned for the continuation of this review in our next post.

© 2016 Tyrone Keels

Friday, July 8, 2016

2 - THE PERSUASIVE POWER OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST: DRAWING - PULLING - URGING

THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS THAT HE WAS PERSUADED. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ?
Persuasion is a gift often used by people who want to motivate others to action. Persuasive speech is meant to influence the opinions, attitudes, beliefs and values of audiences and/or their behavior by appealing to a combination of their needs, desires, interests, and even fears. When a person speaks persuasively, he or she wants to cause some shift in the audience’s emotions and reasoning about an issue—to arouse interest and perhaps motivate action for an issue or cause, or to strengthen (or weaken) beliefs about a certain controversy. 

SOMETHING SPOKE TO PAUL AND APPEALED TO HIM
Persuasion - the act of influencing the mind by arguments or reasons offered, or by anything that moves the mind or passions, or inclines the will to a determination. To urge reasons for or against something; It means to convince; PAUL WAS CONVINCED – PAUL WAS PERSUADED

WHAT PERSUADED PAUL THAT NOTHING COULD SEPARATE HIM OR US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST ? WHAT WAS IT THAT CONVINCED PAUL ?

 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32) 
  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him... (John 6:44)
...therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. (Jeremiah 31:3)

THE MAGNETIC LOVE OF GOD THE FATHER AND OF CHRIST PERSUADED PAUL

 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (2 Corinthians 5:14)
CONSTRAIN MEANS -  
to press; urge; to drive; to exert force, physical or moral, either in urging to action or in restraining it.
The love of Christ was the actuating principle of Paul’s conduct; it was his motive power.
 
WHAT IS LOVE ? WHAT IS THE LOVE OF CHRIST ?
Stay tuned for the continuation of this review in our next post.

© 2016 Tyrone Keels
www.issues-of-life.com

Friday, July 1, 2016

1 - THE PERSUASIVE POWER OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST: ATTRACTION



ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST

Magnets always have a north pole and a south pole. A bar magnet has a north pole at one end and a south pole at the other end. No matter how many times you cut a magnet into separate pieces, each piece will always have a south pole and a north pole. There is a magnetic pull or attraction between opposite poles. Sometimes the attraction between the north pole and the south pole can be so strong that it is almost impossible to separate them. Magnets only have an effect on a few metals. The love of Christ has a magnetic effect on everyone. It can be cut in a million pieces and still draw hearts toward the Savior. The attraction between Jesus and those who love Him can be so strong that nothing can separate them. One of the reasons why the love of Christ is so persuasive is due to it's magnetic power. There is nothing in any human heart anywhere on planet earth that has the drawing, appealing, persuasive power of the love of Christ. Let's explore a few questions and answers about this persuasive power in the next few series of posts.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PERSUASIVE POWER OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST ?

IS THE LOVE OF CHRIST PERSUASIVE ENOUGH TO TRANSFORM A PERSON'S LIFE ?

HOW CAN WE HAVE THE PERSUASIVE POWER OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST ?

WHAT DO THESE THINGS HAVE TO DO WITH LAST DAY EVENTS ?

THE APOSTLE PAUL DELIBERATELY ASKED A QUESTION JUST TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAGNIFY THE LOVE OF CHRIST

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ? (Romans 8:35)

LISTEN TO PAUL SPEAK ABOUT THE MANY DIFFICULTIES THAT HE FACED IN LIFE

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:24-28)

Notice that none of these stressful situations separated Paul from the love of Christ. As a matter of fact, it was actually the love of Christ that carried Paul through those stressful times.

HERE IS PAUL'S CONCLUSION ABOUT THE LOVE OF CHRIST

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38,39)


PAUL SAYS THAT HE WAS PERSUADED. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ? 

Stay tuned for the continuation of this review in our next post.

© 2016 Tyrone Keels
www.issues-of-life.com