"You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them nor be induced to serve them, because I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation, in the case of those who hate me; but exercising loving-kindness toward the thousandth generation in the case of those who love me and keep my commandments. Exodus 20:4-6
GOD IS LOVE!
Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God, and everyone who loves the One that caused to be born loves him who has been born from that One. By this we gain the knowledge that we are loving the children of God, when we are loving God and doing His commandments. For this is what the love of God means, that we observe His commandments; and yet His commandments are not burdensome, because everything that has been born from God conquers the world. And this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith. Who is the one that conquers the world but he who has faith that Jesus is the Son of God. This is he that came by means of water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And the spirit is that which is bearing witness, because the spirit is the truth. For there are three witness bearers, the spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are in agreement. 1 John 5:1-7
Biblically, love is viewed as the greatest of all the Christian graces. ***LOVE * LOVE * LOVE * LOVE * LOVE***In the introduction to Paul's treatment of the subject in 1 Corinthians 13, he refers to love as "the most excellent way.
Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God and gains the knowledge of God. He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love. By this the love of God was made manifest in our case, because God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him. The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent forth his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins. Beloved ones, if this is how God loved us, then we are ourselves under obligation to love one another. At no time has anyone beheld God. If we continue loving one another, God remains in us and his love is made perfect in us.
By this we gain the knowledge that we are remaining in union with him and he in union with us, because he has imparted his spirit to us. In addition, we ourselves have beheld and are bearing witness that the Father has sent forth his Son as Savior of the world. Whoever makes the confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God remains in union with such one and they are union with God. And we ourselves have come to know and have believed the love that God has in our case.
God is love, and he that remains in love remains in union with God and God remains in union with him. This is how love has been made perfect with us, that we may have freeness of speech in the day of judgment. There is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a restraint. Indeed, they that are under fear has not been made perfect in love. As for us, we love, because He first loved us.
If anyone makes the statement: "I love God," and yet is hating his brother, they are a liar. For those who do not love their brother, whom he has seen, cannot be loving God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that the one who loves God should be loving their brother also. 1 John 4:7-21
My son, my law do not forget, and my commandments may your heart observe, because length of days and years of life and peace will be added to you. May loving-kindness and trueness themselves not leave you. Tie them about your throat. Write them upon the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and good insight in the eyes of God and of earthling man. because the one whom Jehovah loves he reproves, even as a father does a son in whom he finds pleasure. Proverbs 3:1-4; 3:12
Now we request YOU, to have regard for those who are working hard among YOU and presiding over YOU in [the] Lord and admonishing YOU; and to give them more than extraordinary consideration in love because of their work. Be peaceable with one another. On the other hand, we exhort YOU, admonish the disorderly, speak consolingly to the depressed souls, support the weak, be long-suffering toward all. See that no one renders injury for injury to anyone else, but always pursue what is good toward one another and to all others. Always be rejoicing. Pray incessantly. In connection with everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in union with Christ Jesus respecting YOU. Do not put out the fire of the spirit. Do not treat prophesyings with contempt. Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine. Abstain from every form of wickedness. May the very God of peace sanctify YOU completely. And sound in every respect may the spirit and soul and body of YOU be preserved in a blameless manner at the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who is calling YOU is faithful, and he will also do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24
Praise Jah, YOU people! Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good; For his loving-kindness is to time indefinite. Who can utter the mighty performances of Jehovah, [Or] can make all his praise to be heard? Happy are those observing justice, Doing righteousness all the time. Remember me, O Jehovah, with the goodwill toward YOUR people. Take care of me with YOUR salvation, That I may see the goodness to YOUR chosen ones, That I may rejoice with rejoicing of YOUR name, That I may make my boast with YOUR inheritance. Psalms 106:1-5
"YOU heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ However, I say to YOU: Continue to love YOUR enemies and to pray for those persecuting YOU; that YOU may prove yourselves children of YOUR Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous. For if YOU love those loving YOU, what reward do YOU have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? Matthew 5:43-46
"Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go lay bare his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. He said to him: "‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ Matthew 18:15; 22:37
"And if YOU love those loving YOU, of what credit is it to YOU? Foreven the sinners love those loving them. And if YOU do good to those doing good to YOU, really of what credit is it to YOU? Even the sinners do the same. To the contrary, continue to love YOUR enemies and to do good and to lend [without interest], not hoping for anything back; and YOUR reward will be great, and YOU will be the children of the Most High, because he is kind toward the unthankful and wicked. Continue becoming merciful, just as YOUR Father is merciful. Luke 6:32-36
Most truly I say to YOU, He that exercises faith in me, that one also will do the works that I do; and he will do works greater than these, because I am going my way to the Father. Also, whatever it is that YOU ask in my name, I will do this, in order that the Father may be glorified in connection with the Son. If YOU ask anything in my name, I will do it. "If YOU love me, YOU will observe my commandments; and I will request the Father and he will give YOU another helper to be with YOU forever, the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. YOU know it, because it remains with YOU and is in YOU. I shall not leave YOU bereaved. I am coming to YOU. A little longer and the world will behold me no more, but YOU will behold me, because I live and YOU will live. In that day YOU will know that I am in union with my Father and YOU are in union with me and I am in union with YOU. THOSE that have my commandments and observes them, that one is who loves me. In turn he that loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love those and will plainly show myself to them." If YOU remain in union with me and my sayings remain in YOU, ask whatever YOU hope and it will take place for YOU. My Father is glorified in this, that YOU keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples. YOU are my friends if YOU do what I am commanding YOU. These things I command YOU, that YOU love one another. John 14:12-21; 15:7,8,14,17
THOSE that hate me hates also my Father. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have both seen and hated me as well as my Father. But it is that the word written in their Law may be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without cause.’ When the helper arrives that I will send YOU from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which proceeds from the Father, that one will bear witness about me; and YOU, in turn, are to bear witness, because YOU have been with me from when I began. John 15:23-27
Paul said: and the hope does not lead to disappointment; because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit, which was given us. For, indeed, Christ, while we were yet weak, died for the ungodly at the appointed time. For hardly will anyone die for a righteous [man]; indeed, for the good [man], perhaps, someone even dares to die. But God recommends his own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:5-8
Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or sword? Just as it is written: "For your sake we are being put to death all day long, we have been accounted as sheep for slaughtering." To the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through him that loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
Let [YOUR] love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is wicked, cling to what is good. In love have tender affection for one another. In showing honor to one another take the lead. Do not loiter at YOUR business. Be aglow with the spirit. Slave for Jehovah. Rejoice in the hope. Endure under tribulation. Persevere in prayer. Share with the holy ones according to their needs. Follow the course of hospitality. Keep on blessing those who persecute; be blessing and do not be cursing. Rejoice with people who rejoice; weep with people who weep. Be minded the same way toward others as to yourselves; do not be minding lofty things, but be led along with the lowly things. Do not become discreet in YOUR own eyes.
Return evil for evil to no one. Provide fine things in the sight of all men. If possible, as far as it depends upon YOU, be peaceable with all mankind. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah." But, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing this you will heap fiery coals upon their head." Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good. Love does not work evil to one’s neighbor; therefore love is the law’s fulfillment. Romans 12:9-21; 13:10. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him. But keep zealously seeking the greater gifts. And yet I show YOU a surpassing way. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3; 12:31
If I speak in the tongues of mankind and of angels but do not have love, I have become a sounding [piece of] brass or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophesying and am acquainted with all the sacred secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all the faith so as to transplant mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my belongings to feed others, and if I hand over my body, that I may boast, but do not have love, I am not profited at all. Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are [gifts of] prophesying, they will be done away with; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will be done away with. Now, however, there remain faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13
Pursue love, yet keep zealously seeking the spiritual gifts, but preferably that YOU may prophesy. Stay awake, stand firm in the faith, carry on with healthy teaching given us from our Lord Jesus. Let all YOUR affairs take place with love. 1 Corinthians 14:1; 16:13,14. Let each one do just as they have resolved in their heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, to the end that he may grant YOU according to the riches of his glory to be made his children YOU are inside with power through His Spirit, to have the Christ dwell through [YOUR] faith in YOUR hearts with love; that YOU may be rooted and established on the foundation, in order that YOU may be thoroughly able to grasp mentally with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge, that YOU may be filled with all the fullness that God gives. Therefore, become imitators of God, as beloved children, and go on walking in love, just as the Christ also loved YOU and delivered himself up for YOU as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling odor. Be in subjection to one another in fear of Christ. Let wives be in subjection to their husbands as to the Lord, because a husband is head of his wife as the Christ also is head of the church and God is the Head of Christ, He being the Savior of [his] body. Be in subjection to the Christ, so let wives also be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, continue loving YOUR wives, just as the Christ also loved the church and delivered up himself for it, that he might sanctify it, [GOD'S TEMPLE] cleansing it with the bath of water by means of the Word, that he might present the congregation to himself in its splendor, not having a spot or a wrinkle or any of such things, but that it should be holy and without blemish. In this way husbands ought to beloving their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own flesh; but he feeds and cherishes it, as the Christ also does the congregation, because we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave [his] father and [his] mother and he will stick to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This sacred secret is great. Now I am speaking with honor to Christ and the congregation. Nevertheless, also, let each one of YOU individually so love his wife as he does himself; Ephesians 2:4; 3:16-19; 5:1,2; 21-33. For God is my witness of how I am yearning for all of YOU in such tender affection as Christ Jesus has. And this is what I continue praying, that YOUR love may abound yet more and more with accurate knowledge and full discernment; Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue these. The things that YOU learned as well as accepted and heard and saw in connection with me, practice these; and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 1:8,9; 4:8,9. Thanking God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ always when we pray for YOU, since we heard of YOUR faith in connection with Christ Jesus and the love YOU have for all the holy ones because of the hope that is being reserved for YOU in the heavens. He delivered us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, that their hearts may be comforted, that they may be harmoniously joined together in love and with a view to all the riches of the full assurance of [their] understanding, with a view to an accurate knowledge of the sacred secret of God, namely, Christ. Accordingly, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and long-suffering. Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Even as Jehovah freely forgave YOU, so do YOU also. But, besides all these things, [clothe yourselves with] love, for it is a perfect bond of union. YOU wives, be in subjection to [your] husbands, as it is becoming in [the] Lord. YOU husbands, keep on loving [your] wives and do not be bitterly angry with them. Colossians 1:3-5,13; 2:2; 3:12-14,18,19. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way prosperously to YOU. Moreover, may the Lord cause YOU to increase, yes, make YOU abound, in love to one another and to all, even as we also do to YOU; May the Lord continue directing YOUR hearts successfully into the love of God and into the endurance for the Christ. 1 Thessalonians 3:11,12; 2 Thessalonians 3:5 . But YOU, beloved ones, by building up yourselves on YOUR most holy faith, and praying with holy spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love, while YOU are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ with everlasting life in view. Jude 20,21
Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God, and everyone who loves the One that caused to be born loves him who has been born from that One. By this we gain the knowledge that we are loving the children of God, when we are loving God and doing His commandments. For this is what the love of God means, that we observe His commandments; and yet His commandments are not burdensome, because everything that has been born from God conquers the world. And this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith. Who is the one that conquers the world but he who has faith that Jesus is the Son of God. This is he that came by means of water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And the spirit is that which is bearing witness, because the spirit is the truth. For there are three witness bearers, the spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are in agreement. 1 John 5:1-7
Biblically, love is viewed as the greatest of all the Christian graces. ***LOVE * LOVE * LOVE * LOVE * LOVE***In the introduction to Paul's treatment of the subject in 1 Corinthians 13, he refers to love as "the most excellent way.
Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God and gains the knowledge of God. He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love. By this the love of God was made manifest in our case, because God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him. The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent forth his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins. Beloved ones, if this is how God loved us, then we are ourselves under obligation to love one another. At no time has anyone beheld God. If we continue loving one another, God remains in us and his love is made perfect in us.
By this we gain the knowledge that we are remaining in union with him and he in union with us, because he has imparted his spirit to us. In addition, we ourselves have beheld and are bearing witness that the Father has sent forth his Son as Savior of the world. Whoever makes the confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God remains in union with such one and they are union with God. And we ourselves have come to know and have believed the love that God has in our case.
God is love, and he that remains in love remains in union with God and God remains in union with him. This is how love has been made perfect with us, that we may have freeness of speech in the day of judgment. There is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a restraint. Indeed, they that are under fear has not been made perfect in love. As for us, we love, because He first loved us.
If anyone makes the statement: "I love God," and yet is hating his brother, they are a liar. For those who do not love their brother, whom he has seen, cannot be loving God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that the one who loves God should be loving their brother also. 1 John 4:7-21
My son, my law do not forget, and my commandments may your heart observe, because length of days and years of life and peace will be added to you. May loving-kindness and trueness themselves not leave you. Tie them about your throat. Write them upon the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and good insight in the eyes of God and of earthling man. because the one whom Jehovah loves he reproves, even as a father does a son in whom he finds pleasure. Proverbs 3:1-4; 3:12
Now we request YOU, to have regard for those who are working hard among YOU and presiding over YOU in [the] Lord and admonishing YOU; and to give them more than extraordinary consideration in love because of their work. Be peaceable with one another. On the other hand, we exhort YOU, admonish the disorderly, speak consolingly to the depressed souls, support the weak, be long-suffering toward all. See that no one renders injury for injury to anyone else, but always pursue what is good toward one another and to all others. Always be rejoicing. Pray incessantly. In connection with everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in union with Christ Jesus respecting YOU. Do not put out the fire of the spirit. Do not treat prophesyings with contempt. Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine. Abstain from every form of wickedness. May the very God of peace sanctify YOU completely. And sound in every respect may the spirit and soul and body of YOU be preserved in a blameless manner at the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who is calling YOU is faithful, and he will also do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24
Praise Jah, YOU people! Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good; For his loving-kindness is to time indefinite. Who can utter the mighty performances of Jehovah, [Or] can make all his praise to be heard? Happy are those observing justice, Doing righteousness all the time. Remember me, O Jehovah, with the goodwill toward YOUR people. Take care of me with YOUR salvation, That I may see the goodness to YOUR chosen ones, That I may rejoice with rejoicing of YOUR name, That I may make my boast with YOUR inheritance. Psalms 106:1-5
"YOU heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ However, I say to YOU: Continue to love YOUR enemies and to pray for those persecuting YOU; that YOU may prove yourselves children of YOUR Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous. For if YOU love those loving YOU, what reward do YOU have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? Matthew 5:43-46
"Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go lay bare his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. He said to him: "‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ Matthew 18:15; 22:37
"And if YOU love those loving YOU, of what credit is it to YOU? Foreven the sinners love those loving them. And if YOU do good to those doing good to YOU, really of what credit is it to YOU? Even the sinners do the same. To the contrary, continue to love YOUR enemies and to do good and to lend [without interest], not hoping for anything back; and YOUR reward will be great, and YOU will be the children of the Most High, because he is kind toward the unthankful and wicked. Continue becoming merciful, just as YOUR Father is merciful. Luke 6:32-36
Most truly I say to YOU, He that exercises faith in me, that one also will do the works that I do; and he will do works greater than these, because I am going my way to the Father. Also, whatever it is that YOU ask in my name, I will do this, in order that the Father may be glorified in connection with the Son. If YOU ask anything in my name, I will do it. "If YOU love me, YOU will observe my commandments; and I will request the Father and he will give YOU another helper to be with YOU forever, the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. YOU know it, because it remains with YOU and is in YOU. I shall not leave YOU bereaved. I am coming to YOU. A little longer and the world will behold me no more, but YOU will behold me, because I live and YOU will live. In that day YOU will know that I am in union with my Father and YOU are in union with me and I am in union with YOU. THOSE that have my commandments and observes them, that one is who loves me. In turn he that loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love those and will plainly show myself to them." If YOU remain in union with me and my sayings remain in YOU, ask whatever YOU hope and it will take place for YOU. My Father is glorified in this, that YOU keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples. YOU are my friends if YOU do what I am commanding YOU. These things I command YOU, that YOU love one another. John 14:12-21; 15:7,8,14,17
THOSE that hate me hates also my Father. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have both seen and hated me as well as my Father. But it is that the word written in their Law may be fulfilled, ‘They hated me without cause.’ When the helper arrives that I will send YOU from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which proceeds from the Father, that one will bear witness about me; and YOU, in turn, are to bear witness, because YOU have been with me from when I began. John 15:23-27 
Paul said: and the hope does not lead to disappointment; because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy spirit, which was given us. For, indeed, Christ, while we were yet weak, died for the ungodly at the appointed time. For hardly will anyone die for a righteous [man]; indeed, for the good [man], perhaps, someone even dares to die. But God recommends his own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:5-8
Who will separate us from the love of the Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or hunger or nakedness or danger or sword? Just as it is written: "For your sake we are being put to death all day long, we have been accounted as sheep for slaughtering." To the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through him that loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
Let [YOUR] love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is wicked, cling to what is good. In love have tender affection for one another. In showing honor to one another take the lead. Do not loiter at YOUR business. Be aglow with the spirit. Slave for Jehovah. Rejoice in the hope. Endure under tribulation. Persevere in prayer. Share with the holy ones according to their needs. Follow the course of hospitality. Keep on blessing those who persecute; be blessing and do not be cursing. Rejoice with people who rejoice; weep with people who weep. Be minded the same way toward others as to yourselves; do not be minding lofty things, but be led along with the lowly things. Do not become discreet in YOUR own eyes.
Return evil for evil to no one. Provide fine things in the sight of all men. If possible, as far as it depends upon YOU, be peaceable with all mankind. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah." But, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by doing this you will heap fiery coals upon their head." Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good. Love does not work evil to one’s neighbor; therefore love is the law’s fulfillment. Romans 12:9-21; 13:10. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by him. But keep zealously seeking the greater gifts. And yet I show YOU a surpassing way. 1 Corinthians 8:1-3; 12:31
If I speak in the tongues of mankind and of angels but do not have love, I have become a sounding [piece of] brass or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophesying and am acquainted with all the sacred secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all the faith so as to transplant mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my belongings to feed others, and if I hand over my body, that I may boast, but do not have love, I am not profited at all. Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are [gifts of] prophesying, they will be done away with; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will be done away with. Now, however, there remain faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 13
Pursue love, yet keep zealously seeking the spiritual gifts, but preferably that YOU may prophesy. Stay awake, stand firm in the faith, carry on with healthy teaching given us from our Lord Jesus. Let all YOUR affairs take place with love. 1 Corinthians 14:1; 16:13,14. Let each one do just as they have resolved in their heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, to the end that he may grant YOU according to the riches of his glory to be made his children YOU are inside with power through His Spirit, to have the Christ dwell through [YOUR] faith in YOUR hearts with love; that YOU may be rooted and established on the foundation, in order that YOU may be thoroughly able to grasp mentally with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge, that YOU may be filled with all the fullness that God gives. Therefore, become imitators of God, as beloved children, and go on walking in love, just as the Christ also loved YOU and delivered himself up for YOU as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling odor. Be in subjection to one another in fear of Christ. Let wives be in subjection to their husbands as to the Lord, because a husband is head of his wife as the Christ also is head of the church and God is the Head of Christ, He being the Savior of [his] body. Be in subjection to the Christ, so let wives also be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, continue loving YOUR wives, just as the Christ also loved the church and delivered up himself for it, that he might sanctify it, [GOD'S TEMPLE] cleansing it with the bath of water by means of the Word, that he might present the congregation to himself in its splendor, not having a spot or a wrinkle or any of such things, but that it should be holy and without blemish. In this way husbands ought to beloving their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own flesh; but he feeds and cherishes it, as the Christ also does the congregation, because we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave [his] father and [his] mother and he will stick to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This sacred secret is great. Now I am speaking with honor to Christ and the congregation. Nevertheless, also, let each one of YOU individually so love his wife as he does himself; Ephesians 2:4; 3:16-19; 5:1,2; 21-33. For God is my witness of how I am yearning for all of YOU in such tender affection as Christ Jesus has. And this is what I continue praying, that YOUR love may abound yet more and more with accurate knowledge and full discernment; Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue these. The things that YOU learned as well as accepted and heard and saw in connection with me, practice these; and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 1:8,9; 4:8,9. Thanking God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ always when we pray for YOU, since we heard of YOUR faith in connection with Christ Jesus and the love YOU have for all the holy ones because of the hope that is being reserved for YOU in the heavens. He delivered us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, that their hearts may be comforted, that they may be harmoniously joined together in love and with a view to all the riches of the full assurance of [their] understanding, with a view to an accurate knowledge of the sacred secret of God, namely, Christ. Accordingly, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and long-suffering. Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Even as Jehovah freely forgave YOU, so do YOU also. But, besides all these things, [clothe yourselves with] love, for it is a perfect bond of union. YOU wives, be in subjection to [your] husbands, as it is becoming in [the] Lord. YOU husbands, keep on loving [your] wives and do not be bitterly angry with them. Colossians 1:3-5,13; 2:2; 3:12-14,18,19. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way prosperously to YOU. Moreover, may the Lord cause YOU to increase, yes, make YOU abound, in love to one another and to all, even as we also do to YOU; May the Lord continue directing YOUR hearts successfully into the love of God and into the endurance for the Christ. 1 Thessalonians 3:11,12; 2 Thessalonians 3:5 . But YOU, beloved ones, by building up yourselves on YOUR most holy faith, and praying with holy spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love, while YOU are waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ with everlasting life in view. Jude 20,21
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