If someone asked you to take your faith, all of its components – the youth retreats, the workshops, the Bible studies – and squeeze it into a "faith concentrate," what would be the result? If you took your Christian life and put it through a dehydrator, only to be left with the raw, core remnants, what would they be?
In 1 Corinthians 13:2, Paul answers this question for the church of Corinth saying, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." Love is the power on which the kingdom of God functions. We take the love that bestowed upon us by Christ, and we release it out into the world. This should be the paradigm of the Christian church.
However, sometimes the term "love" can get lost idioms and superficial connotations, and we begin to lose sight of the mystery that is the love of God. Love has many names, each reminiscent of the character of God and what He's done for us. So, what does love entail in the Christian faith?
1. L is for Liberation.
Love often comes in the form of liberation from the enemy. In more ways than one, God has chosen to liberate those who call on His name: liberate them from sin, from guilt and from weariness. Christ's sacrifice acted as the final liberation for those who have been bound by the confines of sin and the imperfect justification of Mosaic Law. Liberation is an act of love that the Father freely gives to those who ask.
2. O is for Offering.
Needless to say, Christ's crucifixion was the ultimate sacrifice for love. An offering, by nature, is given to someone with no expectation of anything in return. This was the very nature of the Incarnate God. His purpose on earth was to act in perfect love, to be "a ransom for many" as an offering for the sins of all, asking nothing in return except confidence in the power of the cross.
3. V is for Victory.
Christ's love did not just manifest itself in tragic sacrifice. As of the third day after Jesus' death, love will forever manifest itself in triumph. Christ has made us victorious in Him, allowing us to share in the glory of his triumph over death, and for what reason? Why did God give us victory over death? Because the Lord is Love, and where the Lord is, there will always be victory over death. Because we are loved by God; we are victorious alongside Him.
4. E is for Eternity.
Not only do we get the opportunity to share in the celebration of God's glory, but we will one day be in the presence of God forevermore. The unimaginable wonder and joy and peace that comes with the presence of God will fill us every day, and we will get to love Him face to face for all of eternity. Because God loves us, He sent Christ so that we never had to be without Him, and He would never be without us.
Because the veil has been broken, we are free to love and be loved by God. As the children of God, we were designed to experience this love in all of its forms. Every day, God shows us a different way to love, and a different way in which He can show us His perfect, triumphant love. As His people, we are created to emulate our Father. We were made for love and made to express love like Christ.
