Bible Love, Not Nambypamby Sentimentality

1
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• 36 Master, which is the great commandment in
  the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love
  the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
  thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the
  first and great commandment. 39 And the second
  is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
  thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all
  the law and the prophets (Matt. 22).

2
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Upon examination, many statements in the
  scriptures regarding love are not compatible with
  the common definitions.
• 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent
  for you though the more abundantly I love you,
  the less I be loved (2 Cor. 12).

3
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Namby-pamby defined
• Weakly sentimentalinsipidlacking in character,
  directness, or moral or emotional
  strengthwithout firm methods or policy, weak or
  indecisive (R.H.C.D., p. 884).

4
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Greek definition
• The Greek words for love found in the New
  Testament are  agapao, agape (noun form),
  phileo, and stergo (Rom. 12 10). 
• Verb,25, agapao and the corresponding noun
  agapepresent the characteristic word of
  Christianity, and since the Spirit of revelation
  has used it to express ideas previously unknown,
  inquiry into its use, whether in Greek literature
  or in the Septuagint, throws but little light
  upon its distinctive meaning in the NT.

5
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Definition continued
• Agape and agapao are used in the NT (a) to
  describe the attitude of God toward His Son, John
  17 26 the human race, generally, John 3 16
  Rom 5 8 and to such as believe on the Lord
  Jesus Christ, particularly, John 14 21 (b) to
  convey His will to His children concerning their
  attitude one toward another, John 13 34, and
  toward all men, 1 Thess. 3 12 1 Cor. 16 14 2
  Pet. 1 7 (c) to express the essential nature of
  God, 1 John 4 8.

6
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Definition continued
• In respect of agapao as used of God, it
  expresses the deep and constant love and
  interest of a perfect Being towards entirely
  unworthy objects, producing and fostering a
  reverential love in them towards the Giver, and
  a practical love towards those who are
  partakers of the same, and a desire to help
  others to seek the Giver....

7
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Definition concluded
• Love can be known only from the actions it
  prompts. God's love is seen in the gift of His
  Son, 1 John 4 9,10. But obviously this is not
  the love of complacency, or affection, that is,
  it was not drawn out by any excellency in its
  objects, Rom. 5 8. It was an exercise of the
  Divine will indeliberate choice, made without
  assignable cause save that which lies in the
  nature of God Himself, Cp. Deut. 7 7,8...
  (W.E. Vines).

8
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• The excellence of Bible love
• 1. Love motivates Gal. 5 6.
• 2. Love works not ill Rom. 13 10.
• 3. Love produces confidence I John 4 17, 18.

9
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• The excellence of Bible love
• 4. Love is the bond of perfectness Col. 3 14.
• 5. Serve one another by love Gal. 5 13.
• 6. Excellence seen in characteristics.

10
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind charity
  envieth not charity vaunteth not itself, is not
  puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly,
  seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
  thinketh no evil 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity,
  but rejoiceth in the truth 7 Beareth all
  things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,
  endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth
  but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail
  whether there be tongues, they shall cease
  whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away
  (I Cor. 13).

11
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• The Bible governs love
• Not to love Darkness (John 3 19, 20) world (I
  John 2 15-17) pleasures (2 Tim. 3 4) praise
  (John 12 42, 43) self (2 Tim. 3 2)
  pre-eminence (3 John 9) riches (I Tim. 6 10,
  17).
• We are to love God (Matt. 22 37) commands (Ps.
  119 127) enemies (Matt. 5 44f.) truth (2
  Thes. 2 10-12) neighbor (Matt. 22 39)
  brotherhood (I Pet. 2 17).

12
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Why would Paul say
• 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent
  for you though the more abundantly I love you,
  the less I be loved (2 Cor. 12).

13
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Bible love involves obedience
• 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man
  love me, he will keep my words and my Father
  will love him, and we will come unto him, and
  make our abode with him (John 14, cp. vs.
  21-24).

14
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Bible love requires respect for authority
• 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not
  the things which I say? 47 Whosoever cometh to
  me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I
  will shew you to whom he is like 48 He is like
  a man which built an house, and digged deep, and
  laid the foundation on a rock and when the flood
  arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that
  house, and could not shake it for it was founded
  upon a rock (Luke 6).

15
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Bible love requires discipline
• 24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son but
  he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes (Prov.
  13, cp. Eph. 6 4, cp. 2 Thes. 3 6).

16
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Bible love requires confrontation
• 3 Take heed to yourselves If thy brother
  trespass against thee, rebuke him and if he
  repent, forgive him (Luke 17, cp. I Thes. 5 14).

17
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Bible love requires forgiveness
• 3 Take heed to yourselves If thy brother
  trespass against thee, rebuke him and if he
  repent, forgive him (Luke 17).

18
Bible Love, Not Namby-pamby Sentimentality

• Bible love not namby-pamby because
• 1. Involved mans obedience.
• 2. Necessitates respect for authority.
• 3. Requires discipline.
• 4. Involves confrontation.
• 5. Demands forgiveness.