Love is... Choice; Ephesians

May the mumbling commence!

I’ve been reading through Ephesians with an eye out for references to love so that I can learn more about the love that God calls us to.  As always, a good place to look is to our heavenly Father.  Read from Ephesians chapter one (KJV):

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children

by Jesus Christ to himself,

according to the good pleasure of his will,

To the praise of the glory of his grace,

wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Verses 4-6)

Love is a long standing choice… from the very beginning of time.

Love does NOT play the blame game.  Love adopts children through Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ chose to be obedient to his heavenly Father.  Jesus did the work of adoption so that we may be holy and without blame before our heavenly Father.  Love drove this work of choice and obedience.

Love creates good pleasure for everyone.  Shared pleasure is the will of God.

And the pleasure of love leads us to praise.  We praise our heavenly Father for His abundant grace.  We glory in God’s grace through Jesus.

Love counts us accepted into the family as full members – even though we are adopted.

So here is love as defined in this passage:

1.     Love is long-standing choice… long suffering.

2.     Love seeks to build up and make holy… not to blame.

3.     Love creates good pleasure for everyone… that is the will of God.

4.     Love inspires praise and glory in God’s grace.

5.     Love counts us as accepted family members… despite our status as adopted.

So, what do we do with this love that God so lavishly presents to us?  Read a passage from further into Ephesians chapter one:

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. (Verses 15-16)

Our appropriate response is to bolster our faith in Jesus as the Christ, to love all the saints, and to give ceaseless thanks to God for each other.  How do we bolster these things in our lives?  Saturate all things in prayer.  In prayer, our faith is bolstered, our love in enhanced, and our thanks blooms ever and always.

Yes, love involves faith.  When faith is broken, love cannot endure for long.  And love needs thanks.  Sometimes loving people is a thankless task.  I do not deny that.  But love is difficult for humanity to sustain without some measure of thanks.  Sometimes we break faith with one another and with God.  Sometimes we forget to give thanks.  Sometimes we forget to pray…  Thank God for His grace!

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out